Jobs

Full time for 3 months (or part time for 6 months)
Salary £24,171 – £25,225 per annum (Band 7)
Pay award pending plus generous benefits package

About the role

Are you a really, really good researcher? Are you curious about photography? Are you experienced in Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion issues?

We’re looking for a researcher to join our team to work on a fascinating project. National Galleries of Scotland and Fast Forward: Women in Photography are collaborating to complete new research in the photography collection in Edinburgh. Focussing on the archive, you will investigate photography dealing with migrant stories, women’s stories, and work by women photographers.

Your research experience can come from any background, or it could have been post-doc. However, you must already have effective research methodologies and a solid grasp of report writing. 

The difference you’ll make

Working directly with photography curators and other colleagues you will:

Conduct research within the photography archive.

Focus on the photographic stories in our collection that deal with social change – with an emphasis on stories connected to women’s lives (including a minimum of 50% women photographers).

Conduct research on the “Migration Stories” project; evaluating its impact and identifying potential opportunities to commission new work.

Be part of a team producing a report detailing research findings with a particular emphasis on Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI).

Produce a proposal for either a draft article, proposed curatorial project or a publishing project. This will be evolved in collaboration with all partners to communicate the findings from the research and what type of outputs they can lead to. 

Who we are looking for

In answering our quick questions tell us more about you, how you meet the requirements, and what you will bring to the role. This will be your opportunity to stand out as well as tell us what you are looking for from us. To succeed in this role, you’ll need the following range of knowledge, skills, and experience:

Degree in art history or photography or equivalent.

A strong interest in or knowledge of photography and/or EDI work.

Excellent organisational and administrative skills with the ability to prioritise work.

Excellent communication skills – written and verbal.

Attention to detail and high level of accuracy.

Experience in report writing or evaluation documents.

Competency and confidence in working with digital systems.

Ability to work as part of a team and develop and maintain effective working relations with a broad range of people internally and externally.

It would also be great if you have:

Previous relevant work experience ideally within a gallery or museum environment.

A working knowledge of collection management systems.

About the Project

The focus of the research will be connected to the commissioned researchers’ interests who are keen to support enquiry into work from new perspectives and raising questions of value to future generations. The project will examine both how people are being represented and how work can be contextualised to bring new knowledge to bear on our audiences. It will also provide information for future researchers regarding pertinent issues connected to representation and identity.

NGS is partnering with Fast Forward, a research project concerned with women in photography based at University for the Creative Arts. Started in 2014 with a panel discussion at Tate Modern, the project has established a significance within the world of photography for highlighting the work of women photographers and for questioning the way that the established canons have been formed.

For more information and to apply, please visit our careers page.

The closing date for completed applications is 12 noon on Monday 12 June 2023.

Application Deadline: Monday 12/06/2023