Curator - Social History, Calderdale Museum Service

Location: UK, England, Calderdale
Closing date: 21/05/2010 d/m/y
Salary: £19,621 - £21,519 per annum

Post Ref: SS006
Salary Scale 5 £19,621 - £21,519 per annum
Maternity cover (9 months)
37 hours per week

Calderdale Museum Service is looking for an enthusiastic and knowledgeable curator to care for its social history collections.

The role will also involve supporting public access to the collections, through an enquiry service and support for exhibitions and events.

The successful candidate will have experience of working with a broad range of collections, in a paid or voluntary capacity.

You will be used to working with a wide range of people and able to offer support and advice to volunteers and community partners.

Over the past couple of years the service has worked hard to develop a strong volunteering programme and the focus of this activity has been to catalogue and now digitise our photographic collections.

This post will lead this established programme and help to develop the next phase of activity.

For an informal discussion about the post please contact Richard Macfarlane, Collections Manager, Bankfield Museum 01422 352334

You can apply for this vacancy online by visiting our website: www.calderdale.gov.uk.

Person Spec available at www.calderdale.gov.uk

For applicants without access to a computer please contact us on Tel: 0845 1206091 for a paper application pack.

Closing date: Friday, 21 May 2010.
Interviews will be held Thursday, 3 June 2010.

METROPOLITAN BOROUGH OF CALDERDALE
JOB DESCRIPTION

The information given on this job description is intended to provide both post holder and management with an understanding and appreciation of the workload of this particular job and its role within the organisation.

The job description outlines main duties and responsibilities under broad headings only, as it is not possible to specify every item in detail.

POST TITLE: Curator - Social History (maternity cover)
POST REFERENCE: SS0006
POST GRADE: Scale 5
DIRECTORATE: Safer and Stronger Communities
SECTION: Cultural Services

1. PRIME OBJECTIVES OF THE POST:

- To contribute to the care and preservation of Calderdale MBC’s Museum collections, in accordance with professional standards and local policy & procedure.

- To support the work of the Collection Manager and contribute to the effective operation of Collections Management Area.

- To effect public access to the collections, through a variety of delivery mechanisms and interpretation.

2. SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY:

- No direct line management responsibility for staff.

- The post-holder may, however, be expected to supervise attached staff, volunteers and outside contractors in the delivery of specific projects and activities.

3. SUPERVISION RECEIVED:

- The post-holder is directly responsible to the Collections Manager.

4. RANGE OF DECISION MAKING:

- The post-holder will work within a framework agreed with the Collections Manager, although largely without day to day supervision.

5. RESPONSIBILITY FOR ASSETS:

- Delegated responsibility for equipment and materials relating to the management of collections, including computers, legal accession registers, confidential documents and other relevant records.

- To assume responsibility for designated areas of collections as directed by the Collections Manager.

- The post-holder has responsibility for the safety and security of artefacts from the collections when in his/her care, frequently including items of high intrinsic and financial value.

6. CONTACTS:

- Staff within Cultural Services and other officers within Calderdale MB Council.

- Officers of other Local Authority museums.

- Staff from other museums and services.

- Volunteers

- Community groups, e.g. Local History Societies

- Members of the public.

7. RANGE OF DUTIES:

- In conjunction with the Collections Manager and Collections Management team, to care for the Authority’s museum collections, in accordance with professional standards and agreed policy, with particular responsibility for a designated specialist area (See Person Specification).

- Provide practical curatorial collections care, including: handling and movement of collections; appropriate preliminary cleaning and basic conservation of collections items; environmental monitoring and cleaning of display and storage areas, etc.

- Accessioning, maintenance of museum documentation records and files in line with current policy and procedures.

- Contribute to the programme of retrospective documentation of collections material.

- Deal with public enquiries relating to collections.

- To contribute to the interpretation of the museum collections through a variety of means including development and delivery of exhibition and display projects, and other public museum activities, in particular within the field of Social History.

- To be an active member of the Collections Management Team and contribute to the development of policy and procedure in this area.

- To work with and support local communities and related groups in promoting and extending access to the museum collections and local heritage.

- To carry out duties in accordance with the Council’s Equality and Diversity policies and practice in terms of employment and service delivery to ensure that colleagues and service users are treated in a fair and consistent manner and that services are delivered with sensitivity to the needs of service users.

- To carry out all responsibilities with due regard to Health & Safety legislation and relevant Council policies.

- To contribute to the Directorates approach to Investors in People by complying with the requirements of the Directorates training and development policy.

- To contribute to the development of positive links with and between the communities of Calderdale wherever possible.

8. EDUCATION

- Degree level qualification in an appropriate subject is essential.

9. EXPERIENCE

- A minimum of six months experience (paid or voluntary in the museum sector) is essential.

- Practical experience of working with museum collections.

- Experience of handling museum collections.

- Experience of museum documentation.

- Experience of providing collections care for museum collections.

- Experience of contributing to museum displays, exhibitions and educational activities.

10. CIRCUMSTANCES

- The standard week is 37 hours. However the nature of the post requires flexibility, including weekend and evening work by prior arrangement.

- The ability to travel within and outside the borough in delivery of duties relating to the post as a Casual Car Allowance is payable.