VACANCY INFORMATION PACK

SCIENCE MUSEUM COLLECTIONS ARCHIVIST

Closing Date: 11pm on Friday 15 May

Provisional Interview Date s: TBC

Role start date: July 2026

Contents:

About the role

What you bring

How to apply

Support we offer

OUR MISSION AND VALUES:

At the Science Museum Group, we make it our mission to Inspire Futures. Our talented and dedicated colleagues are guided by five values that encapsulate simply what we’re all about:

– we think big , pushing the limits of what’s possible;

– we challenge ourselves to reveal wonder ;

– we use our passion, expertise and creativity to share authentic stories;

– we aim to ignite curiosity in our audiences and our colleagues; and

– we take pride in being open for all

SCIENCE MUSEUM COLLECTION ARCHIVIST

Location : Science and Innovation Park, Wroughton

Contract Type : Permanent, Part Time (80% FTE)

Salary: £28,119 (FTE £35,149)

Department: Collections

Contracted hours: 28 hours per week

Date: February 2026

Reports to : C uratorial Lead (Collections & Digital)

ABOUT THE SCIENCE AND INNOVATION PARK :

This position is based at the Science and Innovation Park in Wroughton and you will need to be on site at least three days per week .

The 545 - acre site plays a vital role in the Science Museum Group’s sustainability activities and is surrounded by the stunning Wiltshire countryside, with lots of wildlife to spot around the site. It also hosts a range of commercial activities, including s torage for the cultural sector, space for research and development projects, renewable energy generation and more.

Our new facility at the heart of the Park, the Hawking Building, has transformed how we care for our object collection and houses everything from microscope slides to railway carriages. Over 400,000 are now accessible to the public. Our library and archives are stored in purpose -built facilities in the former WW2 buildings at the park.

ABOUT THE ROLE:

The archive holdings of the Science Museum cover a huge range of topics, from Concorde to Covid, from space travel to deep sea exploration, from naval history to early computing. We are looking for a self - motivated Archivist to take responsibility for this complex collection, and to lead on making it more accessible for all , and working on the museum’s collections development.

In this role, as well as the day -to-day management of a national museum archive, you will be able to take ownership of reviewing and improving our systems and processes, and contribut e to future plans for the Science Museum’s archives. You will be able to develop your own projects, identifying priority areas for improvement through cataloguing, restorage, and collections development.

You will be actively looking for new ways to engage audiences with the archives and build the public profile of the collection , and identifying potential volunteering opportunities with archive materials. You will liaise with management and stakeholders across the Science Museum Group, advocating for curatorial team and their work on the project, and monitoring and reporting on their progress.

WHAT YOU WILL BE DOING:

Taking care of the day to day running of the Science Museum archive, including appraisal, sorting, and cataloguing the collection to agreed standards and guidelines, using SMG’s collections management systems, Axiell Collections and Mimsy.

• Assessing the Science Museum archive backlog, and identifying key areas for improvement, and contributing to future planning for archive and library storage projects

• Work closely with the Group Archives Manager to manage, care for, develop and make accessible the archive in line with SMG’s strategies

• Engaging the public with our archive collections through Collections Online, social media, our blog, the SMG Journal, and elsewhere.

• With the help of our Volunteer co -ordinator, identifying potential volunteering opportunities and recruiting and managing a small team of archive volunteers

• Working with the Collections Access team to provide access to archival collections at the Science and Innovation Park , and provide copy service operational support.

• Working closely with Science Museum curators to advise on archive acquisitions and disposals

• Building good working relationships with archive and library staff based at other SMG sites

Taking care of your personal health and safety and that of others. Complying with the Science Museum Group H&S Policies, risk assessments and safe systems of work and reporting any health and safety concerns.

WHAT YOU BRING TO THE TEAM:

You will definitely have…

• An interest in archives related to the history of science, technology, and engineering.

• A qualification in archive management recognised by the Archives and Records Association (or be working towards one)

• Experience of working with archives and records management , and a good understanding of archive collections care .

• Experience of working independently, setting goals, overseeing small projects, and monitoring progress.

• Excellent organisational skills, be self -motivated, and have the ability to plan and coordinate work and resources.

• A passion for engaging diverse audiences with archives and the stories they contain, digitally and in person.

• Good problem - solving skills and a desire to seek improvements in processes and systems.

• Excellent written and oral communication skills.

• Excellent IT skills and an ability to handle large quantities of information.

• A values -driven approach and a passion for contributing to an open and inclusive organisation.

It would be good if you have …

Experience of staff or volunteer management

• A Driving License

SOME THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW :

Science Museum Group is legally required to ensure that all prospective employees have the right to work in the UK before their employment starts. If you do not have this but believe you are eligible for sponsorship or able to work with us through any other route, please contact us to check before starting an application.

SMG will request either a basic or enhanced criminal record check for the successful candidates, depending on the requirements of the role. We will consider every applicant on a case -by- case basis.

• SMG will support any eligible applications to ‘Access to Work’, a government scheme which helps disabled employees meet additional access related costs at work.

Please note, the Science and Innovation Park is difficult, though not impossible, to access (and travel within) without a vehicle. SMG would also support an Access to Work application for this role. If you would like to discuss the site and access to it in more detail, please contact Recruitment@ScienceMuseum.ac.uk

HOW TO APPLY!

Interested? We welcome your application. You can apply for this position via our Careers site. Please answer the following question(s) in the Supporting Statement section of the application form.

YOUR SUPPORTING STATEMENT

1. Describe your experience of working with archive collections , in relation to the above requirements , including the status of your Archive Management qualification .

2. Give an example of a time when you have improved a work system, policy, or process at work, and what the outcome was of that improvement.

3. How would you approach increasing audience engagement with the Science Museum archives?

HOW WE CAN SUPPORT YOU:

• We’d love to hear from you. If you would like to hear more about the role, or have any questions, please contact Tudor Todut at tudor.todut@sciencemuseum.ac.uk for more details.

If you need assistance to complete your application or attend an interview, for example due to a disability, or would like to talk to us about what we can do to support you through this process, please contact us by email or by calling 01904 685 750 (Monday -Friday, 9 -5) .

• Find out more about what it’s like to work at Science Museum Group, answers to frequently asked questions and how to find our offices (including when attending interviews) here .

We are working hard to understand our organisation better and to foster a culture that recognises and values different backgrounds, mindsets, skills, experience, knowledge and expertise. By having greater diversity, we believe that we will be a stronger an d better organisation and ultimately will be able to inspire more futures. We therefore welcome applications from those who bring difference.