Assistant Curator: University Art Collection

The opportunity

This is an exciting opportunity for an assistant curator to play a key role in the management of the University of the Arts London Art Collection.

The UAL Art Collection captures the energy of practice across UAL's many disciplines. The collection dates from 1986 to the present day, charting the University's story, and that of its talented students and graduates.

As Assistant Curator, you will be responsible for the acquisition of new work for the Collection, in line with the acquisition budget. You will programme rotating displays from the Collection across the UAL estate and manage external loans.

You will work collaboratively with artists, makers and technicians to co-ordinate installations. You will oversee appropriate storage arrangements, including framing, housings and art handling. You will be responsible for creating and maintaining records on the collection database.

You will activate and advocate for the collection by supporting learning, teaching and research. Based within the Archives & Special Collections Centre, you will support the Centre’s activities by embedding the collection within UAL’s creative curriculum.

The post-holder will be based at London College of Communication, within the University’s Archives and Special Collections Centre. This role will work across all of UAL’s constituent colleges and include some offsite working – such as the Art Collection’s offsite store.

Please be advised that onsite working will be the main focus for this role, your working pattern will be discussed, to meet operational requirements of the Archives & Special Collections Centre.

Your profile

We are looking for someone with a level 6 (degree level) qualification and/or relevant experience of collection management and curatorial practice.

You will also need experience of working in an education environment or working with students or graduates with professional development needs.

Experience of using museum content management systems, such as The Museum System (TMS) is equally important.

We are UAL

University of the Arts London (UAL) generates and inspires the creativity the world needs for a better future. Since 1842, our colleges have been defining creative education. With curiosity, imagination and intent we make work which creates lasting change for people and our planet. London is core to who we are, a place where we meet and share ideas with people from different backgrounds and cultures.

Our creative network influences learning, culture, industry and society on a global scale. Our academics and practitioners deliver creative education and inspire new ways of thinking through research and innovation. We work with students at every level from pre-degree and short courses to postgraduate and online learning, enabling them to build the careers they want. Together, we are a community of makers, thinkers, pioneers and storytellers redesigning the future.

As a University, we are ranked second in the world for Art and Design. We are formed of 6 Colleges with unique histories and identities: Camberwell College of Arts, Central Saint Martins, Chelsea College of Arts, London College of Communication, London College of Fashion and Wimbledon College of Arts. UAL also has 4 Institutes, 5 Research Centres, 1 Pre-Degree School and 2 subsidiary companies delivering specialist activities.

We are a global University, welcoming over 22,000 students and 6,000 staff from 130 countries. We aim to be a university where people can be themselves and feel supported to reach their full potential. That’s why we are proud to hold a Bronze Award from the Race Equality Charter (REC), are members of the Business Disability Forum and Employers for Carers, and maintain our status as a Disability Confident Scheme and Living Wage employer.

Application process

We operate a fair and open anonymous selection process. Thus, you will need to create an account and submit an application through our job board. As part of this, you will need to provide a supporting statement/answer some competency questions to demonstrate your suitability. Our recruitment process involves: Application, Shortlisting, Interview and Assessment, Offer, Onboarding.

We understand the benefits of using AI in work. But, if you are thinking of using it to submit an application, we ask you to think about what value it adds. AI tools tend to lack the personal touch and authenticity we value in candidates. We encourage you to showcase your unique knowledge and skills using your own voice.

If we receive a high volume of applications, the closing day date might close early. We aim to communicate any changes to the closing date with at least 24 hours’ notice. If you have any general questions or have accessibility needs, please refer to our Contact us page.

Start your application

Candidates are advised to submit applications early.