Collections Assistant (Documentation)

Job title:Collections Assistant (Documentation)

Salary – £25,860 - £29,890, pay band 1B.

Location – London Transport Museum Offices – Leicester Square, London and other London LTM locations.

Full Time – Permanent – Some Hybrid Opportunities after initial training period and to be agreed with the Manager.

Plus Benefits (see More Information Below)

About London Transport Museum (LTM)

Based in Covent Garden, we are the world’s leading museum of urban transport and an award-winning day out. But that’s just part of our story. We are passionate. We are curious. We are adventurous.

As a heritage and education charity, we reach every primary school in the capital to fire the imaginations of tomorrow’s engineers, designers, scientists, and arts enthusiasts. With business partners and industry decision-makers, we tackle the topics that matter to London, from smart cities to green innovation.

We want to close skills gaps, redress gender imbalances and create opportunities for under-represented and disadvantaged communities.

We want to ignite curiosity to shape the future.

At LTM we welcome children, young people and adults at risk as Museum visitors and through engagement projects. We take safeguarding our visitors seriously and ensure all our staff and volunteers are DBS checked, regularly trained, and feel confident following our thorough safeguarding procedures. At LTM, safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility.

Overview Of Project/role

The post holder will contribute to the Curatorial team's collective role in acquiring, documenting, interpreting, caring for and providing access to the Museum's collections. This role will have a specific focus on documentation and cataloguing work.

The post holder will be an enthusiastic and conscientious individual who will work alongside London Transport Museum's (LTM) curators and support the work of the Curatorial team. The work will include supporting the core functions of documentation, cataloguing, collections care, storage and preventative conservation, in addition to assisting with public enquiries and income generation for the Museum through image licensing.

The role will be based at the LTM offices at Leicester Square and the LTM Depot at Acton Town, and there will be the occasional requirement to work at the main Museum site at Covent Garden.

Key Accountabilities

• Acquisition of objects and digital assets agreed by the Collections Development Group (CDG) and undertake full entry procedures including documentation on the Museum's Information Management System (IMS) and ensuring suitable handling and storage provision
• Assist with administration associated with unsolicited donations and present historic/backlog acquisitions at CDG
• Support curators to assess items in the Museum's backlog and process them for acquisition or disposal where appropriate, including creating new IMS records
• Catalogue new acquisitions on the IMS and enhance or amend existing records where appropriate, including taking new images
• Support curators on the planning and implementation of storage, presentation, movement and access arrangements for the Museum collections to recognised museum sector professional standards
• Undertake object handling, packing, movement, transportation and storage and complete associated documentation, ensuring that collections management standards are applied at all times
• Conduct larger documentation projects, associated with specific collection stores, under the direction of their line manager and other Curators/Senior Curators
• License images from the LTM collection for use in publications, academic papers, exhibitions, displays, presentations, research and websites, and for set dressing on television, film and other media, in collaboration with the Collections Assistant
• Contribute to the public presentation and interpretation of the Museum's collection and information holdings through exhibitions, publications and online services
• Answer enquiries and deal with visitors
• Manage the work of volunteers in the Curatorial team
  
  

Skills

Skills, Knowledge & Experience

• Good oral and written communication skills (essential)
• Able to work on own initiative without supervision (essential)
• Team worker with good interpersonal skills (essential)
• Flexible and able to demonstrate a commitment to the broader objectives of the Curatorial team and the Museum (essential)
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office including Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook (essential)
  
  

Knowledge

• Knowledge of the Spectrum documentation standard and some experience of applying it to museum collections management procedures (essential)
• Staff are expected to adhere to the Code of Ethics drawn up by the Museums Association (essential)
• Education to degree level or equivalent experience (desirable)
• Knowledge of current museum practice in the fields of collections management and care (desirable)
  
  

Experience

• Experience providing good customer service (essential)
• Experience working with collections in either a paid or volunteer capacity (essential)
• Experience with computerised databases and museum information management systems (desirable)
• Experience of scanning 2D objects and editing digital images (desirable)
• Experience delivering an image licensing service (desirable)
  
  

Equality, diversity, and inclusion

We are committed to equality, diversity, and inclusion. We want to represent the city we serve, which will help us become a more innovative and efficient organisation. Our goal is to make our recruitment as inclusive as possible. We are a disability confident employer who guarantee an interview to any disabled candidate who meets all of the essential criteria. We also use anonymising software that removes identifying information from CVs and cover letters to make the process fair.

Application Process

• Please apply using your CV and a one page covering letter. Word format preferred and do not include any photographs or images
  
  

The closing date for applications is Sunday 19th January 2025 @ 23:59

Benefits

In return for your commitment and expertise, you will enjoy excellent benefits and scope to grow. Rewards vary according to the business area but mostly include:

• Final salary pension scheme
• Free travel for you on the TfL network
• Reimbursement of 75% of the cost of a standard class Ticket for National Rail travel from home
• 30 days annual leave plus public and bank holidays
• Private healthcare discounted scheme (optional)
• Tax-efficient cycle-to-work programme
• Retail, health, leisure, and travel offers
• Discounted Eurostar travel
  
  

Organisation

London Transport Museum

Job

Museum and Heritage

Position Type

Full Time