Curatorial and Technical Manager

Kirklees Council; Kirklees; On-site; GBP 43,000 - 46,000; Part time

Job summary

Kirklees Museums and Galleries is seeking a senior manager to lead a multidisciplinary team across collections care, curatorial practice and digitisation. You will oversee displays, access, and ongoing professional development while guiding strategic priorities for multiple museum sites.

You will advance the development of a new Huddersfield Museum and Art Gallery and drive inclusive, accessible heritage experiences, collaborating with staff, partners and funders to realise ambitious cultural

Qualifications

• Experience leading museum teams and transforming collections care, curatorial and exhibition practice.
• Expertise in documentation standards, digitisation and developing a collections management system.
• Strong project management, budget and resource management skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead and inspire our curatorial team and provide professional collections guidance.
• Provide direction to technical colleagues to maintain high standards of collections care, display and access.
• Support digital access, enhance online visibility and ensure safe handling of objects and artworks.
• Shape service strategy and drive change across multiple sites and projects.
• Collaborate with partners to deliver ACE-funded cultural outcomes.

Skills

Team leadership

Collections management

Project management

Stakeholder engagement

Inclusive heritage

Innovation in heritage

Tools

Collections management system

Job description

We adopt a ‘name blind’ approach to shortlisting. Recruiting managers will not have access to personal information, including your name and contact details, until a shortlisting decision has been made – please note that this also includes any CV uploaded. Equality monitoring information is not accessible by recruiting managers at any stage.

Organisation

Kirklees

Directorate

Public Health and Corporate Resources

Service Area

Culture & Visitor Economy

Hours

37

Number of Jobs

1

Location(s)

Across Kirklees Museums & Galleries

Position type

Temporary

Length of contract

30.9.2028 (24 Months)

Grade

Grade 11

Salary

£43,149 - £45,529

Benefits

Our employees are at the very heart of the services we provide to the community, to help us achieve our ambitions, we want the best possible team. In return, we will make sure you are rewarded with a great range of to support you in and out of work.

Are you ready to lead change, inspire excellence and help shape the future for Kirklees culture and heritage? This is a rare opportunity to lead a talented, multidisciplinary team and advance your management skills across collections care, curatorial practice and digitisation. Working across multiple museum sites and with a large, varied collection, you’ll deliver ambitious outcomes for our Arts Council England‑funded NPO museum service while supporting the creation of a new museum and art gallery for Huddersfield. Now is a pivotal time to join Kirklees Museums and Galleries. As a key member of Kirklees Museums and Galleries, you will have the opportunity to contribute to the development of the new Huddersfield Museum and Art Gallery as part of

Your role will be to manage and inspire our curatorial team, providing professional collections guidance and ongoing direction to technical colleagues to maintain high standards of collections care, display, access and safe working. Through inclusive curatorial practice and improved digital access, your work will help deepen our connections with audiences and ensure it reflects the diverse stories of Kirklees across our museum sites and through digital innovation.

Your influence will help shape the future direction of the service, ensuring our collections, exhibitions and interpretation reflect the diverse stories of Kirklees and engage both new and existing audiences in meaningful ways. Notable areas of our collection include natural history, such as entomology, herbaria and fossils; local industries connected with international impact, especially textiles, engineering, transport, and collections such as the Bamforth postcards; plus, areas such as archaeology, contemporary British art, political protest, music and sport. You will also help strengthen how people encounter our collections beyond the gallery, supporting improved online access and digital visibility while ensuring we share stories effectively without compromising the historic objects and artworks in our care.

You will bring a supportive, collaborative style of leadership, working with teams across the service and wider Council to streamline processes, improve communication and help colleagues deliver shared priorities through a period of change. You will also identify opportunities for the team to remain current with professional standards and accredited approaches that strengthen collections care and curatorial practice.

What We’re Looking For

• An ability to lead and inspire teams through change in dynamic museum, gallery or heritage settings.
• Extensive management experience in collections care, curatorial and exhibition practice, with expertise in documentation standards, digitisation and developing a collections management system.
• Practical, proactive problem‑solving skills with strong project management, commissioning, budget and resource management experience.
• Collaborative and effective communication skills, keen to engage stakeholders, communities, partners, donors and funders.
• A passion for inclusive, accessible, and culturally responsive museum experiences.
• The drive to help shape the future of heritage in Kirklees and develop sector‑leading innovation.

Why Join Us?

• Career‑defining experience: Play a central role to support major museum and gallery development, gaining skills and experience that will support your progression to senior leadership in the sector.
• Dynamic environment: Lead a team through transformation, develop your change management expertise, and make a lasting impact.
• Sector leadership: Join an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation at the forefront of innovation and community engagement.
• Quality of life: Enjoy all that Kirklees has to offer - excellent transport links, beautiful landscapes, and a thriving cultural scene.

About Us

The role is based in Kirklees Museums and Galleries, who are proud to have been awarded Arts Council England (ACE) National Portfolio Organisation (NPO) status for 2023‑28, one of eight NPOs in Kirklees. As an NPO, our funding is thanks to taxpayers, and it plays a huge part in supporting our work.

We believe museums are for everyone — our spaces are welcoming, inclusive, and designed to inspire curiosity, connection, and pride. Our collections include approximately 300,000 objects from across all aspects of human and natural history and our service includes nationally significant listed buildings set in community park space.

Kirklees is a desirable place to live, work and enjoy and is conveniently located, with excellent transport links across the country and particularly to Leeds and Manchester, together with easy access to glorious Pennine landscapes, vibrant cultural activity and the creative and historic towns and villages of the area.

We encourage applications from people with all differing abilities. So, if you need any support completing an application form, or any other format for the application or Job Description please contact the Recruitment Team for help by email: [e-mail] or phone: [phone] and ask for ‘Recruitment’.

If you are internal and want to apply for this job as a secondment you must be a substantive employee of the Council with over 6 months continuous service and have successfully completed your probation period.

Applications for secondments will only be accepted if approved by your manager, you will be asked to confirm on your application form that you have the relevant permission. If you are refused permission to apply for a secondment, please contact HR Recruitment to register the refusal.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of vulnerable adults and children and young people and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

Cat Lumb is the manager for this role, please contact them on 01484 221000 for an informal discussion, or if you need any more information.

Closing date

28 October 2026, 11:55 PM