Museum volunteer jobs

About The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh

The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSEd) is an independent membership organisation dedicated to the education, training and advancement of surgeons, dental surgeons, doctors, and various individuals throughout healthcare who are involved in the surgical care of patients. The College has a current membership approaching 33,000 and growing, with members spanning over 100 countries around the world. From our founding in 1505, the College has been committed to the advancement of surgery and driving patient safety standards worldwide. In our 520 year history, there has never been a better time to join the College than now.

Working with us

At the College we aim to embrace views from across the organisation, sharing common goals and values for the betterment of healthcare through the advancement of surgical and dental professionals. We aim to develop teams that are reflective of the needs of our members and maximise the potential of every employee. To reflect the varying needs across the organisation, we offer a range of policies and benefits for our workforce including 42 day annual leave, flexible working practices, enhanced employer pensions contribution and various discounts throughout the College including the Ten Hill Place Hotel, 1505 Café and free entry to Surgeons' Hall Museums.

About the Role

Surgeons' Hall Museum holds a complex medical human remains collection, one of the largest and most significant of its kind in the world. Much of the collection was acquired before modern standards of consent and documentation, and the records that survive were shaped around pathology, diagnosis and the interests of those who assembled the collection rather than the individuals represented within it.

This two year project will improve what the Museum knows about this collection, including the people in it. Working through historic catalogues, medical case notes, College and Museum minutes and archival records, you will investigate origins, acquisition contexts and life histories of these people, and integrate your findings into the Museum's Collections Management System. Your research will inform catalogue records, future interpretation and displays, published listings, and the Museum's preparedness for any future return of collections.

In March 2026, the College’s Trustees approved a new Human Remains in Collections Policy, developed with an expert panel drawn from across the UK and Ireland, committing the Museum to provenance research, transparency, community engagement and readiness for return. This post directly supports the work to put this policy into practice.

You will report to the Curator and be supported by the Museum's Provenance Research Working Group, which brings together colleagues from collections, conservation, archives, learning and senior leadership, including a specialist Human Remains Conservator. This work involves sustained engagement with sensitive and sometimes distressing material, and supervision, peer support and training are built into the post.

In the final six months you will work on site with three Scottish university medical collections in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen, reviewing and enhancing their documentation, and will offer short consultancy visits to smaller Scottish museums holding human remains. The project concludes with a publication and a national conference at Surgeons' Hall, sharing the methods and findings across the sector.

The role is based in Edinburgh, with travel to partner institutions in the final phase. Reasonable travel and accommodation costs are met by the project.

Experience, Qualifications and Key Skills

You will be educated to degree level in a relevant discipline, such as history, anthropology, archaeology, medicine, pathology or museum studies, or hold equivalent professional experience, and have proven experience conducting research using historical records, archives or museum collections. You will understand the ethical issues surrounding human remains in museum or academic contexts and be comfortable working with confidential or ethically complex material. You will have experience working with collections databases and digital cataloguing systems such as Axiell or equivalent and be familiar with documentation standards and terminology audits.

You will have excellent analytical and organisational skills, with the ability to manage large volumes of complex data, and the ability to produce high quality written outputs including reports, summaries and catalogue entries. You will be self-motivated, able to plan and carry out independent research, and a clear and confident communicator in both verbal and written formats. Experience of provenance research, knowledge of UK museum policies relating to human remains and repatriation, or experience working with medical, anatomical, ethnographical, or archaeological human remains collections would be advantageous.

This role may particularly appeal to those who want to work on collections of real ethical complexity and see their findings shape policy, practice and public understanding.

Our thanks

This project, Recovering Histories: The McNab Human Remains Provenance Research Project, is made possible by Museums Galleries Scotland and by a generous legacy from John Winton McNab. We are grateful to both for backing work that is complex, long-term and genuinely needed.

How to Apply

To apply, please submit:

• A current CV (maximum two A4 pages); and

• A supporting statement (maximum two A4 pages) outlining your interest in the role and demonstrating how your skills, knowledge and experience meet the requirements of the person specification.

Senior Corporate Development Manager

Reference: 5041

Salary: £43,000 – £57,000

Grade: Band 3

Contract type: TfL

Team London Transport Museum - Development

Contract details: Permanent

Location: Hybrid, Cranbourn Street

Application closing date: 20th August 2026 23.59.

Please note that this vacancy may close early if a high volume of applications is received. We therefore recommend applying as soon as possible.

All offers of employment are subject to satisfactory right‑to‑work checks. Candidates must be able to demonstrate their right to work in the UK. At the present time TfL is unable to offer visa sponsorship for this role.

Hybrid working within this role enables a balance of 50 per cent of time split between the office and home over a 4-week period.Hybrid working arrangements can evolve subject to business requirements.

Help Shape the Future of London Transport Museum

London Transport Museum is seeking an ambitious and commercially minded Senior Corporate Development Manager to play a pivotal role in growing corporate income and securing strategic partnerships that support the Museum’s charitable objectives and long-term ambitions, including the delivery of the LTM50 capital fundraising campaign which will transform the Museum by its 50th birthday in 2030.

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced corporate fundraising, sponsorship, partnerships or business development professional to develop high-value relationships with leading corporate businesses, senior executives and industry decision-makers while generating sustainable income for one of London’s most iconic cultural institutions.

About the Role

Reporting to the Head of Development, you will help lead the development and delivery of the Museum’s corporate fundraising strategy, driving growth across Corporate Membership, sponsorship, corporate partnerships, the Interchange thought leadership programme, corporate events, volunteering partnerships and corporate philanthropy.

You will be responsible for identifying, cultivating and securing new corporate supporters, managing existing relationships, delivering stewardship programmes and increasing multi-year funding commitments. From prospect research and proposal development through to negotiation, contract management and partnership delivery, you will manage the full corporate fundraising cycle.

Why Join Us?

This is a unique opportunity to contribute to the future of London Transport Museum by developing partnerships that support world-class heritage, education and cultural programmes while playing a key role in delivering a major capital fundraising campaign.

If you are an ambitious relationship-builder with a passion for business development and partnership growth, we would love to hear from you.

Key Responsibilities

· Develop and deliver corporate fundraising strategies, including a capital campaign, and achieve income targets.

· Identify, cultivate and secure new corporate partnerships and sponsorship opportunities.

· Manage and grow the Interchange thought leadership and Corporate Membership programme through acquisition, retention and upgrades.

· Build strong relationships with Corporate Members, Sponsors and Partners.

· Develop compelling partnership proposals, presentations and business cases.

· Lead contract negotiations and manage partnership agreements.

· Work closely with senior stakeholders, including the Museum Board, Leadership Team and TfL

· Monitor fundraising performance, pipeline activity and income forecasting.

· Oversee corporate engagement events and networking opportunities.

· Ensure accurate supporter records, contracts and CRM data.

About You

We are looking for a confident and results-driven professional with a proven track record in securing and managing high-value corporate relationships.

You will bring:

· Significant experience in corporate fundraising, sponsorship, partnerships or business development.

· A successful track record of generating income and securing strategic partnerships.

· Strong business development, influencing and negotiation skills.

· Experience securing multi-year funding commitments.

· Excellent written, verbal and presentation skills.

· The ability to build relationships with senior stakeholders and decision-makers.

· Strong commercial awareness and strategic thinking.

· Excellent project management and organisational skills.

· Experience developing proposals, contracts and partnership agreements.

· Strong analytical, reporting and forecasting capabilities.

Desirable

· Experience within the charity, cultural, heritage or museums sector.

· Knowledge of fundraising regulations, compliance and best practice.

· Experience managing stakeholder engagement programmes and events.

· Experience using CRM systems and supporter databases.

· Understanding of the transport, infrastructure or cultural sectors.

Application Process

· Please apply using your CV only.

· Think carefully about the skills, knowledge and experience in the advert and cover this in your CV.

· PDF format preferred and do not include any photographs or images.

Equality, diversity and inclusion

We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion. We want to represent the city we serve, which will help us become a more innovative and efficient organisation. Our goal is to make our recruitment as inclusive as possible. We are a disability confident employer who guarantee an interview to any disabled candidate who meets all of the essential criteria. We also use anonymising software that removes identifying information from CVs to make the process fair.

Benefits

In return for your commitment and expertise, you will enjoy excellent benefits and scope to grow. Rewards vary according to the level of role but mostly include the below:

· Final salary pension scheme.

· Free travel for you on the TfL network.

· Reimbursement of 75% of the cost of a standard class Ticket for National Rail travel from home.

· 29/30 days annual leave plus public and bank holidays.

· TfL is committed to work-life balance, operating a hybrid working approach where business and role requirements allow.

· Private healthcare discounted scheme Tax-efficient cycle-to-work programme.

· Retail, health, leisure and travel offers.

· Discounted Eurostar travel.

We will make every effort to give you as much notice as possible, however some interviews/assessments could be organised at short notice.

Vetting Process

At Transport for London, safety, trust and fairness sit at the heart of how we recruit. Our Vetting Charter explains the checks we carry out before you join us, helping ensure we create a safe, inclusive and reliable network for everyone who depends on our services. We simply ask that the information you provide is honest and accurate so we can progress your application smoothly. If something doesn’t match or can’t be verified, we may not be able to move forward with your application, but we’ll always treat you with transparency, respect, and clear communication throughout.