Senior Curator in Charge, Herpetology

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 Natural History Museum is home to internationally significant herpetology collections spanning modern and fossil reptiles and amphibians, and fossil birds. Together, these collections support globally important scientific research, public engagement and exhibitions, and represent one of the world’s most important resources for the study of vertebrate evolution and biodiversity.

We’re looking for a Senior Curator in Charge, Herpetology to lead the newly formed Reptile and Amphibian section, bringing together palaeontological, historical and modern collections for the first time in the Museum’s history. This is a rare opportunity to help shape the future of a major scientific collection at a pivotal moment of integration and transformation. You will provide day-to-day management across collections care, development and access, ensuring these internationally important collections continue to support cutting-edge research, digitisation and public engagement.

Working closely with the Principal Curator in Charge of the Vertebrates and Anthropology Division, as well as other curators, researchers and collections specialists across the Museum, you will manage and support a team of curators, contribute to major Museum-wide initiatives including NHM150, Unlocked and RECODE, and help shape priorities for digitisation and future collection development. Alongside your management responsibilities, you will contribute to collections-based research, support researchers and visitors accessing the collections, and help strengthen the Museum’s role as a global centre for natural history science and collections stewardship.

About you

Are you an experienced collections expert with a passion for natural history collections and collections-based science? If you enjoy combining scientific expertise with people leadership and management, and are motivated by the opportunity to help shape the future of internationally important collections, this could be the role for you.

You bring substantial experience in collections management, care and development, alongside strong taxonomic knowledge relevant to these collections. You are confident working with collections information systems and complex datasets, and understand the legislative and ethical frameworks that underpin collections stewardship.

You are an effective manager who enjoys supporting and developing others, building collaborative relationships and contributing to ambitious institutional priorities. You combine practical problem-solving with excellent communication skills, and are comfortable working with a wide range of stakeholders including researchers, students, public engagement teams and external partners.

If you are motivated by enabling research, improving access to collections and contributing to the long-term stewardship of globally significant scientific resources, you will thrive in this role.

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

Due to the nature of this role the work pattern will be 100% on site.