Job Description

About the role
Are you a Senior Curator with deep expertise in French art and eager to share your knowledge? This is your chance to shape how an amazing collection of French art is experienced, researched and enjoyed by audiences.
We're delighted to have an exciting and rare opportunity to join our dedicated Curatorial team. We are seeking a knowledgeable and passionate Senior Curator with a specialism in French art of the mid-19th to early 20th centuries, complemented by a broader knowledge of 17th- and 18th-century French art.
We're looking for someone who is collaborative, forward-thinking and committed to supporting equity, diversity and inclusion. Someone who believes in the power of art to inspire, challenge and connect people.
In this role, you will make a major contribution to the development, understanding, display, interpretation, promotion, and use of the collection. You will bring excellent object knowledge, including works on paper, to support your academic specialism. You'll support an active programme of loans and exhibitions related to the French works in the collection. Your strong and evidenced research profile will be matched by proven experience of developing research-led exhibitions that engage and inspire audiences.
Drawing on an established and wide network of contacts from museum peers, international research networks, to relevant organisations and academics, you will conduct authoritative research on behalf of the National Galleries of Scotland.
Working as a key part of our dedicated and passionate Curatorial team, you will contribute to delivering our audience offer, initiatives and projects, supporting our purpose to make art work for everyone.
The difference you'll make
As a key senior member of the Curatorial team, you will work to ensure that the relevant area of the collection is developed, displayed, researched and made accessible. Reporting to the Deputy Director & Chief Curator (European & Scottish Art), your responsibilities will include:
- Initiating and developing creative and original ideas and proposals for the audience offer of exhibitions, displays, online activity and talks in consultation with senior colleagues.
- Producing research and interpretive material, including publications, talks, captions etc, and contributing to the digital engagement programme.
- Project managing exhibitions, displays and other relevant initiatives, with budgetary responsibility.
- Contributing to the National Galleries of Scotland research profile and environment through publications for both academic and wider public audiences.
- Proposing acquisitions, loans, etc., whilst maintaining accurate catalogue and accessioning details, records and other relevant data.
- Fostering a collegiate and supportive working environment through your day-to-day approach to work, administrative and line management responsibilities.
- Liaising with Collection Care and Collection Management colleagues to ensure the highest standards of care and protection for the collection.
- Contributing to partnership initiatives (national and international).
- Collaborating with other departments and contributing to the audience framework plans, in line with the organisation's overall vision of broadening access to the collection.
- Contributing to learning, engagement and other programmes across the organisation.
- Developing and maintaining a wide network of contacts and stakeholders, including lenders, donors, dealers, other museums, public institutions, universities, gallery professionals, artists etc.
Who we are looking for
To succeed in this role, you'll need the following range of knowledge, skills and experience:
- Education to postgraduate level or equivalent experience, with a significant proportion focused on French art of the mid-19th to early 20th centuries.
- Excellent research skills and evidence of outputs (publications/exhibitions etc.).
- Extensive experience in the wider curatorial community with a demonstrable reputation for French Art with a network of relevant contacts.
- Fluent written and spoken French.
- Strong communication and effective collaboration skills with the ability to build positive relationships with both colleagues and external stakeholders.
- Excellent organisational skills, time management and project management.
- Successful budget management.
- An ability to work in a collegiate manner, aligning activity with organisational strategic priorities.
- The ability to foster and champion a positive working culture, collaborating with and inspiring colleagues.
- Proven commitment to EDI initiatives.
- Excellent IT skills.
- A knowledge of the art market.
It would also be great if you have:
- Proven line management experience.
- A knowledge of practices in other spheres relevant to the area of specialism (conservation, works on paper etc.)
- A working knowledge of collection management systems (e.g. Axiell).
Please apply directly via our careers portal. Applications via email will not be accepted.
The closing date for applications is 12 noon on Thursday, 09 October 2025.
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Skills Required