Exhibitions and Collections Assistant (Full Time)

Southampton City Council; Southampton; Hybrid; GBP 30,000 - 32,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Excellent pension

Death in service

Generous holiday

Flexible working

Training and development

Health and wellbeing support

Armed Forces Covenant

Retail discounts

Discounted memberships

Sustainable travel benefits

Volunteer days

Job summary

Southampton City Council’s Museums, Art Gallery and Heritage Service is seeking a Full Time Exhibitions and Collections Assistant to support the delivery of exhibitions and collections care. You will assist with planning, installation, documentation, object handling and environmental monitoring, while working with curators and venue teams to create engaging displays.

The role suits someone with passion for collections and audience engagement, good organisational skills and attention to detail,

Qualifications

• Experience in exhibitions, collections or audience engagement.
• Ability to handle information and objects accurately.
• Strong organisational skills and attention to detail.

Responsibilities

• Support planning, preparation and installation of exhibitions.
• Assist with documentation, object movement and handling.
• Monitor environmental conditions for collections care.
• Collaborate with curators, learning and venue teams for displays.
• Support access through talks, tours and digital content.

Skills

Exhibitions

Collections care

Audience engagement

Documentation

Job description

Exhibitions and Collections Assistant

We have an exciting opportunity to join Southampton City Council's Museum and Gallery Team in the role of Full Time Exhibitions and Collections Assistant.

About us

The Museums, Art Gallery and Heritage Service sits within Southampton City Council’s Culture and Tourism Division and plays a vital role in sharing, celebrating and caring for Southampton’s rich art, history and heritage. Through Southampton City Art Gallery, SeaCity Museum, Tudor House & Garden and the city’s collections, we create opportunities for people to explore stories, ideas and experiences that connect communities, visitors and future generations.

We are a public-facing, people-centred service that brings together collections, exhibitions, learning, engagement, volunteering, commercial activity and venue operations. Our teams work collaboratively to provide welcoming, inclusive, safe and inspiring experiences for residents, schools, families, partners, communities and visitors to the city.

Joining the service means being part of a creative, supportive and ambitious team that is committed to excellent visitor experience, meaningful community connection and responsible care of the city’s heritage assets.

The Role

As Exhibitions and Collections Assistant, you will support the delivery of exhibitions, displays and collections activity that helps Southampton’s arts and heritage collections reach their full potential. You will assist with exhibition planning, preparation, installation, documentation, object movement, environmental monitoring and day-to-day collections care.

You will work closely with curators, exhibitions colleagues, learning, marketing and venue teams to help create audience-focused displays and engagement activity. The role includes supporting access to collections through talks, tours, digital content, learning activity, social media, volunteer involvement and inclusive interpretation.

About you

We are looking for someone with a strong interest in collections, exhibitions and audience engagement, with prior experience in at least one of those areas, who can work accurately, practically and collaboratively. You will need good organisational skills, attention to detail, confidence handling information and objects, and a commitment to inclusive, accessible and high-quality visitor experiences.

If you feel you have the necessary background, experience, and skills to undertake this role we would love to hear from you.

What we can offer you:

Salary: The salary band for this role is £29,742 –32,046. The starting salary is £29,742 with annual progression through the salary bands.

Here at Southampton City Council we have a range of different benefits, a few examples can be found below.

• Excellent local government pension with 15.2% employer contribution
• Death in service benefit of x3 salary, and optional salary sacrifice shared cost AVC (additional voluntary contribution)
• Generous holiday 25–31 days, based on role and service
• Flexible working options (role-dependent)
• Family-friendly policies - Maternity, Paternity, Adoption, Shared/Unpaid Parental Leave, Time off for Dependents
• Training and development, including coaching and mentoring
• Health and wellbeing support - Employee Assistance Programme, Menopause Pledge, Mental Health First Aiders and access to a variety of staff networks
• Veteran-friendly employer with the Armed Forces Covenant
• Retail discounts and savings through the Southampton City Council benefits platform
• Discounted memberships at local sports and fitness centres
• Sustainable travel benefits - low emission car scheme, cycle to work, season ticket loans
• Employee volunteering scheme with 2 paid days leave to volunteer

Interview Information:

Interviews will likely take place in early to mid-November. Our preference is for interviews to take place in person, but hybrid options will be available.