Organizer Information
The British Museum was established on 7 June 1753 and is located on Great Russell Street in the Bloomsbury area of London. It opened its doors in 1759 as the first national museum to cover all fields of human knowledge, open to visitors from across the world. The museum's founding collection was based largely on the holdings of physician and scientist Sir Hans Sloane. Its permanent collection today numbers approximately eight million objects, the largest such holding in the world, spanning 94 galleries across roughly 807,000 square feet.
The Museum is currently undertaking its Masterplan, a major redevelopment programme it describes as one of the most significant cultural redevelopment projects undertaken anywhere in the world. The Masterplan includes the British Museum Archaeological Collection (BM_ARC), a state-of-the-art collection storage and research facility, a new Energy Centre Programme, and a complete reimagining of the Western Range, which covers roughly a third of the Museum's gallery space. The Museum has committed to staying open throughout the works. The Project Curator role advertised here sits within the Museum's parallel Digitisation and Documentation Programme, which supports this broader transformation by improving the accuracy and accessibility of collection records.
Title & Description
British Museum Project Curator: Eighteenth-Century Britain and Europe (Documentation)
This is a fixed-term, one-year role within the British Museum's department of Britain, Europe and Prehistory. The Project Curator will work as part of the Museum's Digitisation and Documentation Programme, contributing to the documentation, research and digitisation of collections relating to Eighteenth-Century Britain and Europe. The role sits at the intersection of curatorial scholarship and large-scale collections infrastructure work: the Digitisation and Documentation Programme is described as creating and enriching digital collection records, providing images, and enhancing metadata above the Museum's nationally recognised standards, to make research-ready collection information available across the institution.
The postholder will work closely with curatorial colleagues, collections managers and imaging specialists to improve access to the Museum's collections, ensuring that records meet professional documentation standards. The Museum is looking for a proactive, detail-oriented museum or heritage professional with collections experience and a strong interest in the material culture of Britain and Europe in the eighteenth century, who can bring a meticulous approach to research and cataloguing while maintaining accuracy and consistency across a large-scale project.
The Role Overview
- Position Type: Full-time
- Contract Type: Fixed term, 1 year
- Salary: £36,396 per annum
- Department / Programme: Britain, Europe and Prehistory; Digitisation and Documentation Programme
- Working Pattern: Full time, hybrid — at least 3 days per week on-site in Bloomsbury, London
- Application Deadline: Wednesday, August 12, 2026
- Interview Period: Week commencing 31 August 2026
Position & Tasks
- Document, research and digitise the Museum's Eighteenth-Century British and European collections
- Work collaboratively with Imaging Assistants, Assistant Collections Managers and curatorial colleagues to catalogue collection material and improve the quality and accessibility of collection records
- Consult object registers, archives and historical documentation to support research, registration and digitisation activity
- Ensure that documentation outputs and publicly accessible collection information are accurate, consistent and fit for purpose
- Manage priorities effectively to deliver project objectives, monitor progress against targets and contribute to the successful delivery of the Museum's wider digitisation programme
Categories
- Curatorial Practice
- Museum Studies
- Collection Management
- Documentation & Archives
- Digitisation
- Art History
- Eighteenth-Century Studies
- Cultural Heritage
Eligibility
- Proactive and detail-oriented museum or heritage professional
- Experience working with collections and collection management systems
- Strong interest in the material culture of Britain and Europe in the eighteenth century and beyond
- Meticulous approach to research and cataloguing
- Commitment to improving access to collections
- Ability to maintain accuracy and consistency while working on a large-scale digitisation project
- Right to work in the UK required; the British Museum holds a Skilled Worker sponsor licence, but applicants are responsible for determining whether the advertised salary and role meet current UKVI sponsorship requirements and for securing appropriate right-to-work status themselves — the Museum states it cannot provide immigration advice
- Subject to HMG Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) pre-employment screening, as applied to all Civil Servants
- No specific degree requirement stated in the source
Program Benefits
- Salary: £36,396 per annum
- Pension: Civil Service Pension Scheme, defined benefit, with 28.97% employer contribution
- Annual leave: 25 days plus bank holidays and 2.5 privilege days (rising by 5 days after 10 years' service)
- Free exhibition entry for the employee and guests, exclusive private views, and ICOM and reciprocal museum access
- Discounts at onsite catering, Museum shops and local Bloomsbury partners
- Social and wellbeing perks: staff parties, social clubs, CSSC sports and leisure access, and support from the Civil Service Retirement Fellowship
- Learning and development: courses, mentoring, Athena programme access, and support for professional qualifications
- Interest-free loans: season ticket, rental deposit and bicycle loans
- Hybrid working available (minimum 3 days on-site per week)
Application Fee
None
How to Apply?
Online Application
Key Dates
- Application Deadline: 12 August 2026
- Interview Period: Week commencing 31 August 2026
Location
Bloomsbury, London, United Kingdom
Additional Details
- The role supports the British Museum's Masterplan, its largest transformation programme since its founding nearly 300 years ago, encompassing building and gallery redevelopment and new modes of public engagement.
- Internal applicants are welcome regardless of background, department or length of service, but are encouraged to inform their manager before applying; permanent staff wishing to treat the fixed-term contract as a secondment need managerial support before submitting an application.
- The Museum adheres to the HMG Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) for pre-employment screening of Civil Servants.
- Right-to-work responsibility rests with the applicant; the Museum holds a Skilled Worker sponsor licence but cannot advise on immigration matters.