Assistant Curator of Paintings (Maternity Cover)

It's learning something new, whilst surrounded by old masters.

It’s an experience like no other. And it’s the satisfaction of presenting and promoting one of the world’s greatest and most diverse art collections. This is what makes working for Royal Collection Trust so different.

From care and conservation, to public lectures and exhibitions, our Paintings team is responsible for nearly 8,000 paintings and 3,000 miniatures that make up an important part of the Royal Collection.

Supporting the team, you'll take on a wide range of curatorial activities, immersing yourself in this fascinating collection.

You'll play a key part in the loans programme, administering requests, and planning picture moves to and from exhibitions, and to numerous royal palaces.

The complexities of our loans and movements will both challenge and stretch your skills. You'll help organise substitutes for short term loans, and administer a new database of paintings substitutions, keeping our online records accurate and up to date.

Beyond loans, you'll take on specific research of paintings, assisting with email queries and supporting your colleagues in developing our knowledge of the collection.

And assisting with the presentation of the paintings collection, you'll share this knowledge through a range of media channels, including our Collection Online pages and social media.

What's more, you'll liaise with teams across Royal Collection Trust on new and existing exhibition programmes, and deliver talks and tours that aim to reach, inspire and engage with the broadest audience possible. 

And as you develop your curatorial skills, you'll be bringing people closer to a truly unique history.

With a relevant degree and experience of working in a museum or art gallery, you're ready to develop your existing knowledge further.

Along with a clear passion for paintings and history of art, you'll also have a good understanding of conservation issues and the challenges of working with historic interiors.

Outstanding administration skills will be essential, along with a high attention to detail and confidence using varied IT programs.

You'll be highly organised, perhaps with previous project experience, and able to plan and deliver projects alongside a daily workload and tight deadlines.

An effective communicator, you'll enjoy collaborating with team members and colleagues who are specialists in their own field. Good presentation skills would also be helpful.

You're also confident working independently to deliver excellent results, eager to immerse yourself in the unique learning opportunities that the Collection presents.