About the job

Job summary

Kew’s Economic Botany Collection holds over 100,000 useful plant raw materials and products, ranging from ancient Egyptian wreaths to modern herbal medicines. The Collections Manager has a crucial leadership role in ensuring high standards of curation, and in supporting its very active research, loans and public engagement programme.

Job description

The role of Collections Manager combines hands-on curation of the Economic Botany Collection, leading a team of staff, volunteers and student placements that documents and cares for its c. 100,000 specimens, and provision of access for users in topics spanning arts, humanities and sciences, ranging from the history of science to ethnobotany.

This role will suit someone with experience in collections management in a research environment, with a meticulous approach to curation, and an enthusiasm for hosting interdisciplinary researchers, and communicating the stories of the Collection to varied audiences. It involves working closely with the Collection’s Senior Research Leader, and with a wide range of staff at Kew and at collaborating institutions. 

Person specification

You will be given active support in developing your curation skills, including through training and participation in museum networks and meetings. This is an exciting time for the Collection, and for this post, with plans for a new collections database and storage facility, and the desire to develop a more diverse user community. Knowledge of collections management and an enthusiasm for user communities and public engagement are essential.

This role is based at Kew with the option of regular home working, subject to operational requirements.

Benefits

Our fantastic benefits package includes opportunities for continuous learning, a generous annual leave entitlement, flexible working to help you maintain a healthy work-life balance, an Employee Assistance Programme and other wellbeing support such as cycle to work scheme and discounted gym membership. We also offer a competitive pension, an employee discount scheme and free entry into a wide range of national museums and galleries, as well as access to our own beautiful gardens at Kew and Wakehurst.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

If you are interested in this position, please submit your application via the Kew Gardens website. 

We are dedicated to equality of opportunity and welcome applications from all sections of the community. We are committed to interview disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the post.

No agencies please.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window). The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.