Job Description

Job Introduction

About Us

Oxfordshire County Council are seeking to appoint a Collections Assistant at the Oxfordshire Museum Service on a permanent basis, reporting directly to the Curator of Social History. This is an exciting time to join the service as we strive to enhance our collections and explore new ways to make them accessible to audiences.

Our museum service cares for a collection of approximately 112,000 objects, divided equally between Archaeology and Social History, each overseen by a dedicated Curator. The collections are diverse, with objects from the Palaeolithic period through to contemporary collecting.

We make our collections accessible via our range of services including through our key operating sites. The Oxfordshire Museum is our flag ship site of permanent and temporary galleries, attracting over 100,000 visitors every year. The Museum Resource Centre (MRC) is our bespoke storage and conservation centre. Home to tens of thousands of objects as well as curatorial and learning staff, the MRC is where conservation and collections management takes place. The service also manages two remote sites, Swalcliffe Barn (near Banbury), a medieval tithe barn with agricultural collections, and the Bishops Palace (Witney) an open archaeological site of special historic interest.

About the Role

The Collections Assistant supports the care and access of our museum collection. This is a hands-on role that works closely with colleagues and volunteers on collections care, assisting preventive conservation and looking after the collections behind the scenes. The Collections Assistant helps maintain our documentation and enhance digital records, improving access and knowledge of the collections.

The role also helps to deliver public engagement activities, supporting with exhibitions, social media, and responding to public enquiries. Collaboration is central, as they work alongside the Curator of Social History and the wider Collections team to maintain high standards of collections care and public service.

About you

The successful applicant will have experience of working or volunteering in a heritage sector setting, and engaging the public with collections. They will have strong communication skills and computer literacy, a familiarity with or willingness to learn about collections management systems/databases, and the ability to undertake manual tasks.

The successful applicant will be happy working independently, as part of the Collections team, or with wider museum colleagues, and with volunteers. They will help us to deliver excellent collections practices by demonstrating the Oxfordshire County Council values of 'Taking Responsibility' and 'Equality and Integrity in everything we do'.

For an informal chat about the role, please contact Nicole Perry-Bradford, Curator of Social History Nicole.Perry-Bradford@Oxfordshire.gov.uk

Interviews are provisionally scheduled for w/c 12th January 2026

Rewards and benefits

10% discount in the Museum Cafe and Shop Culture of flexible working Technology to support agile working where role permits 25 days' holiday plus bank holidays pro rata Option to 'buy' additional holiday Employee Assistance Programme including access to health and wellbeing support Membership of the Local Government contributory pension scheme, with an employer's contribution of up to 19.9% Enhanced family friendly policies Local and national discounts for shopping and travel Great learning and development opportunities to support your ongoing development.

Our commitment to:

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

At Oxfordshire County Council we are proud of our diverse workforce. Everyone is accepted for who they are, regardless of age, disability, gender identity, marital status, race, faith or belief, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, or on maternity or family leave. We have a number of staff network groups which provide peer support, education and safe spaces for all.

Our commitment to:

Guaranteed Interview Schemes

As a Disability Confident employer, we guarantee an interview for disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the job. We also guarantee interviews to care leavers who have completed further education and who meet the essential criteria for the job. For those leaving care without any further education, we guarantee an interview for our apprenticeships. We are also committed to helping and supporting those transitioning from HM Armed Forces to civilian life and guarantee an interview for those demonstrating the essential criteria for the role, within three years of leaving the service.

Our commitment to:

Safeguarding

Oxfordshire County Council are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults. We expect all employees, workers and volunteers to share this commitment. We will ensure that all our recruitment and selection practices reflect these commitments.

Our commitment to:

Flexible Working

We are open to discussions about flexible working, which can include flexi-time, part time working, job sharing, nine-day fortnights and annualised hours, depending on the requirements of the role and the service.

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