Job Opportunity - Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Cambridge

Research Assistant (Fixed Term)

Fixed-Term Appointment to 31 March 2018

Annual salary scale:  £24,049 – £27,047


Closing Date: 31 May 2013


Reference: JU28002

The Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology seeks to appoint a research assistant to work as part of a team assembled by Professor Nicholas Thomas for his European Research Council project Pacific Presences: Oceanic Art and European Museums. This is a five-year project, beginning in April 2013, which aims to research collections of Pacific artefacts now housed in institutions across Europe.  The team will document, photograph and research collections in France, Russia, the Netherlands, the UK and Germany and, working with indigenous collaborators, will record contemporary responses to historic artefacts and mount exhibitions in the Pacific.

The Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology is the second largest of the University of Cambridge’s eight museums. It is a key resource for University teaching and research, particularly in collaboration with the University of Cambridge Divisions of Archaeology and Social Anthropology. Its world-class collections attract visiting researchers from across the world and it maintains an active programme of temporary exhibitions and loans to exhibitions within the UK and internationally. For further information about the museum please visit the website.

The successful applicant will have experience of working in a museum and preferably of working with collections from the Pacific. A degree in Anthropology and/or a relevant museum qualification would be a strong advantage. Candidates should be self-motivated, organized and work effectively as a member of a team. The post-holder will be expected to assist with the administration, budgeting and day-to-day running of the project. They will also have the opportunity to develop their own research interests. Strong computer skills are essential.

The post-holder will be subject to the University’s regulations for employment of research staff. The appointment will be for the duration of the project only and will terminate on 31 March 2018. The annual salary will be on the University’s Grade 5 scale within the range £24,049 – £27,047. Leave entitlement will be 33 days per annum plus public holidays.

The research assistant will be responsible to Professor Nicholas Thomas, Director of the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. Principal duties will be as follows:

 1. Collaborate with the Principal Investigator and team of Research Fellows to ensure that the project’s key outcomes of publications, exhibitions and digital dissemination are met.

2. Be the point of contact for the project, respond to enquiries, co-ordinate team activities and manage the project’s website and digital presence.

3. Liaise with the European Research Council, and relevant departments within the University, to ensure that all project reporting practices and requirements are adhered to.

4. Organize travel, conferences and workshops.

5. Develop personal research interests, within the scope of the project. Carry out relevant collections-based research, produce articles and generate web content as a result of this work.

6. Assist in the development, planning and mounting of exhibitions.

7. Assist Professor Thomas with other aspects of the project as required.

Applications comprising of a full C.V., covering letter setting out the applicant’s suitability for the post, the names and addresses of two contactable referees and a completed CHRIS/6 form (parts 1 and 3 only) downloadable here, must reach the Museum Administrator, Wendy Brown, by 31 May 2013. It is anticipated that short-listed candidates will be interviewed during week commencing 10 June 2013.