Overview
Role Summary
Head of Research, Archives and Libraries
Collections
Full-time, 41 hours per week (including one hour paid lunch break)
Permanent
£77,816 per annum
Application deadline: 12pm (midday) on 29 September 2025
About the role:
The British Museum is looking for a visionary leader to join its Collection Directorate as Head of Research, Archives and Libraries. In this critical role, you will shape and deliver the Museum’s vision for research, ensuring the Museum has one of the world’s most researched, accessible and visible collections.
This high-impact role offers the opportunity to shape the Museum’s world-class research, catalysing research across all areas of the Museum at a pivotal time in its history. You will drive improvements across archive and library services, forge meaningful partnerships internally and externally, and champion income-generating initiatives that align with the Museum’s strategic objectives.
If you are looking for a new challenge and an opportunity to make a major contribution to the future of the Museum we warmly invite you to apply for this role.
Key areas of responsibility:
- Leading and developing high-performing teams responsible for the delivery of research leadership and management, and archive and library services.
- Setting and executing the vision for research, archives and libraries, delivering impactful outcomes.
- Shaping the development of major research projects and funding bids, focusing on continuous income-generating activities and setting effective targets.
- Contributing to the national and international research landscape through advocacy and strategic insight.
- Leading and holding key relationships with external organisations for the development of the Museum’s research at BM_ARC in Reading.
What you’ll bring to the Museum:
- A reputation for shaping research at a senior level in a major institution.
- Experience in developing and implementing strategies within a research-focussed environment
- A proven leader in securing research funding and delivering high-profile, externally funded projects.
- Understanding of sector-wide issues affecting museums, archives, and libraries and the heritage sector.
- A strong reputation in a research field relevant to the Museum
- Demonstrated ability to build and develop motivated, purpose-driven teams.
- Skilled at influencing and collaborating with a wide range of stakeholders internally and externally across academia, government and media.
About the British Museum:
Founded in 1753, the British Museum’s remarkable collection spans over two million years of human history and culture. The Museum is a leading visitor attraction, and its world-famous collection includes the Rosetta Stone, Egyptian mummies, the Sutton-Hoo finds, and the Lewis Chessmen. The Museum also holds an extensive collection of prints and drawings spanning 600 years, including works by the greatest graphic artists such as Dürer, Michelangelo and Rembrandt.
The Museum offers a competitive benefits package including:
- Generous annual leave allowance of 25 days (rising to 30 days after 10 years’ service) plus 2.5 privilege days and plus bank holidays
- Membership of the civil service defined benefit pension scheme (find out here what benefits a civil service pension provides).
- Free entry to a wide range of museums and exhibitions
- Participation in private and public Museum activities, including talks by leading curators from around the world and behind-the-scenes opportunities to learn how museums care for and manage their extraordinary collections
- Interest-free travel, bicycle and rental deposit loans
- Professional and personal development opportunities
- Employee Assistance Programme
- Discounts on food and gift shop purchases
Additional details:
Detailed information about this role can be found on the Museum’s job application portal.
If you have any additional needs that we should be aware of in order to support you with your application, please provide details to bmrecruit@britishmuseum.org.
The British Museum is committed to promoting equality of opportunity for all staff and job applicants. We aim to create a working environment in which all individuals can make best use of their skills, free from unlawful discrimination or harassment. We value the benefits that a diverse workforce brings to a museum which represents world culture. The Museum is committed to ensuring that no job applicant suffers unlawful discrimination because of any protected characteristics. Our recruitment procedures aim to ensure that individuals are treated in line with their relevant knowledge, skills and experience. We specifically encourage applications from candidates from ethnic minority groups who are underrepresented within our senior roles.
We offer a flexible way of working that allows our employees to work remotely in a way that suits them and the organisation. We welcome questions and conversations at interview stage about how flexible working could work for you. We would typically see this role as working on site about 2 days a week.
The Museum adheres to the HMG Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) for pre-employment screening of Civil Servants.
