English Heritage looks after England’s most important buildings and monuments, making sure our country’s amazing history is available for everyone to enjoy. From world-famous prehistoric sites to grand medieval castles, Roman forts to a Cold War bunker, we bring the history of England to life.
We are looking for three Curators to join our team on a full time basis, working 36 hours per week. These are maternity cover roles, for 12 months.
You will join the South team, made up of six Curators and two Collections Managers.
You will be responsible for the collections at, and relating to, one or more magnificent London houses and earlier sites, depending on the portfolio. Working under the direction of the Senior Curator, you will manage and develop the collections at these properties along with the historic interiors and will provide professional curatorial input into all proposed re-developments and events at these sites.
We are looking to recruit three separate maternity covers in the London region. Each of them is responsible for important houses and collections, which require a background in fine and decorative arts. One requires substantial exhibition experience and practical gallery experience. The three portfolios consist of:
- Down House, Eltham Palace, Ranger’s House
- Kenwood (See Kenwood on the CODART website)
- Marble Hill, Chiswick House, Jewel Tower group and Harmondsworth Barn.
The Benefits
- Salary £42,070 per annum, depending on skills, experience and location
- 25 days’ holiday plus Bank Holidays pro rata rising to 28 days after 3 years
- Matched pension contributions up to a maximum of 10%
- Flexible hours
- The opportunity to progress your career within the heritage sector
- Apprenticeship opportunities
- Subscriptions to professional bodies
- Free access to all English Heritage sites for you and up to 6 friends / family members
- 25% discount in our shops and cafes
- Enhanced Maternity/Paternity/Shared Parental leave
- Options to buy additional leave
- An inclusive working atmosphere where everyone from all backgrounds, religions and with different needs will be supported
- Opportunities to go to some of our great live music or history events
This is an incredible opportunity to gain significant experience of collections and displays within a historic house environment, and to develop your knowledge of the 18th and 19th century London house and its presentation. We welcome candidates from both a museum and/or a historic house background, and will ensure everyone is supported with a full induction and handover.
What’s more, as part of our charity bringing history to life, you’ll be supported and encouraged to share your ideas, inspire others and make a difference to the way England’s rich past is experienced.
As our Curator of Collections and Interiors, you will work on the presentation, interpretation and documentation of English Heritage’s London houses.
To be considered as a Curator of Collections and Interiors, you will need:
- Experience of managing art collections and historic interiors.
- Experience of managing discrete reinterpretation and re-presentation projects.
- Experience of managing contractors on discrete work packages.
- A good knowledge of British history, art history and interiors, in particular the long 18th century
- Degree in a relevant subject such as History of Art or Museum Studies
Find out more about us and what we do on our website. Meet some of our people and hear about why they enjoy working with us on this page.
Everyone is welcome at English Heritage. We are always looking for people who reflect the diversity of the country today, to help us make it more relevant to the diversity of the people, communities and places we serve. From remote sites to inner city monuments, from regional teams to our Head Office, the diversity of our teams is critical to making sure our heritage is inclusive, exciting and accessible. We continually look for new ways to promote the past in a way that is inclusive to all and that celebrates the cultural diversity of England’s heritage. By joining us, you will be part of a charity that is already on an exciting journey to tell everyone’s story with an inclusive working atmosphere where everyone from all backgrounds, religions and with different needs will be supported. To support this work, we have a number of EDI networks that you can join as either a member or ally. These networks include Ethnic Diversity, Faith & Belief, Social Equity, LGBTQ+, Neurodivergence, Age, Disability and Gender Specific Issues.
Interviews will be held on Monday 8th and Tuesday 9th September, at Kenwood in Hampstead, London. The panel will consist of the Senior Curator, the Curator of the Isle of Wight, and the three portfolio Curators whose cover you are applying for. If you have specific questions about your application, you may contact the recruiting manager at Wendy.Monkhouse@english-