Senior Collection Manager: Care and Access

Trustees of the British Museum; London; On-site; GBP 38,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

The British Museum seeks a Senior Collection Manager to lead collection management and advocacy for best practices. This role demands expertise in managing resources and maintaining standards for the care and display of collections. Candidates should possess a strong interest in the Museum’s collections and demonstrated experience in project management.

Benefits

Generous annual leave allowance

Membership of the civil service pension scheme

Free entry to museums and exhibitions

Interest-free loans for travel and housing

Professional development opportunities

Qualifications

• Experience managing collection processes and procedures.
• Demonstrable interest in British Museum collections.
• Skills in team management and delivery of museum projects.

Responsibilities

• Manage collection management processes and ensure best practices.
• Oversee Collection Managers and allocate resources.
• Advocate collection management practices and maintain project schedules.

Skills

Project management

Budget management

Knowledge of collection care

Organizational skills

Team leadership

Education

Undergraduate degree or equivalent practical experience

Job description

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Senior Collection Manager: Care and Access, London

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Client:

Trustees of the British Museum

Location:

London, United Kingdom

Job Category:

Other

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EU work permit required:

Yes

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Job Reference:

7506e930ba63

Job Views:

4

Posted:

25.06.2025

Expiry Date:

09.08.2025

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Job Description:

Key areas of responsibility:

• Manage the implementation, monitoring and review of collection management processes and procedures to ensure that the Museum meets standards of best practice, including maintenance, documentation and the display, storage, handling, study and movement of the collection.
• Manage Collection Managers responsible for shared collection storage and research spaces, including robust planning and management of progression and development within teams and delivery of pro-active performance management as required.
• Advocate and champion collection management best practice across the Museum, acting as a key communication channel for the resolution of issues impacting delivery of collection management activities.
• Maintain a common schedule of projects and activities, reporting to senior management and other colleagues as required.
• Work closely with Collection Managers across the Museum and the other Senior Collection Managers to ensure that the entire programme of activity, including storage projects, gallery projects, loans, exhibitions, study room operations and day-to-day care of the collection is supported in an integrated way.

About you:

• An undergraduate degree or equivalent practical experience
• Demonstrable interest in aspects of the British Museum’s collections
• Proficient at managing timetables, resources, and budgets.
• In-depth knowledge of collection care and object handling, display, and preventative conservation practises.
• Experience delivering a varied programme of work, with strong prioritisation, planning, and organisational skills.
• Able to work flexibly as part of a wide, multi-disciplinary team.

About the British Museum:

Founded in 1753, the British Museum’s remarkable collection spans over two million years of human history and culture. The Museum is a leading visitor attraction, and its world-famous collection includes the Rosetta Stone, Egyptian mummies, the Sutton-Hoo finds, and the Lewis Chessmen. The Museum also holds an extensive collection of prints and drawings spanning 600 years, including works by the greatest graphic artists such as Dürer, Michelangelo and Rembrandt.

You can view a selection of our impressive collection of prints and drawings in ourvirtual gallery.

The Museum offers a competitive benefits package including:

• Generous annual leave allowance of 25 days (rising to 30 days after 10 years’ service) plus 2.5 privilege days and plus bank holidays.
• Membership of the civil service defined benefit pension scheme (find out here what benefits a civil service pension provides).
• Free entry to a wide range of museums and exhibitions
• Participation in private and public Museum activities, including talks by leading curators from around the world and behind-the-scenes opportunities to learn how museums care for and manage their extraordinary collections.
• Interest-free travel, bicycle, and rental deposit loans
• Professional and personal development opportunities
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Discounts on food and gift shop purchases

For more information about this role, please see the job description.

If you have any additional needs that we should be aware of to support you with your application, please provide details to [emailprotected] .

We have a legal responsibility to ensure that employees have the right to work in theUK.If you currently do not hold the right to work in the UK, we can only sponsor a limited number of roles that meet eligibility criteria. To offer a sponsorship, the job role you apply needs to be in the list of eligible occupations:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/skilled-worker-visa-eligible-occupations. Additionally (with some limited exceptions), the role will need to meet the minimum salary threshold of £38,700 or the going rate for the job, whichever is the highest. You can find more information here:https://www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa/your-job

The British Museum is committed to promoting equality of opportunity for all staff and job applicants. We aim to create a working environment in which all individuals can make best use of their skills, free from unlawful discrimination or harassment. We value the benefits that a diverse workforce brings to a museum which represents world culture. The Museum is committed to ensuring that no job applicant suffers unlawful discrimination because of any protected characteristics. Our recruitment procedures aim to ensure that individuals are treated because of their relevant knowledge, skills, and experience.

We specifically encourage applications from candidates from ethnic minority groups who are underrepresented within our senior roles. We offer a flexible way of working scheme that allows our employees to work remotely in a way that suits them and the organisation. We welcome questions and conversations at interview stage about how flexible working could work for you.

The Museum also adheres to the HMG Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) for pre-employment screening of Civil Servants.