Job Description

Job title Project Placement - Abbey House Streets


Salary GBP12.69 p/hr


Hours 222hrs (30 days placement)


Contract Casual


Location Abbey House Museum, Abbey Walk, Kirkstall, LS5 3EH


The placement is to assist with the refresh and redisplay of the Victorian street displays at Abbey House Museum, including adding a Victorian police station, draper shop and photographic studio. This includes helping to pack and move exhibits, improve documentation, photographing collections, marking numbers and updating locations. It will also involve editing catalogue records for public access, writing blogs and social media posts and helping to write interpretation for visitors.


The project offers valuable hands-on experience working with historic collections, object handling, cataloguing skills, object photography, learning how to structure data and research.


Leeds City Council is one of the largest employers in the region with over 14,000 employees. We seek to recruit and develop talented individuals who embody our

council values

and

ambitions

.

About you

Our Project Placements are a training and development opportunity. We are looking for people who are:


Starting out in heritage, culture or the arts Looking for a change of career and exploring options in the arts and cultural sector From a diverse range of backgrounds underrepresented in the arts and cultural sector
What matters most is your passion for the project.

About the role

This is one of three Project Placements at Leeds Museums and Galleries in 2025. The funding for Project Placements comes from Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation funding to give people paid experience of working in a heritage/cultural setting, training and support.


Project Placements are a maximum of 30 days to be completed before the end of March 2026. We are open to it being fewer days to help people access the opportunity. We welcome and encourage job applications from people of all backgrounds. We are a family friendly organisation and support our employees to work flexibly to maintain a healthy work-life balance. Working days and times are flexible and are agreed between the individual and the supervisor.


To find out more, we have a video describing each of the Project Placements and giving tip tops for applications. This can be accessed here:

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/mbuk5d1q722daiq445wxh/Film-for-PP-candidates.mp4?rlkey=17j2uriasbopf1d1rdc055l76&e=1&st=5tm915ut&dl=0

What we offer you

We take pride in offering the best employee experience, with benefits including:


a competitive salary and annual leave entitlement plus statutory holidays membership of the West Yorkshire Pension Fund with generous employer contributions flexible and hybrid working arrangements subject to service requirements a clear career pathway and continuing professional development opportunities a range of

staff benefits

to help you boost your wellbeing and make your money go further

How to apply

Please complete the online application form.

Read our guidance

for further advice. Please check your information carefully and ensure you complete all sections before submitting your application.
If you have any queries or would like an informal chat about the role please contact Kitty Ross, Curator of Leeds History, email

Kitty.Ross@leeds.gov.uk

.

We welcome applications from everyone and actively seek a diverse range of applicants from all backgrounds and cultures. We particularly encourage applications from, but not limited to, women, carers, veterans as well as LGBT+, ethnically diverse, disabled and care experienced people.

This role is based in the UK. Home Office guidance states that candidates must evidence their right to work in the UK prior to commencing employment, either as a UK or Irish citizen, under the EU Settlement scheme or having secured any other relevant work visa.

If you do not have the right to work in the UK, you must consider your own eligibility for sponsorship for a particular role through the

Skilled Worker visa

route before applying. To be eligible for sponsorship you'll usually need to be paid the standard salary rate of at least

GBP38,700 per year or meet one of the other eligibility criteria. Ensure you are eligible before applying.

Job Purpose

This is a training and development role. The responsibilities of the position will be shared by the person appointed and their supporting supervisor.The individual advert gives details of the main activities you will undertake. Because of the short-term nature of the role, the post holder may not undertake all the elements described below. You will however be assessed on the qualities named in the person specification that form part of this job description.


Project Placements are designed to provide experience of Museum and Galleries and to spend time learning what they can offer in terms of careers.You will work as part of Leeds Museums and Galleries to enhance the visitor experience and increase access to museum collections. We welcome applications from individuals from all backgrounds.

Responsibilities

Contribute to public engagement through community engagement, learning and exhibition programmes. Provide a high standard of customer service by being welcoming and engaging when assisting with community engagement, supporting activities, dealing with public enquiries, collating customer feedback or working with volunteers. Work alongside other staff to ensure accessibility and inclusivity within our spaces. Contribute to the collections management and maintain attention to detail in documentation, digitisation, and online access, collections handling and packing. Exhibitions and displays which may include physical and administrative support for displays and exhibitions, to write exhibition text under guidance from others. Research: Under instruction and guidance source and provide interesting and accurate information on collections or individual items. Work under the guidance of the placement supervisor. Liaise with other staff in a courteous manner. Show a commitment to training relating to H&S, safeguarding, information governance and the site. Be curious. Be open to new experiences, working creatively and being reflective. Be passionate about the collection, and innovative in its uses with audiences. Be eager to develop new skills through participation in programmes, projects, action research and training. Deliver accurate and timely time sheets for salary payments.

Essential requirements

It is essential that the candidate should be able to demonstrate the following criteria for the post. Candidates will only be shortlisted for interview if they can demonstrate that they meet all the essential requirements.


Excellent interpersonal and communication skills. Develop and maintain excellent working relationships with colleagues and partners (LMG / LCC/ schools/volunteers/general public). Able to prioritise and organise own work flexibly according to the direction of the supervisor. Ability to work effectively as part of a team. Good computer skills. Able to use word processing and email. Formal qualifications are not essential however good literacy and numeracy skills will be required. Experience of working or volunteering in a public facing role. To promote and apply consistently the principles ofEquality and Diversity both with colleagues and members of the public to ensure fair and equal access to services and opportunities. Good interpersonal skills and an ability to relate to people.

Essential Behavioural and other Characteristics

Understand and embrace

Leeds City Council Values and Behaviours

and codes of conduct Committed to continuous improvement in all areas and work towards delivering the

Best City Ambition

of Health & Wellbeing, Inclusive Growth and Zero Carbon Be aware of and be able to understand and observe Leeds City Council policies. Carry out all duties having regard to an employee responsibility under Health and Safety. Willingness to actively participate in training and development activities Flexible and adaptable to change to assist other services as required commensurate to grade. Participate in appraisal, training, and development activities. Be aware of and support difference ensuring equality for all, working in an anti-discriminatory manner, upholding, equality & diversity. Recognise and appropriately challenge any incidents of racism, bullying, harassment, victimisation, and any form of abuse, reporting any concerns to the appropriate person * The Council has adopted a flexibility protocol, and the role will be expected to work within these parameters.