The V&A is the world’s leading museum of art, design, and performance. We care for 2.8 million objects that span over 5,000 years of human creativity. We are a family of museums including V&A South Kensington, V&A Dundee, V&A Collection at World of Wedgwood in Stoke-on-Trent, Young V&A in Bethnal Green, and V&A East Museum and V&A East Storehouse in Stratford, east London (both opening spring 2025).

The V&A’s Collections Division comprises four Curatorial teams, a Research/NAL/Archives team, and a Conservation and Collections Care & Access team. The four Curatorial departments are: Decorative Art and Sculpture; Performance, Furniture, Textiles & Fashion; Art, Architecture, Photography & Design; and Asia.

This is one of eleven Curator posts that sit in the PFTF Department. The post holder will take responsibility for the development, care of, documentation and research, presentation, and interpretation of a part of V&A’s Collection, in this case, furniture and product design since 1900. As such, the postholder will be expected to represent the Museum at the highest level and play an active role in the field of furniture and product design collecting, nationally and internationally.

The postholder will also take on responsibility for delivering the Make Good: Rethinking Material Futures programme which encompasses an annual display, symposium and ongoing acquisitions, as well as managing the relationship with the programme’s benefactor.

As a member of the PFTF Department, the postholder will also play a role in the wider work of the V&A, contributing to policy, projects and public programmes, supporting fundraising and income generation, and supporting senior colleagues in the running of the Department, including by creating a positive environment, encouraging collaboration across the museum, supporting change, leading and managing Assistant Curators and sharing knowledge, expertise and best practice to help them develop and perform.

The postholder will also play a role in the community of practice of Senior Curators, Curators and Assistant Curators that span the four curatorial departments.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

- Shares our values of Sustainability, Equity, Creativity, Collaboration & Generosity
- Academic background and record of scholarship in a relevant field or comparable professional experience in a relevant field, including creative or industry practice, as well as demonstrable evidence of a variety of interests and breadth of knowledge beyond the specialist field
- Experience of working as an Assistant Curator or Curator in a comparable institution or in an organisation where a similar skillset is used, with experience of collection development, care and documentation and working with registrars, conservators, scientists and art handlers, as well as collectors, dealers and donors
- Demonstrable interest in, and enthusiasm for, telling stories about collections through temporary and permanent collection displays, exhibitions, publications, learning and engagement; a track record of having contributed to displays and exhibitions, and working with educators, publishers, press officers and communication specialists; a creative interest in ways in which the museum might develop in this field; and a strong interest in engaging underrepresented audiences, diversifying our audiences and addressing historical underrepresentation in our collections and galleries
- Demonstrable ability to communicate knowledge of specialist field to a range of audiences while maintaining high scholarly standards; good writing skills, with sound knowledge of English grammar and syntax
- Experience in managing others
- Excellent interpersonal skills and a diplomatic manner; able to collaborate as part of a team, to progress a variety of projects simultaneously and to work flexibly and calmly under pressure
- Proven practical and organisational skills: meticulousness, a keen attention to detail in all aspects of work, particularly record keeping; experience of handling materials with care and sensitivity to their physical properties
- A clear ability to work in a large, national institution with many departments
- Demonstrable computer skills and ability to manage information systematically and accurately; familiarity with the principles of online collections management systems

EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES AT THE V&A

We strive to ensure that opportunities to work and develop at are open to all. We treat all job applications equally, regardless of age, disability, gender identity or gender expression, race, ethnicity, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, or any other equality characteristic. We particularly encourage applications from disabled people and people from black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, as these groups are currently under-represented in the cultural sector.

Interviews are likely to be the last week of August or first week of September. A second round of interviews is possible.

The closing date is Thursday 10 August 2023 at 23:59.

Pleas apply through our website via
https://app.vacancy-filler.co.uk/salescrm/Careers/CareersPage.aspx?e=LMo8nnTwYNaQ9PICNJxO_TYVmRVD7jrXK4is3Upn_GGhuxLbLMp8nDQZMqMf_b-L_h9AhbjfJ8I&iframe=false&HideCareersLink=true