Short Description
Manchester City Galleries are seeking a permanent and full-time curator with experience and specialisms in Modern & Contemporary Art to join the Curatorial Team at an exciting time in our organisation’s development.
Manchester City Galleries manage and care for a 50,000-strong art and design collection. Your role as Curator (Modern & Contemporary Art) will be to develop and deliver creative approaches to the use of and access to the collection, which ranges from the early 20th century to the present, taking in painting, photography, film, installation, and new media works. To do this, you will work with colleagues across Manchester City Galleries, including other subject specialist curators, learning and engagement, conservation, collections management and visitor engagement teams to ensure the collection is fully documented, cared for, and is presented in an engaging and accessible way.
The Role Overview
- Working Hours: 35 Hours Per Week (Monday - Friday with occasional evening and weekend work for public events)
- Contract Type: Full-Time, Permanent
- Interview Method: Face-to-Face
- Salary: Grade 6 £33,143 - £36,363 (bar at £35,412) per annum pro rata
Position & Tasks
- have experience of working in a gallery or museum.
- have good general subject knowledge relevant to the scope of Manchester City Galleries’ collections of Modern & Contemporary Art.
- be a team player with excellent skills in communication (both written and verbal).
- have good administrative and research skills and be able to organise your own time efficiently.
- have experience of working with collections and a good awareness of museum standards and procedures for collections management and care, including use of databases and experience of facilitating loans in and out.
- be both practical and solutions-driven whilst also willing to develop new ideas which will support wider access to the collections in our care.
- have experience of, and commitment to, working creatively and collaboratively with collections, artists and communities and other visual arts organisations locally and nationally.
- Contribute to the development of the collecting policy: researching and proposing artworks for the modern & contemporary art collection, with a specific focus on diversifying our collections and responding to historic biases in the collection.
- research and prepare engaging and accessible physical and digital information and other forms of interpretation of artworks to ensure that displays, exhibitions and other provision address a variety of learning styles.
- contribute to developing digital access to Manchester City Galleries’ displays and collections from stories and narratives on the collections database, to the delivery of on-line events and filmed and recorded talks and tours.
- be able to answer enquiries and facilitate research and study of the modern & contemporary art collection and actively assist gallery users to obtain information about the collections. This includes using collections management systemsand physical files to access information, facilitating study visits at both Manchester Art Gallery and Queens Park Conservation Studio, giving talks and guided tours of the exhibitions and collections to the public, HE, FE and adult learner groups as required.
- be able an demonstrate an understanding of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion good practice, and barriers to engagement.
How to Apply
Online Application
Program Benefits
- Generous holiday allowance - Enjoy up to 26 days annual leave per year plus bank holidays. Increasing to 31 days after five years of local government service. Want more leave? You can purchase up to two additional weeks.
- A buzzing pension - You’ll be enrolled in the UK’s largest local government pension scheme, with plenty of options to top up your benefits. Includes life cover of three-times your salary as a lump sum.
- Enhanced parental and carers leave - Take advantage of our enhanced family leave options, designed to provide ample time for you to bond with your new born or support your family during critical life events.
- Brilliant perks - Access a range of discounts, from saving on the weekly shop to holidays and days out with MCR+. Plus discounts on phone contracts, cycle to work scheme, free flu jabs and eye tests, and more.
- Learn and grow - We are dedicated to nurturing talent and providing you with the tools to thrive. Take part in a diverse set of learning opportunities, from workshops and training sessions through to apprenticeships and qualifications. All this begins with our comprehensive onboarding process.
- A Good Employment Charter member - We are committed to offering secure, flexible work and embedding fairness into everything we do. We review pay annually, recognize three trade unions, and are constantly working to offer the best possible health and wellbeing support throughout all stages of your working life.
- Up to 3 days volunteering leave - Give back to the community with three days pro-rate of paid volunteering leave, in addition to existing benefits.
Entry Fee
None
Location
Manchester, United Kingdom
Timeline
- Application Deadline: 17 November 2025