Assistant Curator

Who are we?

We are Scotland’s design museum. Designed for everyone, firing imaginations and sparking curiosity in design across Scotland and around the world. At V&A Dundee we are on a mission to inspire and empower through design.

Design shapes our world, it's part of everyday life and it's everywhere. We are a museum with energy and have a vision of the future where everyone is inspired through design and recognizes its far-reaching impact in our lives.

We are a welcoming place for people of Dundee to explore design and to use as an everyday part of their city, as well as inviting visitors from around the world. We are part of the V&A family of museums that celebrate creativity in all its forms from across centuries, for everyone.

Role profile:

The Assistant Curator works with a small and busy team on the realisation of exhibitions and commissions working with designers, lenders and design institutions. The Assistant Curator will work on all aspects of exhibition development and delivery comprising curatorial, registrarial and project management responsibilities. The role includes leading on smaller scale exhibitions and displays and supporting the Curators on major exhibitions running concurrently, including historic and contemporary exhibitions with objects from UK and international collections.

As a member of the Exhibitions team, the Assistant Curator contributes ideas to the museum’s programme, is essential to the department's collegiate work environment and liaises with other internal departments and with the professional design world, in one of the most dynamic design environments in Europe.

Duties and Responsibilities:

General

• Provide support to the Exhibitions team, working closely with the Curators to support on the research, development and delivery of major exhibitions and leading on the development of smaller scale exhibitions
• Liaise with artists, designers and their representatives, design organisations and funders
• Work cross-organisationally to support the timely delivery of a project, liaising with Operations, Audiences & Media, Philanthropy & Partnerships and the wider Programme team (Learning, Design & Innovation) to secure a smooth flow of information
• Monitor and maintain budgets for specific exhibitions meticulously and in timely fashion. This includes obtaining estimates, raising purchase orders, processing invoices, maintaining digital files and liaising with the Finance team and budget holders
• Contribute to the development of the structure, themes and content of exhibitions and the programme broadly through research, attending exhibitions, conferences and events
• Deal with routine enquiries, maintain the collection management system and process responses to exhibition proposals with other members of the Exhibitions team

Registrarial duties

• Research loans and liaise with the Curators to prepare loan documentation, administer loan requests and ensure loan conditions are fulfilled
• Compile condition and packing reports to museum standard, keeping records of movement and conditions of works and liaise with conservators and couriers when necessary
• Organise exhibition related transport, which includes updating shipping lists, obtaining estimates of costs, and monitoring customs documentation, liaising with shippers and the exhibition Curator
• Oversee the administration and transport arrangements for specific exhibitions on tour and act as courier for touring exhibitions when necessary
• Maintain and manage a detailed object list and lender tracker
• Liaise with lenders to secure object dimensions, display requirements, environmental conditions and any other information required
• Coordinate courier travel, per diems and accommodation, create courier packs and schedules and host couriers on-site
• Coordinate the insurance of works of art, either commercially or through the Museums and Galleries Government Indemnity Scheme, and compile and file insurance claims in the event of loss or damage of work
• Issue contracts to partner organisations, artists, curators and authors in consultation with the Exhibitions team
• Maintain files and correspondence as well as archiving past exhibition files

Project Management duties

• Regularly update key project monitoring documents including the project schedule and exhibition budget, working with the Curator to deliver the exhibition on time and on budget
• Work with the Curator to host regular project team meetings with teams across the organisation
• Diarise meetings, book meeting rooms, draft agendas, take minutes and share and follow up on key actions from meetings
• To be responsible for the management of the documentation of objects, both electronic record creation and compilation of gallery reference materials
• Compile exhibition guest lists in collaboration with Philanthropy & Partnerships

Curatorial duties

• Undertake research to develop a curatorial concept and narrative, making recommendations of objects for inclusion in an exhibition
• Contribute to the development of an exhibition interpretation plan, text hierarchy and key messages
• Compile information and work with the Curator to write and edit exhibition texts, object labels and catalogue entries
• Collate and copy-edit texts; research, request, store and return images and obtain copyright permissions for use in publications, exhibition contextual images and more

Other

• To promote equality and diversity in all aspects of your work by developing and maintaining positive working relationships, ensuring that colleagues are treated fairly and with dignity and respect, and actively contributing to developments that support the museum’s strategy for widening access, inclusion and diversity
• Represent the V&A Dundee at public events, meetings and networking on behalf of the organisation including undertaking public speaking where appropriate

Person specification

Essential

• Proven experience of lender management, budgetary management and administrative support within a museum or arts organisation with strong organisational skills
• Previous experience of working with key stakeholders such as curators, lenders, designers, artists, contractors, project managers and transport agents
• Good negotiation skills and the ability to handle sensitive situations with diplomacy
• Experience of working with the care and handling of objects
• Excellent organisation skills and impeccable attention to detail
• Proven IT skills with experience of Microsoft Office, and Excel
• Ability to work as part of a team and independently, remaining calm under pressure
• Excellent communication and accuracy in written communication
• Ability to contribute to and promote an inclusive, respectful culture within a team

Desirable

• Knowledge of contemporary design, designers and design world networks and debate
• Previous experience of incorporating diversity and inclusion strategies with an awareness of issues of inclusion and cultural diversity as they affect colleagues and the work of a cultural organisation
• Experience in writing museum interpretation, being mindful of accessibility requirements
• Experience of publishing in print and/or online

Deadline for applications: no later than 17:00, 10 April 2024. Interviews will take place w/c 15 April 2024.

This is a full-time position, working 37.5 hours per week working in a hybrid flexible environment with a mixture of home working and working from our museum in Dundee. We offer a generous package including 38 days holiday, pension scheme, company sick pay, entry to V&A Dundee paid exhibitions and many more discounts and benefits.

Job Types: Full-time, Temporary
Contract length: 12 months

Work Location: Hybrid remote in Dundee