Senior Collections Access Officer x2

ABOUT V&A EAST STOREHOUSE

The V&A is the world’s leading museum of art and design, housing a permanent collection of over 2.8 million objects, books and archives that span over 5,000 years of human creativity. The museum holds many of the UK’s national collections and houses some of the greatest resources for the study of architecture, furniture, fashion, textiles, photography, sculpture, painting, jewellery, glass, ceramics, book arts, Asian art and design, theatre and performance.

ABOUT THE ROLE

Senior Collections Access Officers play a vital role in delivering and supporting access to V&A collections not on display. You will deliver the V&A’s revolutionary new Order an Object service, guiding visitors throughout their journey.

This will include providing excellent visitor experiences whilst ensuring the safety and care of the V&A Collections. You will carry out a wide range of collection care activities, including working with the V&A collection management, documentation and location control systems, undertaking the handling, care and movement of objects, and assisting with the smooth running and maintenance of the V&A collections stores across all our sites and externally.

You will undertake day-to-day team leadership and rota management of Collections Access Officers, working closely with the Collections Access Manager to ensure all team activities are appropriately staffed, as well as taking a lead on the development and delivery of training.

You will consult with colleagues across the Division and the V&A to build a broad knowledge of the V&A Collections and best practice in Collections Care and Access, and provide guidance to Collections Access Officers in these activities.

MAIN PURPOSE OF THE ROLE

Key Responsibilities

• Deliver the Order an Object Service across the V&A’s East Storehouse and South Kensington sites, including day to day team leadership and Rota management of Collections Access Officers.
• Guide visitors and colleagues throughout the Order an Object visitor journey; before, during and after appointments, dealing with any issues and incidents that may arise, deputising for the Collections Access Manager as required.
• Use collections management databases (CMS) and manage appointment booking software (MS Field Service) to support easy, safe, equitable and meaningful access to the V&A collections.
• Ensure appropriate documentation, handling, space, and care for objects selected for the Order an Object Service is delivered by allocated staff, including provision and oversight of risk assessments.
• Lead on day-to-day operation of the Study Centre at V&A East Storehouse, ensuring the readiness of the space and equipment for visitors, including appropriate levels of staffing, stock control and associated budget monitoring and raising of purchase orders.
• Undertake collections movement, storage, and access duties, including use of electronic location tracking and manual handling equipment, and day to day maintenance and cleaning of objects across all V&A sites and external storage facilities.
• Use specialist logistical and technical skills to work alongside Senior Technicians, Conservators and Senior Documentation Officers to lead and deliver departmental and organisational goals.
• Responsible for evaluating Collection Access procedures, taking leadership on designing and implementing process improvements, including change processes and stakeholder management.
• Ensure compliance with all V&A policies, procedures and guidelines, particularly H&S and Visitor Service Standards, providing feedback and reporting to the Collections Access Manager and senior colleagues.
• Build a broad knowledge of the V&A’s collections and collections care best practice, and provide guidance and decision-making for Collections Access Officers in these activities.
• Lead on the design and delivery of ongoing training and development of Collections Access Officers.
• Communicate openly and clearly with V&A colleagues, stakeholders and the public, both one on one and in presentation style settings, and contribute to reports and departmental meetings as required.
• Champion and role model V&A values and behaviours, taking responsibility for personal development and performance and assisting with the training and development of new team colleagues.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Essential Criteria

• Significant experience of working with public facing teams and delivering exceptional customer service.
• Experience and proven track record of operating staffing rotas and ensuring that staff are assigned across activities in-line with their skills and business needs.
• Demonstrable interest in the work and values of museums and the collections they safeguard.
• Proven logistical or technical skills and experience, transferable to a museum environment, with an ability to provide clear, expert judgement and advice.
• Proven experience in or demonstrable aptitude for the development of user support and training delivery.
• Experience and successful track record of clear, open and honest communication with others and a willingness to take responsibility for own work and development.
• Knowledge in how to champion access, inclusion, and diversity and how they relate to a large visitor attraction. Evidence of bringing improvement of the above to an organisation.
• Ability to involve, motivate and/or facilitate groups or teams of people to contribute to a shared goal.
• Initiative-taking and task orientated with an attention to detail, a self-starter able to work effectively without close supervision.
• An excellent team player with the ability to generate ideas and drive projects forward whilst being inclusive and maximizing the  talents of others in the team or involved with the projects.
• Proven willingness to undertake specialist training in collections care and access practices and to train and supervise others in new ways of working.
• Excellent standard of written English and highly numerate with the ability to conduct complex numerical analysis.
• Experience of using MS Office and other relevant IT systems to an intermediate/advanced level.
• Experience of working within a large multi-department business, with contribution towards the wider organization goals and achievements. (Desirable)
• Experience of working with appointment management software or databases. (Desirable)

Working hours: 36 hours per week: standard working hours are 9am-5.15pm x 4 weekdays, and 9am-5pm x 1 weekend day.

Location: Multi-site – working mainly at V&A East Storehouse and V&A South Kensington.

We are looking for someone with transferable skills and not necessarily someone with a conventional museum background.

Interview/Assessment days 21st, 22nd and 24th February 2025.

To view the full job description, please click here –> V&A East Storehouse – Senior Collections Access Officer – JD – Jan 25