Collections Documentation Officer - Fixed Term Contract

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Job description

THE WALLACE COLLECTION

The Wallace Collection is an internationally outstanding collection which contains unsurpassed masterpieces of paintings, sculpture, furniture, arms and armour and porcelain. Built over the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries by the Marquesses of Hertford and Sir Richard Wallace, it is one of the finest and most celebrated collections in the world. So that it could be kept together and enjoyed by generations of visitors, the collection was given to the British Nation in 1897 and opened to the public in June 1900. It was an astonishing bequest and one of the greatest gifts of art works ever to be transferred into public ownership. The museum is internationally famous for its collection of French eighteenth-century art, Arms and Armour and for its Old Master paintings.

The museum is managed by the Director Dr Xavier Bray, who reports to a board of Trustees appointed by the Prime Minister, and is financed by a combination of grant-in-aid from central government and self-generated income.

We aim to engage with and diversify our audience and, before the pandemic, we attracted over 450,000 visitors a year to the museum.

SALARY

The salary for this post is between £27,352 to £29,000 per annum dependent on skills and experience.

OUR PRIORITIES

The Collection is committed to providing access to as wide a public as possible and to helping visitors engage with this diversity. Our goal is to create a place of understanding, cultural pluralism, curiosity and learning. To do this, we plan to create a world-class visitor experience for all ages which stimulates engagement with our collection through a new programme of exhibitions, major gallery refurbishments and an enhanced and expanded digital presence.

Our strategic priorities are to:

• To maintain, research and preserve the Collection for future generations;
• To broaden and deepen visitor engagement, connecting with audiences onsite and digitally;
• To build and support a strong exhibition programme;
• To lay a strong financial foundation for the future; and
• To embark upon a Masterplan programme to transform the museum.

ROLE SUMMARY

The Collections Documentation Officer will analyse and improve existing digital documentation in addition to updating the Wallace Collection's CMS with new data in preparation for the migration to a new CMS. This includes data transformation via data cleansing and records auditing as well developing content for the current CMS. The postholder will support the Collections System Project Manager with assessing compatibility and liaising with system providers to ensure a smooth transition to a new CMS.

The project's success relies on thorough preparation and accurate data auditing ahead of the CMS migration. The Collections Documentation Officer will play a critical role in this preparatory phase, ensuring data integrity and providing technical input for CMS requirements.

ROLE DESCRIPTION

Collections Management System (CMS):

• Support the Collection Systems Project Manager with devising the Collection-wide Improvement Plan for object data records, including the new CMS scoping exercise and quarterly project reports.
• Undertake data checking and cleaning of object data records, to ensure consistency and accuracy of documentation across all mandatory fields and preparing data for migration, including identifying data structures, mapping fields between systems, and ensuring Spectrum 5.1 compliance.
• Working within a small team, lead targeted physical audits, on site and off site and undertake reconciliation of object records following these audits.
• Reviewing and reconciling any documentation backlogs, ensuring mandatory fields are accurate, using all available catalogues, research, archives and existing publications.
• Checking and updating object descriptions and numbering on the CMS in consultation with specialist Museum staff.
• Ensure through close co-operation with Collection Registrar and Collection Systems Project Manager that agreed museum data standards are adhered to across the updates to the CMS.
• Conduct pre-migration audits and post-migration data reconciliation to verify the accuracy of transferred data and system functionality.
• Assist in CMS configuration, testing, and user training as part of the migration implementation phase.
• Supervise the Collections Documentation and Digitisation Trainees.

Standards:

• Conforming with collection documentation standards as specified by Spectrum, the Collections Management Procedures Manual and sector standards.
• Handle all objects safely with the utmost of care and to museum standards.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Essential:

• Degree level qualification in a relevant subject, or equivalent vocational experience.
• Strong database skills and experience of collections management systems.
• At least two years' experience working in museum collections documentation.
• Computer literate with a good working knowledge of MS Office 365 software packages, especially, Excel, Word and Outlook.
• Experience with data and terminology standards and their implementation in a museum context.
• Experience with data cleaning projects and batch data and familiarity with SQL queries.
• Knowledge of current policy and emerging practices in the sector relating to the delivery of collections information access and standards.
• A systematic approach to working and ability to effectively prioritise.
• Ability to maintain high level of accuracy and a keen eye for detail.
• Good communication and interpersonal skills.
• Experience of working effectively both independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team.
• Flexible and pragmatic approach to work and a willingness and ability to undertake manual duties.

Desirable:

• Experience of large-scale data migration projects, involving Collections Management or Digital Asset Management Systems.
• Familiarity with migration tools or methodologies is desirable.
• Experience handling works of art within a museum context.
• Experience with IT user training and developing supporting materials.

HOW TO APPLY

Please complete the Application Form, and the Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form, following the links provided on our website. Please note the equal opportunities form is used for monitoring purposes only and does not form part of the selection process. Both forms should be emailed by midnight 27/11/2024. Please note late applications or applications via a CV will not be considered.

Interviews for the role will take place on week commencing, 02/12/2024. Candidates who have been shortlisted for interview will be contacted after the closing date. Due to the large number of applications we receive, it will not be possible to contact or give feedback to candidates who have not been shortlisted for interview.

Start date: As soon as possible

Appointment to the role is subject to a satisfactory Basic Disclosure check. The Wallace Collection is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all sections of the community.

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