Collections Assistant (Earth Collections)

Location: Museum of Natural History, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PW

About the role

You will join Oxford University Museum of Natural History, home to internationally important scientific collections supporting research, teaching and public engagement.

You will support the care, documentation and development of geological collections, including rocks, minerals and fossils. Your responsibilities will include cataloguing, digitisation, collections imaging, facilitating research visits and loans, and coordinating volunteers. You will also contribute to exhibitions, displays and public engagement activities.

This is a full-time post, working 36.5 hours per week.

Due to the nature of this post, the successful candidate will be required to undertake a satisfactory Basic Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check due to access to Museum collections.

About You

You will have experience of collections-focused museum work, excellent geological knowledge and the ability to identify geological materials.

You will understand taxonomy, stratigraphy, and rock and mineral classification.

Strong IT skills, experience using collections management systems and knowledge of geological imaging techniques are essential.

You will also demonstrate effective teamwork within a multidisciplinary environment.

What We Offer

As an employer, we genuinely care about our employees’ wellbeing and this is reflected in the range of benefits that we offer including:

• An excellent contributory pension scheme
• 38 days of annual leave
• A comprehensive range of childcare services
• Family leave schemes
• Cycle loan scheme
• Discounted bus travel and Season Ticket travel loans

More information is available at https://www.ox.ac.uk/about/jobs/life-in-oxford

Diversity

Our staff and students come from all over the world, and we proudly promote a friendly and inclusive culture. Diversity is positively encouraged, through diverse groups and champions, as well as a number of family-friendly policies, such as the right to apply for flexible working and support for staff returning from periods of extended absence, for example, shared parental leave.

How to apply

You will be required to upload your CV and a Supporting evidence form using the attached template as part of your online application. Your Supporting evidence form should list each of the essential and desirable selection criteria, as listed in the job description, and explain how you meet each one. CVs alone will not be considered.

We aim to provide a supportive working environment and are happy to discuss training and professional development opportunities. The Chair of this recruitment panel will be Zoë Simmons, Head of Collections, who can be contacted with enquiries relating to the role (zoe.simmons@oum.ox.ac.uk). General queries about the recruitment and application process should be directed to the Recruitment team within our Human Resources department (recruitment@glam.ox.ac.uk).

Only applications received online by 12.00 midday (GMT) on Friday, 6^th November 2026 can be considered. Interviews are expected to take place on Wednesday, 25^th November 2026.

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