Research Fellow, 20th Century British Drawings

About the role

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an early career researcher, at the Ashmolean Museum, based in the Department of Western Art. We are internationally renowned for our paintings, sculptures, works on paper, and decorative arts from about the 1200s to the present day, shown across 23 galleries with the graphic arts kept in our welcoming Print Room. The British 20th-century drawings collection includes important works by artists such as Gwen John, Augustus John, Paul Nash, and Graham Sutherland.

You will research the British 20th-century drawings collection – so as to capture vital data, enrich the Ashmolean’s Online Collections, and promote access to the collections. In digitizing and documenting the collection you’ll work directly from the drawings, involving lifting and moving boxes.

Curatorial training is a key part of this role, and you will collaborate with curators and colleagues in Western Art and across the Museum, learning especially about the care and conservation of drawings, and about interpretation and public engagement. Reporting to the Senior Curator, you will be a core member of a friendly team in a Museum that is committed to equality and values diversity.

This is a full-time, fixed-term role for 2 years, working 37.5 hours per week.

This role involves lifting and carrying boxes of drawings or albums of drawings, in accordance with manual handling training and other safety procedures. Additionally, this role also involves some use of library ladders to access boxes of drawings on higher shelves.

About You

You will have a completed doctorate in History of Art with a special interest in British drawings.

You will have a scholarly record of research publications in British art history or evidence of the potential for such publications.

You will have an understanding of research methodologies in relation to museum graphic arts collections.

Excellent communication and IT skills are also essential.

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 and 38 days of annual leave. 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.

How to apply

You will be required to upload your CV and a supporting statement. 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.

The Chair of this recruitment panel will be Colin Harrison, Senior Curator of European Art, who can be contacted with enquiries relating to the role (colin.harrison@ashmus.ox.ac.uk).  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).

Please discuss secondments with your line manager in the first instance, as you must have their agreement that you can be released for a secondment before you submit an application https://hr.admin.ox.ac.uk/secondments

Only applications received online by 12.00 midday (BST) on Monday 14 April 2025 can be considered. Interviews are expected to take place during the week beginning Monday 12 May 2025.

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