Museum Data Manager

We're looking for a passionate and experienced Museum Data Manager to work on the Museum Data Service (MDS), supporting colleagues from the sector mapping and uploading their data to the service.

To apply

Application is through the Charity Job website, by CV and a covering letter that succinctly explains how you meet the Essential and Desirable criteria set out in the person specification. To ensure a fair process, names and email addresses will be redacted from all submissions before they are seen by those shortlisting. Please note that applications from people based outside the UK and/or without the right to work here will not be considered.

Your application will be confidential and the information you provide will only be used for the recruitment process. Please see our privacy notice. We look forward to hearing from you.

Aims and scope of the post

The Museum Data Manager helps museums through all the stages of bringing their collections data into the Museum Data Service (MDS). They help  make the onboarding process reassuringly quick and easy, particularly for those museum staff and volunteers with limited technical knowledge. The postholder also makes the ingested data as useful as possible to end users by mapping the various source data fields to Spectrum units of information.

MDS is a transformative service from Collections Trust, Art UK and the University of Leicester. It aims to connect and share all the object records across all UK museums, providing the raw material for anyone to work with this wealth of knowledge. The core MDS system uses Knowledge Integration’s CIIM middleware.

Main responsibilities and tasks

• Responding to museums that have expressed interest in joining MDS and leading them through the onboarding process.
• Setting up and managing organisations and user accounts in the MDS CIIM and where needed, Wikidata.
• Generating and filing customised data processing and data deposit agreements based on MDS templates.
• Helping museums export collections data from a range of collections management systems and other systems.
• Helping museums apply access permissions to their data in the MDS CIIM.
• Mapping source data fields to Spectrum units of information.
• Proactively liaising with, and helping, museums to update their MDS data at agreed intervals.
• Responding to enquiries from MDS CIIM users, troubleshooting non-technical problems and liaising with MDS technical support as needed.
• Helping to prepare guidance and deliver training relating to the onboarding process.
• Responding to enquiries about MDA codes that identify UK collection-holding organisations and their collections and maintaining the database of these.
• Undertaking data cleaning work for Collections Trust to support collections consultancy work.

General responsibilities

• Following the principles of Collections Trust’s policies and procedures and those of MDS.
• Additional duties as may reasonably be required from time to time.

Line management and key relationships

The Museum Data Manager has no line management responsibilities and reports directly to the Chief Executive of Collections Trust (for HR matters) and the MDS Head of Service (for MDS work). The postholder will work closely with the MDS Technical Manager alongside the User Engagement Officer (based at Art UK) and technical support team (based at the University of Leicester).

Person specification

Collections Trust is committed to encouraging equity, diversity and inclusion among our workforce, and eliminating unlawful discrimination. The aim is for our workforce to be truly representative of all sections of society and our sector, and for each employee to feel respected and able to give their best. The Museum Data Manager will need to be based in, and have the right to work in, the UK. This role is remote working, with occasional in-person meetings and conferences.

Essential knowledge, skills and qualities

• Three years’ experience working closely with museum collections data in at least one collections management system, preferably a Spectrum Compliant one.
• A good understanding of museum collections data and the way it is produced and shared in the sector.
• Good working knowledge of Spectrum: the UK Museum Collections Management Standard (version 5.1), particularly its units of information.
• Experience of showing others museum professionals how to perform IT-related tasks, ideally remotely via video.
• A rigorous approach to routine administration, with an excellent eye for detail and consistency.

Desirable knowledge, skills and qualities

• Good understanding of the main principles of UK data protection and copyright law.
• Strong communications skills, able to convey technical information to non-technical people.
• Autonomy and ability to manage time effectively.
• Ability to work well within a team.
• Enthusiasm, flexibility and proactive approach.
• Experience of different data formats, standards and data cleaning processes used in the cultural heritage sector and/or research.