Assistant Curator Exhibitions Employment Contract UK

Responsibilities reflected in the contract

• Research objects themes and exhibition content.
• Support loans documentation and rights checks.
• Prepare labels lists and interpretive material.
• Coordinate installations with specialist teams.
• Maintain project object and approval records.

A realistic working scenario

Based in office, client premises or remote systems, the Assistant Curator (Exhibitions) maintains exhibition, loan and object-condition records, manages email, calendar and document systems for exhibition schedules, prepares handovers and raises collection-condition, rights or visitor-safety issues promptly to the museum manager or collections lead and curatorial and conservation colleagues.

Outputs to agree

• Maintained exhibition calendar and correspondence in email and calendar systems
• Completed exhibition, loan and object-condition records in document systems
• Handover notes and checklists for shifts, transfers or opening/closing exhibitions
• Logged visitor, learning or incident entries relevant to exhibitions
• Escalation messages to museum manager or collections lead for collection, rights or safety risks

Records and evidence

• Exhibition, loan and object-condition records held in collections management and document systems.
• Collections management and accession records related to exhibited objects.
• Visitor, learning and incident logs linked to exhibition events.
• Rights, provenance and conservation records for objects on display.
• Email, calendar and phone-system correspondence about exhibition schedules.
• Work records.

Reporting relationship

Typically reports to Line Manager or Department Manager. Confirm the employer's actual reporting structure in the builder.

Authority and escalation

• May update exhibition calendars, correspondence, routine exhibition records and visitor logs and complete authorised handovers. They must not approve accessions, legal loan terms, conservation treatment or final exhibition selection. Material collection-condition, rights, public-safety or loan exceptions must be escalated to the museum manager or collections lead for decision.
• Obtain approval before committing expenditure, changing contractual commitments or making regulated or staffing decisions outside the assigned role.

Tools and systems

• Email.
• Document systems.
• Phone systems.

Workplace context

• Office, client premises, remote systems or assigned work locations.

Contract priorities

• Maintain accurate exhibition, loan and object-condition records in collections management and document systems
• Protect employee, visitor, supplier and role-specific records and report suspected data breaches promptly
• Escalate collection-condition, rights, visitor-safety, loan or service-continuity risks to the museum manager or collections lead
• Complete handovers, checks and updates required for exhibition openings, closures and object movements
• Use email, calendar, document and phone systems only for authorised exhibition work

Information the employer should prepare

• the collection subject and exhibition programme
• the loan budget and approval authority
• the object handling and courier duties
• the rights label and publication process
• the installation travel and deadline pattern