Senior Copyright Officer

Gardens, Libraries and Museums (GLAM), University of Oxford; Oxford; Hybrid; GBP 100,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

A renowned university museum in Oxford seeks a Rights Management Project Lead to oversee the verification and clearance of rights for online publication of collections. The successful candidate will collaborate across teams to enhance rights workflows and digitisation efforts. Applicants should have a relevant degree or experience, and possess in-depth copyright law knowledge, along with strong analytical and interpersonal skills. This full-time role offers flexibility for home working arrangements.

Qualifications

• In-depth knowledge of copyright law at national and international levels.
• Practical experience applying rights and risk management in a cultural heritage or publishing setting.
• Experience in precise data analysis and bulk data cleaning.

Responsibilities

• Lead a project to verify and clear rights for museum collections.
• Collaborate to improve rights workflows and support digitisation priorities.
• Conduct rights holder research and negotiate licences.

Skills

Knowledge of copyright law

Data analysis

Interpersonal skills

Negotiation skills

Education

Relevant undergraduate degree or equivalent experience

Tools

Digital asset management systems

Job description

About the role

Working within the Ashmolean Museum’s Digital Collections service, you will lead a focused project to research, verify and clear rights so that more of the Museum’s collections can be published online. You will collaborate closely with colleagues across the museum to improve rights workflows and support digitisation priorities.

Your work will include reviewing existing agreements, conducting rights holder research, undertaking risk assessments, negotiating licences within agreed budgets, improving orphan-works guidance, and ensuring rights information is accurately recorded in ResourceSpace and MuseumPlus. You will provide clear guidance to colleagues, support data cleaning and analysis, and help shape a consistent rights management culture across the Museum.

This is a full-time, fixed-term (project) post for 2 years. The role will be based onsite at the Ashmolean, but with flexibility for home working arrangements.

About You

You will have a relevant undergraduate degree or equivalent experience, with in-depth knowledge of copyright law at national and international levels and practical experience applying rights and risk management in a cultural heritage or publishing setting.

You will be confident working with digital asset management systems and comfortable undertaking precise data analysis and bulk data cleaning.

Excellent interpersonal skills, with the ability to build effective relationships across teams, are essential, together with strong influencing and negotiation skills to manage licence discussions and stakeholder expectations.

How to apply

You will be required to upload your CV and a supporting statement as part of your online application. Your supporting statement should list each of the essential and desirable selection criteria, as listed in the job description, and explain how you meet each one. CVs alone will not be considered.

Only applications received online by 12.00 midday (GMT) on Tuesday 6 January 2026 can be considered. Interviews are expected to take place on 16 January 2026.