Assistant Curator, Humanitarian and Disaster Relief

Australian War Memorial; Canberra; On-site; AUD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Australian War Memorial in Canberra seeks an Assistant Curator to help develop the Humanitarian and Disaster Relief Gallery and interpret the Australian experience of modern conflicts. The role involves researching the National Collection, preparing briefing material for displays, and contributing to multimedia and visitor experiences.

You will work with MuseumPlus, MediaBin and SharePoint daily, liaising with design consultants and donors, and supporting exhibitions through collaborative

Qualifications

• Experience in researching and interpreting museum material.
• Ability to develop interpretive approaches for galleries.
• Familiarity with national collection management concepts.
• Capacity to work with distressing or sensitive material.

Responsibilities

• Assist in developing the Humanitarian and Disaster Relief Gallery with briefs and narratives.
• Research collection material and document items in MuseumPlus and MediaBin.
• Assist in acquiring external content and developing AV/multimedia interactives.
• Collaborate with internal specialists and external producers.
• Produce catalogue records, exhibition text and reports for publications.
• Coordinate conservation and photography of items as needed.
• Engage with communities and participate in team planning and training.

Skills

Research & analysis

Exhibition development

Interpretive planning

Stakeholder engagement

Written communication

Project coordination

Digital archives

Tools

MuseumPlus

MediaBin

Piction

SharePoint

Job description

Assistant Curator, Humanitarian and Disaster Relief

Working closely with the Lead Curator, the Assistant Curator contributes to the interpretation of the Australian experience of modern conflicts and military history through exhibition development. Under general direction this position will undertake research, analysis and development of the National Collection, develop briefing documentation for object displays, multimedia and key visitor experiences in support of exhibition and audience outcomes. Working closely with internal and external stakeholders including design consultants and donors, the Assistant Curator will be required to actively participate in workshops and community engagement activities to provide expertise and recommendations for the development and future management of the Gallery.

The successful candidate will also be required to work across multiple Memorial systems including collection management (MuseumPlus, Piction and MediaBin) and document management (SharePoint) systems on a daily basis.

This position entails working with potentially distressing and culturally sensitive material. The initial engagement is for up to 24 months, with a possibility of conversion to ongoing in alignment with relevant legislative provisions. The initial engagement is for up to 24 months, with a possibility of conversion to ongoing in alignment with relevant legislative provisions.

Core Responsibilities

Under general direction undertake a range of tasks related to the Gallery Development including:

• Assist the Lead Curator in the development of the Humanitarian and Disaster Relief Gallery through developing briefs, interpretive approaches and key exhibition narratives.
• Undertake research on collection material, including documenting items on the Memorial's collection management systems (MuseumPlus and MediaBin).
• Assist with research and acquisition of externally sourced content material.
• Contribute to the development of AV/multimedia interactives for exhibition, including working
• Collaboratively with a range of internal specialists and external producers.
• Produce high quality written work including catalogue records, exhibition text, correspondence, minutes and reports and contribute to research assignments and publications.
• Assist in coordination of items for conservation and photography where necessary.
• Undertake administrative and project tasks in a multi-disciplinary team.
• Liaise with other areas within the Memorial, in particular curatorial areas and Collection Services, in the planning and production of the exhibitions.
• Respond to copyright and licencing requirements in relation to content sourced or produced for display.
• Participate in community engagement activities related to the content development.
• Participate in team planning and training processes.
• Undertake manual handling activities as required, including handling of collection material as part of the assessment process.

Under section 22(8) of the Public Service Act 1999, employees must be Australian citizens to be employed in the Australian Public Service (APS).

All applicants external to AWM that are offered employment will be required to successfully undergo a National Police Check, even if they currently hold a security clearance. The check is conducted in accordance with the Australian Government Protective Security Policy Framework requirements.

Contact Information

For specific questions relating to this job vacancy, please contact: Bliss Jensen, (02) 6243 4***, ************@awm.gov.au

For questions relating to the online lodgement of your application, please email the Recruitment team via ******@awm.gov.au

Notes

A merit pool of suitable applicants may be created which may be used to fill future ongoing and non-ongoing vacancies should they become available over the next 18 months.

Successful applicants engaged into the APS will be subject to a probation period.

The Memorial is committed to workplace diversity and maintains an environment that values the contribution of people from different backgrounds and experiences. The Memorial welcomes applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, veterans, mature age people, people from diverse backgrounds, and people with a disability.