The British Museum is seeking a Keeper for collections from Africa, Oceania, and the Americas. 

Role Summary:

Keeper of Africa Oceania and the Americas
Department
Full-time, 41 hours per week (including one hour paid lunch break)
Permanent
£ 75,185 per annum

About the Role:

The Keeper of Africa Oceania and the Americas is a specialist of academic distinction who leads andmanages the department of Africa Oceania and the Americas. The role is responsible for overseeing the department’s curatorial and academic work, including the care of an internationally important collection and the community engagement built around it. Required to manage, mentor, and inspire a team of curators and other staff, the post-holder is expected to participate widely in support of the Museum’s goals and objectives, including representing the Museum both in the UK and abroad.

Key Areas of Responsibility:

• Ensure the safety and security of the relevant parts of the collection, in line with agreed standards, strategies, processes and procedures, and in collaboration with other expert colleagues from across the Museum.
• Lead and engage the department in the development of ideas and plans in support of the Museum’s core aims and objectives and, in so doing, further the care and increased understanding of the collection and engagement with it by a wide public. Recruit, develop and motivate a team of curators and other staff, in line with the goals and requirements of the Museum. Provide guidance and support to curatorial colleagues who will be at different stages of their academic career, ensuring high quality research and engagement outputs, and with a view to succession planning and the Museum’s future.
• Work openly and collaboratively with colleagues across the Museum to ensure appropriate care, documentation, curation, and presentation of the collection, in line with Museum values.
• Work with the Head of Research and the Research Board to ensure research activity is in accordance with strategic objectives and is financially sustainable.
• Develop strong partnerships and collaborations and maintain positive relations with external colleagues and stakeholders. These will include, but are not limited to, academic peers, international and national museum partners, governments and official bodies, communities, and supporters. Deliver high-profile advocacy for the Museum locally, nationally, and internationally.

About You:

• Degree educated or equivalent in a relevant subject.
• Evidence of international recognition as a scholar in a relevant field.
• Excellent understanding of the Museum and wider academic and cultural world, in one or more areas relevant to the Museum’s collection.
• Significant management experience and a proven track record of managing high-performance teams
• Proven ability to lead, influence, negotiate and work collaboratively across a complex organisation.
• Experience of managing stakeholders with conflicting priorities.
• Excellent prioritisation and organisational skills.
• Diplomatic and calm under pressure.
• A good communicator, with an open and inclusive style which inspires trust.
• Enthusiasm for the cultural sector.

For more information about this role, please see the job description.

If you have any additional needs that we should be aware of to support you with your application, please provide details to bmrecruit@britishmuseum.org.

We have a legal responsibility to ensure that employees have the right to work in the UK. If you currently do not hold the right to work in the UK, we can only sponsor a limited number of roles that meet eligibility criteria. To offer a sponsorship, the job role you apply for needs to be in the list of eligible occupations. Additionally (with some limited exceptions), the role will need to meet the minimum salary threshold of £38,700 or the going rate for the job, whichever is the highest.

Applications close on 27th November 2024.