Principal Researcher in Human Evolution

About Us

We are a world-class visitor attraction and leading science research centre. We use the Museum's unique collections and our unrivalled expertise to tackle the biggest challenges facing the world today. We care for more than 80 million objects spanning billions of years and welcome more than five million visitors annually and 16 million visits to our website.  

Today the Museum is more relevant and influential than ever. By attracting people from a range of backgrounds to work for us, we can continue to look at the world with fresh eyes and find new ways of doing things.

We employ 1100 staff in a variety of roles, all united by our vision of a future where people and planet thrive. We need everyone to have the passion and drive to help us with our mission to create advocates for our planet and inspire millions to care about the natural world.

Diversity and inclusion matter to us.

Our vision is of a future where both people and the planet thrive. Diversity is one of our core values and we strive to build a workplace where everyone feels a sense of belonging. All new staff who join us learn about the importance of diversity and inclusion to the Museum and how to contribute to creating an inclusive environment.

We know we have more to do, but we are committed to ensuring that everyone who works at the Museum feels they can thrive and feel valued and respected.

About the role

The Centre for Human Evolution Research (CHER) at the Natural History Museum is seeking a visionary Principal Researcher to lead internationally significant research into human evolution. This is an opportunity to shape the future of the field.

We are looking for a scientist who can challenge established paradigms, harness emerging technologies, and develop a globally recognised research programme that transforms how we understand the human story.

At the Natural History Museum, our collections are more than archives; they are a living laboratory. You will have the opportunity to unlock their full potential, integrating hominin fossils with the Museum’s exceptional palaeoenvironmental collections, including sediments, fauna, microfauna and botanical remains. By bringing these resources together, you will help reconstruct the broader ecological and environmental contexts that shaped human evolution.

If you are excited by interdisciplinary science, this role offers a unique platform. You will work across collections-based sciences while deploying cutting-edge methods such as genomics, palaeomics, AI, quantitative modelling, isotopic analysis and high-resolution imaging.

You will lead an ambitious research programme focused on Pleistocene human evolution, publish world-leading research, build national and international collaborations, and secure major external funding. Alongside your research leadership, you will contribute to postgraduate training, public engagement and the wider activities of the Museum, helping to position the Natural History Museum as a global hub for human evolutionary research.

About you

Are you an internationally recognised researcher in human evolution who wants to push the field forward? If you are motivated by big questions about human origins and excited by the possibilities of collections-based science, this could be the role for you.

You hold a doctorate in human evolution or a closely related discipline and bring a strong research track record focused on the Pleistocene hominin fossil record. Your work demonstrates both scientific excellence and the ability to challenge or advance existing evolutionary frameworks.

You have experience leading independent research programmes, securing significant external funding and building impactful collaborations across institutions and disciplines. You are comfortable leading high-performing research teams and mentoring postgraduate researchers.

If you enjoy combining fieldwork, innovative analytical approaches and interdisciplinary collaboration to answer fundamental questions about our past, you will thrive in this role.

You are also committed to sharing science widely, through publications, public engagement, media or exhibitions, and contributing to the wider academic community through activities such as peer review, conference leadership or advisory roles.

Thriving at the Museum: the way we work

We are proud to work at the Museum and have identified the qualities we all need to embody to reach our shared ambition. This sits alongside the Museum’s values and forms the framework for the way we work.

Find out more here

What we offer

• 27.5 days holiday plus 8 bank holidays (full time equivalent)
• Generous defined contribution Natural History Museum Pension Scheme (employer contribution 4 - 10%)
• Season ticket, bicycle and rental loan
• Life insurance
• Free admission to our exhibitions and many other paid exhibitions at museums, galleries and institutions across London and the UK.
• Staff discount at our Museum shops and cafes
• We offer a wide variety of training initiatives and opportunities to build skills. Investing in staff development is important to us, and we are ambitious about helping staff to grow and fulfil their potential.
• Affordable membership to the Civil Service Sports Council which offers a range of benefits including an extensive list of special offers and reduced entry fees at a selection of cinema chains, theme parks, theatres, retailers and supermarkets. It also provides entry to up to 300 English Heritage sites and other national treasures. For more details, visit https://www.cssc.co.uk
• Membership to our Sports and Social Association (for a small fee), which includes access to our in-house gym and clubs such as football, softball, table tennis and tennis and classes in Middle Eastern dance, yoga and Tai Chi

Hybrid working

We are working towards a vision where both people and planet thrive, and nothing gives a greater connection with this, than seeing first-hand, the visitors, scientific research and collections that all of our work is inspired by and working side by side with the teams delivering the visitor experience and events.  We also recognise the benefits and flexibility that hybrid working brings. We operate a hybrid working model that requires regular, weekly attendance for this role, with the precise pattern of days on site and worked from home to be agreed with your manager.