Collections Assistant - Reading Museum

Reading Borough Council; Reading; On-site; GBP 17,000 - 21,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous holiday entitlement

Flexible working opportunities

Life Assurance

Day nursery

Season Ticket Loan

Lease car salary sacrifice

Job summary

Reading Museum, part of Reading Borough Council, is seeking a part-time Collections Assistant to support the Collections team. You will update object records, research and photograph collections, and manage archaeological archives using our database systems.

You will work three days a week (Mon-Fri) with occasional evenings/weekends, and help with packing, loans, environmental monitoring and securing location control for objects.

Qualifications

• Some training or experience in museums
• Ability to update object records accurately
• Experience with databases
• Ability to lift and move museum objects
• Strong IT and data entry accuracy
• Good written and customer service skills
• Work well in a small team and manage workload

Responsibilities

• Update object records with accurate information and research
• Research, photography and scanning of collections
• Record archaeological archives
• Pack and environmental monitoring; move objects safely
• Support exhibitions, volunteering and visiting researchers
• Contribute to online publications and blogs

Job description

The job requirements are detailed below. Where applicable the skills, qualifications and memberships required for this job have also been included.

Part time – 22.2 hours per week – 3 Days a week – Permanent

Reading Museum is looking for a part‑time Collections Assistant to support the work of the Collections team. The Collections Assistant will have the opportunity to develop their experience in museum documentation and collection management, working with a variety of collections but especially archaeological archives.

About the role:

Reading Museum has around half a million objects including fine art, local history, natural history and archaeology, sharing its unique collections with a wide range of audiences. We need an enthusiastic individual to help us care for and document these collections using our Modes database, and make information on the collections accessible through enquiries, online publications and public programmes.

Please visit our website to find out more: https://www.readingmuseum.org.uk

As a Collections Assistant you will work as part of the Museum collections team, updating object records with accurate information and research, helping maintain loan records on the database and marking objects with their numbers according to agreed procedures.

They will assist with answering enquiries, research, photography and scanning of collections, recording archaeological archives, basic collection care tasks such as packing and environmental monitoring, and the safe movement of objects including location control.

The role will also offer opportunities to get involved with the wider work of the Collections and Learning team including exhibition preparation, supporting volunteers and visiting researchers, and contributing to online publications such as museum blogs and social media content.

This is a part‑time role, and we expect that you will normally work three days a week between Monday and Friday. (Please include in your supporting statement which days you would like to work, if you have a preference.) There may be occasional evening and weekend work. This role is not suitable for remote working.

About you:

• Passionate about museums and heritage, with some training or experience
• Highly organised, with excellent administration skills and a close eye for detail
• Confident with IT including experience of databases, and enter data accurately, consistently and reliably
• An effective communicator, with strong written communication and customer service skills
• You enjoy independent research and work well in a small team
• Good time management and prioritisation skills, able to manage your workload to meet deadlines
• Able to carry out basic lifting and moving, and have previous experience or understanding of handling museum objects.

We seek the best talent from the widest pool of people as diversity and inclusion is the key to our success. Reading Borough Council is a Disability Confident Employer and is committed to the recruitment and continued employment of people with disabilities.

You’ll be part of a team that relies on each individual to play their part to the best of their ability. As well as the colleagues that you work closely with every day, you’ll also be part of Team Reading, playing your personal part in making Reading a successful and vibrant place.

Our vision is to ensure that Reading realises its potential as a great place to live, work and play, and that everyone shares the benefits of this success.

Work Together as one team - work collaboratively, with each other and with our partners, and demonstrate the Team Reading values in everything we do

Drive Efficiency - show initiative, be adaptable to change and put forward ideas to help improve delivery and efficiency. Take responsibility for our own learning and development and for reaching our potential.

Be Ambitious - be demanding of our own performance – striving to be even better – and be prepared to engage with and challenge leaders in a constructive and positive way.

Make a Difference to Reading - maintain the highest levels of customer service and be flexible and willing to provide the services needed at the time they are needed.

Our offer:

We offer a supportive environment to grow and develop your career with the opportunity to put your ideas across. Innovation and ambition are strongly encouraged, and you’ll get a great feel for that working in our friendly and collaborative environment.

A competitive salary alongside a range of benefits including:

• Generous holiday entitlement - 25 days holiday each year plus bank holidays (pro rata) - rising to 30 days after 5 years and 33 days after 10 years' service, with the option to buy additional leave
• A wide range of flexible working opportunities
• Life Assurance - three times your annual salary (for members of the LGPS)
• Day nursery (Kennet Day nursery at the Civic Offices) rated outstanding by Ofsted
• Season Ticket Loan - a loan to help with the cost of your rail or bus journey, to and from work
• Lease car salary sacrifice scheme allowing you to lease a brand new, greener car for three years. The monthly fee includes insurance, servicing and road tax

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Closing Date: Thursday 3rd September 2026