Collections Assistant (Earth Collections)

About the role

Oxford University Museum of Natural History houses the University’s internationally important geological and zoological collections, which are used for research, teaching, and public engagement. These comprise around 7 million specimens and are second in importance only to the national collections. The museum is part of the Gardens, Libraries & Museums of the University of Oxford, which include the Ashmolean, History of Science and Pitt Rivers museums, the Bodleian Libraries, and the Botanic Gardens & Arboretum.

The Collections Assistant will work across the full range of geological material but with a particular emphasis on the mineralogy and petrology collections. They will work as part of a team to carry out collections-related tasks, including assisting with loan processes, dealing with enquiries and facilitating visits to the collections. They will also help to deliver strategic projects, including preparing petrology collections and their associated metadata for moving into a new Collections Storage Facility in Swindon.

This is a fix-term 4-month full-time post, and the work will principally be on site.

Due to the nature of this post, the successful candidate will be required to undertake a satisfactory Basic Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) due to access to Museum collections

About You

Successful candidates will have a science degree or equivalent experience. They will also have experience of handling museum specimens, working with collections management systems and working with geological collections in museum context.

What We Offer

As an employer, we genuinely care about our employees’ wellbeing and this is reflected in the range of benefits that we offer including:

• An excellent contributory pension scheme
• 38 days of annual leave
• A comprehensive range of childcare services
• Family leave schemes
• Cycle loan scheme
• Discounted bus travel and Season Ticket travel loans

More information is available at https://hr.admin.ox.ac.uk/staff-benefits

Diversity

Our staff and students come from all over the world, and we proudly promote a friendly and inclusive culture. Diversity is positively encouraged, through diverse groups and champions, as well as a number of family-friendly policies, such as the right to apply for flexible working and support for staff returning from periods of extended absence, for example, shared parental leave.

How to apply

You will be required to upload your CV and a supporting statement using the attached template as part of your online application. Your supporting statement should list each of the essential and desirable selection criteria, as listed in the job description, and explain how you meet each one. CVs alone will not be considered.

We aim to provide a supportive working environment and are happy to discuss training and professional development opportunities. The Chair of this recruitment panel will be Head of Earth Collections, Eliza Howlett who can be contacted with enquiries relating to the role (eliza.howlett@oum.ox.ac.uk or 01865 272951).  General queries about the recruitment and application process should be directed to the Recruitment team within our Human Resources department (recruitment@glam.ox.ac.uk).

Only applications received online by 12.00 midday (GMT) on Monday 10 March 2025 can be considered. Interviews are expected to take place on Thursday 27 March 2025

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