Collection and Research Assistant
Organisation: National Galleries of Scotland
Salary: £25,863 - £26,991 per annum
Location: Edinburgh
(Library, Archive and Print Room)
Full-time, Permanent, On-site
Salary £25,863 – £26,991 per annum (from January 2024)
Plus generous benefits package
About the role
Do you have a qualification and/or experience in art history? Do you have a passion for research with excellent attention to detail? Do you enjoy dealing with the public and meeting new people? If so, we have a wonderful opportunity to join our team.
In this role you will support the provision of public access to Library, Archive and Print Room collections. You’ll be looking after visitors to our public study spaces, retrieving and reshelving collection materials, carrying out collection cataloguing tasks, and answering enquiries.
You will also help us work towards our move to The Art Works. This exciting and transformative initiative will deliver a sustainable new facility in Granton to care for, research and share Scotland’s renowned art collection.
You will already have some research experience which can come from any background, or it could have been post-doc. However, you will be keen to develop your skills and knowledge of reference, archival and works on paper collections.
The difference you’ll make
Reporting to the Librarian, Modern and Contemporary Art your responsibilities will include but not be limited to:
– Facilitating access to the collections in our public study spaces, for individual researchers and group visits.
– Ensuring a high standard of care, access and security for the works in these collections.
– Retrieval and re-shelving of material as required.
– Answering enquiries from the public, in person, by phone and email, using a range of print and online resources, with responsibility for managing the relevant email inboxes.
– Maintaining visitor statistics to agreed standards.
– Assisting with the physical management of collections and collection audit activity. Undertaking specific house-keeping tasks, as required, including best practice in the handling and preservation of collections.
– Cataloguing of the Works on Paper, Archive and Library collections. Facilitating digitisation of collection objects, when required.
– Assisting Print Room, Archive and Library staff in collection readiness for The Art Works.
Who we are looking for
To succeed in this role, you’ll need the following range of knowledge, skills, and experience:
– You will have a qualification in art history or demonstrable knowledge of a subject area relevant to our collections.
– You will have some experience of working in a research environment (library, archive or print room).
– You will have excellent written and verbal communication skills.
– You will have experience of dealing positively and effectively with visitor enquiries.
– You will also have excellent organisational and administrative skills, including an ability to prioritise effectively and work accurately without close supervision.
– You will be able to demonstrate a commitment to supporting ambitious equality, diversity and inclusion priorities.
– You will be an effective user of IT packages, including MS 365.
It would also be great if you have:
– A particular interest in archives and/or works on paper.
– Practical experience of object handling in a museum/gallery context.
For more information, please visit our careers portal.
The closing date is 12 noon on Wednesday, 3 January 2024.
Application Deadline: Wednesday 03/01/2024