Role spotlights

Working at a museum can mean many different things. Roles are highly varied and we work closely together to ensure we can deliver the best experience for our visitors. This stretches across from our front of house team greeting visitors to our staff who develop the exhibition content, to curators and conservators who look after the collection, to our events and learning teams to our back office operational teams such as Finance, HR and Facilities.

We wanted to shine a light on some of our roles in the museum to help you get a flavour direct from our staff on their day to day roles here at the museum.

Assistant Curator

"In my role as Assistant Curator I assist on different projects across the museum to make it a place and collection that is more accessible and inclusive to the people of London. This can be extremely varied from day to day but is one of the things that I enjoy the most.

My job consists of transcribing oral histories, writing articles, cataloguing and interpreting the collection both digitally and physically, identifying gaps within our collection, acquiring relevant/ interesting objects that help to share the untold stories of Londoners and training and working with our volunteers. On other days I may be curating and hosting events with external partners, chairing panel discussions, researching (which turns out to be handy for random facts and improving my general knowledge), as well as assisting in delivering and installing displays.

As a museum I feel that we have a huge responsibility to create a space (whether digital or physical) that feels truly representative of the history and people of our city. It’s both a challenge and a blessing to have a role that aids in bringing this ethos to life. I really appreciate being able to collaborate with so many different departments across the museum as well as with people externally and am looking forward to more opportunities to do this in the future."

Finance Systems Manager

"I work as Finance Systems Manager at the Museum of London. My main responsibilities are: managing and policing of compliance with finance procedures; training staff on our finance processes; understanding the key drivers and challenges for the business; providing accurate monthly reports to customers; and supporting strategic decision-making using analysis and reporting.

Working in a small and fast-paced finance team has helped me gain knowledge and skills in the varying roles of finance, and to understand how this profession is connected to today’s fast moving technology and changes in legislation. It's challenging, but always fulfilling. In addition, I've gained much more understanding of working closely with others and take pride in delivering results together, both with my team and the wider museum."

Host

"The host role is wonderful and varied. We’re a diverse and energetic group of people who have come to the museum from a wide range of backgrounds, from heritage to teaching and beyond. We're the first people our visitors meet, and we offer them a warm and helpful welcome, explaining any events taking place and inviting them to support the museum with a donation. Whilst a large part of our days are spent in the galleries interacting with our visitors, we are also the members of the museum team who research, write and deliver the free daily talks and tours. The host role sits at the heart of Visitor Experience providing the face-to-face interactions with our visitors and helping to bring our collections to life."

Textile Conservator

"As a textile conservator, my role is to carry out condition assessments, practical treatments, mount making and preventive measures with the aim of making objects safe to be displayed and maximising the longevity of our textile collections.

I work with the dress & textile collection, which contains over 23,000 objects ranging from Medieval to present day. This includes fashion garments, theatrical costume, flat textiles, accessories such as shoes and bags, toys such as dolls and many more mixed media objects. My role involves preparing objects for display, loan to other institutions, as new acquisitions into the museum or simply improving the condition and storage of textiles. As a representative of the museum, I also assist with specialised training in textile handling and storage techniques, as well as overseeing interns, students and volunteers."

Client Project Manager for the New Museum project

"In my role I deliver major exhibitions for the Museum of London and the Museum of London Docklands. From initial concept to installation, I coordinate internal and external multidisciplinary teams comprising of curators, conservators, object technicians, audio visual technicians, photographers, designers, film makers, animators, prop-makers, set-builders and other specialists depending on each project’s needs. As project manager I am also responsible for setting the project’s budget, monitoring its costs and managing the overall timetable.

Over the years I have delivered some of the most exciting and successful exhibitions at the museum such as 'Dickens and London' 'Cheapside Hoard' and 'Fire! Fire!' and have had the opportunity to work with talented and creative people. Large scale exhibition projects can take up to two years to plan and organise, and my favourite part of a project is the final stage - the installation. This is the most intense period as there is usually a tight deadline to ensure everything is in place for the opening day, but it is also the time when the whole team comes together to bring the exhibition to life."

Archaeological Collections Manager

"I work as Archaeological Collections Manager. My role is to curate the existing archaeological collection and to liaise with archaeological units to facilitate the deposition of new sites.

Curating an archaeological collection means that I have to make sure all finds and records are preserved and catalogued according to the best international practice and standards, and all the archives are stored in the most efficient and accessible way possible.

When I am not working on legacy archives, I work with archaeological units to make sure the museum is updated about the latest discoveries in London and all the interesting sites are deposited as soon as possible.

One of the things I enjoy the most about my job is that it gives me the opportunity to engage with a lot of people, and advocate for archaeology. This involves talking at conferences and running events, and I also manage and teach volunteers different aspects of collection care and archaeology.

But my absolute favourite is working on old site archives, because to me it is like living Christmas morning everyday: opening boxes without necessarily knowing what I am going to find inside them. It is kind of magical, a constant discovery and surprise."