University of Oxford
Location:
Oxford University Museum of Natural History, Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PW
Oxford University Herbaria, Life and Mind Building, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3EL
About the Role
The Oxford University Museum of Natural History is spearheading the Oxford component of the Central England Digitisation Co-Hub – a transformative national initiative designed to enhance accessibility to natural history collections through large-scale digitisation. Collaborating closely with colleagues across Oxford, Cambridge, and partner institutions, you will help preserve and unlock globally significant collections for researchers and the general public.
In this role, you will contribute to the digitisation of natural history specimens housed within the Oxford University Museum of Natural History and the Oxford University Herbaria. As part of a dedicated Digitisation Team, your responsibilities will involve preparing specimens, ensuring their safe handling, capturing high-quality images and metadata, and coordinating the publication of digitised records that adhere to institutional and industry standards across national and international platforms.
As a key team member, you will oversee and support Digitisers in their daily tasks. This includes maintaining productive workflows, ensuring data accuracy, addressing operational challenges, and fostering continuous improvement efforts. Furthermore, you will collaborate with colleagues across the Central England network, sharing best practices, aiding with reporting, engaging in public outreach, and supporting the training of staff, volunteers, and interns.
This is a full-time, fixed-term role lasting 18 months.
About You
To be successful in this role, you will bring demonstrable experience in collections digitisation or museum collections management, combined with exceptional attention to detail and the ability to handle delicate, irreplaceable specimens with care. Familiarity with collections management systems or relational databases is essential, along with solid IT proficiency (including Microsoft Office) and experience in verifying and validating data for accuracy and consistency.
You will have a proven track record of effectively supervising or coordinating teams, with the skills necessary to allocate work, embed best practices, and motivate colleagues to achieve high standards. Organized and adaptable, you thrive in collaborative environments and can prioritize diverse workloads while maintaining clear communication with colleagues, external partners, and volunteers.
Additional experience working with natural history collections, biodiversity data standards, or museum digitisation projects will be considered advantageous.
What We Offer
We place a high value on employee wellbeing and offer a wide range of benefits, including:
- A generous contributory pension scheme
- 38 days of annual leave
- Access to comprehensive childcare services
- Family-friendly leave schemes
- Cycle loan program
- Discounted bus passes and Season Ticket travel loans
For more information on the full range of benefits, please visit Oxford University Staff Benefits.
Diversity
Oxford University is committed to fostering a welcoming, inclusive, and diverse community. Our staff and students come from all corners of the globe, and we actively encourage a culture that celebrates diversity. Initiatives such as dedicated support groups, diversity champions, and flexible policies champion inclusivity, including family-friendly arrangements and assistance for staff returning from extended periods of leave, such as shared parental leave.
How to Apply
Applicants are required to submit their CV and a supporting statement (or supporting evidence form using the provided template) via our online application portal. The supporting documentation should address each of the essential and desirable selection criteria outlined in the job description, explaining how you meet each one. Please note that applications consisting solely of CVs will not be reviewed.
The application deadline is 12:00 midday (BST) on Monday, 27 July 2026. Interviews are scheduled for Monday, 17 August 2026
To apply for this job please visit my.corehr.com.