Job Offer – Curator – Jewish Museum Manchester

Manchester Jewish Museum is common ground; a hospitable place that makes connections by showing and sharing universal experiences through the stories of one culture. We are a place to experience and explore how we are different, together. We connect Jewish stories to the world and to our society to explore both our differences and similarities, and to celebrate that which makes people unique and that which connects us all.

In doing so we look to spark reaction and change and to make real the knowledge that there is more that binds us together than separates us. We boldly explore and combine educational, cultural and artistic experiences to encourage those with whom we come into contact to feel and believe that we are all better together.

We make connections to make things better.

We are the only Jewish museum in the UK outside London. Our collection has been described as one of the most outstanding Jewish collections in Europe, with over 35,000 objects, documents, photographs and oral histories charting the growth of Manchester’s diverse Jewish communities, a city with the second largest Jewish population in the UK.

Our new museum opened in 2021 following a major capital development with a new gallery, learning studio, café/bar, learning kitchen, shop and our newly refurbished Grade II* listed synagogue, originally built in 1874.

The work we do centres around making connections and finding common ground to make positive change. This is an exciting time for the successful candidate to join a team with big ambitions and a positive agenda. This is based on our brand values of:
Imagination: we are creative, playful and daring; we open minds and generate energy

Bravery: our ambitions are motivated by development, growth and change; we are open-minded

Belonging: we actively celebrate diversity, and we promote acceptance

Impact: our mission is to be relevant, useful and to make an impact; on audiences, neighbourhood, our sector and on society

ROLE
The fundamental aim of the role is to lead on the management, interpretation, care and growth of our collection.

As a member of the senior management team, you will share responsibility for delivering our strategic plans and objectives, collaborating closely with colleagues on marketing, commercial, fundraising, programming and financial activities.

Job Title: Curator

Salary: £25,500 – £27,000 FTE (Actual salary is 60% pro rata)
Contract Type: Permanent (after three-month probationary period)
Hours: 21 hours per week (60% FTE), regular weekend working and some unsociable hours
Accountable to: Chief Executive
Accountable for: Supervision of Volunteers

WHAT WE NEED YOU TO DO

As a small team, we all lead on certain areas and support on others – planning and budgeting, press & PR, audience research, evaluation, social media, database management, etc. This role will lead on collections operations with the following core responsibilities:

Interpretation

• Maintain and develop the museum’s permanent exhibitions.
• Plan, curate and install temporary exhibitions inspired by our collections themes of Journeys, Communities and Identities.
• Work with freelance technicians to manage exhibition installation.
• Support the Programming Team in curation of community exhibitions.
• Ensure the Welcome Desk and Guide Volunteers are knowledgeable about all aspects of gallery interpretation.
• Work with the Programming Team to develop the events programme.
• Work with the café team to support menu development and helping link the items we serve to stories from our collection.
• Develop and deliver interpretive aspects of museum programming, such as Heritage Walks and ‘Gallery Pop Ups’
• Work with Marketing and Communications Manager to produce regular social media collections stories.
• Conduct talks about the museum and collection on request to social groups and societies.
• Represent the museum at conferences and industry meetings.

Collections Management

• Care for the museum’s 35,000-strong collection and our Grade 2* Listed Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue building.
• Develop policies relating to collections management and conservation.
• Manage the on-site and off-site stores, ensuring high standards of storage and object handling are maintained.
• Maintain collections management systems to accreditation standards. Ensuring objects are accessible, records are up to date and conservation issues documented on MODES database.
• Liaise with Arts Council England to ensure that Museums Accreditation is maintained.
• Manage and ensure the care of loans from individuals and other galleries and museums.
• Assess conservation requirements and commission appropriate work.
• Supervise collection volunteers.
• Respond to enquiries relating to the collection.
• Facilitate researcher access to the collection.
• Deal with all new acquisitions in line with the Acquisitions Policy.
• Work with CEO and Finance Manager to ensure appropriate insurance arrangements are in place, including appropriate valuations.
• Research Manchester Jewish history to enhance knowledge of the collection.
• Continue work towards development of an online collections catalogue.
• Facilitate relationships with individuals and organisations in the academic sector, exploring opportunities for partnership working.

Senior Management Team

• Represent the Collections Department on the Senior Management Team.
• Update quarterly KPIs and oversee Collections and Interpretation budget.
• Supervise Guiding Volunteer Team, ensure good communication with all volunteers.
• Manage volunteer rota and the training and recruitment of new volunteers.
• Represent the museum during press interviews and enquires.
• Perform role of Duty Manager on a rotation basis, holding responsibility for the smooth running of the building and operations.
• Engage in weekend and evening work where necessary.
• Work with other staff and Trustees to fundraise and generate income for the museum and its collections.

WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR

Experience

A recognised collections care qualification, or equivalent (paid or voluntary) collections care experience, including caring for and handling accessioned objects, caring for a heritage building, developing and installing exhibitions, writing interpretive text and delivering talks or presentations.

• Experience of using collections management software.
• Experience of supervising volunteers.
• Experience of fundraising and bid writing.

Skills

• Strong people and performance management skills.
• Highly developed planning and organisational skills and the ability to deliver to tight deadlines even when under pressure.
• Ability to work as part of a management team and on own initiative.
• Passionate about social change and able to work respectfully, sensitively and ethically with the museum’s diverse communities.
• Adaptable with a proactive approach to problem solving. Taking a leading role in ensuring your areas of responsibility are responsive to change and happy to support across all areas of museum operation when needed.
• Strong IT, analytical and numerical skills.

Knowledge

• Knowledge of accreditation standards and current best practice in the field of collections and building care.
• Existing knowledge or willingness to build deep knowledge of Manchester’s Jewish communities and their history, faith and culture.
• Knowledge of and interest in the arts and heritage sector.

WHAT NOW?

Deadline for applications by email: Sunday 21st September, 4pm

Send your CV, Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form with a cover note of no more than 2 sides of A4 (or alternatively, a three-minute video), detailing why you want this role and to work with us at Manchester Jewish Museum and why you are a good fit for the position, drawing on the job requirements and person specification.

Email your application to ceo@manchesterjewishmuseum.com. Any queries can be made to the same contact (Gemma Meek).

We will notify shortlisted candidates as soon as possible. Interviews will be held in person at the museum on Tuesday 30th September.

DIVERSITY
Manchester Jewish Museum prides itself on being a welcoming and inclusive organisation, actively celebrating diversity and promoting acceptance and inclusivity. We value the benefits that diverse perspectives bring to our work. We recognise we currently under-represent Black people, People of Colour, disabled people and those with intersecting identities in our workforce. We are actively working to address this and encourage applications from these backgrounds. While the successful candidate will be selected purely on merit, in the event of a tie between two candidates with equal experience, we may select a candidate who helps us better represent the communities the museum serves.