Senior Collections Lead (Fixed term)

We are inviting applications for the post of Senior Collections Lead. This new four-year position is available at the University Museum of Zoology, Cambridge and is based on-site.

The University Museum of Zoology holds a collection of approximately two million specimens covering the entire animal kingdom, past and present, of which around 5,000 are on public display. The collections are designated as being of outstanding national and international significance and are vitally important for our knowledge of the history of fauna around the world, and for the history of science itself.

The Museum's main purpose is to promote and advance the understanding and appreciation of the richness and diversity of animal life in the past, present and future of our planet. This is achieved through teaching, research and public engagement - the Museum is both one of Cambridgeshire's leading visitor attractions, welcoming over 150,000 visitors annually, and a major research hub. The Museum is part of the Department of Zoology at the University of Cambridge, and is housed in the David Attenborough Building, sharing space with NGO and academic partners in the Cambridge Conservation Initiative. There are numerous stakeholders in the Museum within and beyond the University.

The Senior Collections Lead's primary responsibility is to manage the team responsible for Collections Management, Care, and Conservation; whilst also playing a significant role in the delivery of this work, particularly in areas of collections management. You will be an ambitious and creative individual with proven successful experience of leading and motivating teams with a diverse and active workload. You will have a deep knowledge of contemporary natural history museums practice, particularly in collections management, and a practical understanding of the processes of conservation. You enjoy people-management, work-planning and negotiation, and have the ability to develop schedules to balance the needs of a wide range of stakeholders. You are excited by the creative possibilities of making collections accessible for research, teaching and public engagement. You will have the people skills to be a superb ambassador for the Museum when engaging with external users of our collections and capable of working effectively with our academic Curators.

For more information, please refer to the Further Particulars. Click the 'Apply' button above. 

Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for 4 years in the first instance.

Once an offer of employment has been accepted, the successful candidate will be required to undergo a basic disclosure (criminal records check) check, a security check and a standard Disclosure and Barring Service check.

Informal inquiries are welcomed and should be directed to the Museum's Assistant Director, Jack Ashby: jda26@cam.ac.uk

Interviews are likely to take place on 7th August 2025, and candidates who are shortlisted for interview are likely to hear that they have been shortlisted on or around 31st July.

We particularly welcome applications from women and candidates from a BME background for this vacancy as they are currently under-represented at this level in our University.

To apply online for this vacancy and to view further information about the role, please click the 'Apply' button above. 

If you have any queries regarding the application process please contact Anastasia Nezhentseva.

Email: an286@cam.ac.uk

Telephone: (0)1223 330117

The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.

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