Collections Manager

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Job Reference Ref/65895/9621

Apply for this job Number of Positions: 1 Contract Type: Full Time Contract Details: Fixed Term - 3 Years Salary Range : £39481 - £42123 Working Hours: 37 Location: Kettering Museum Closing Date: 02/12/2026 Job Category: Culture and Leisure Organisation: North Northamptonshire Council

Our benefits

Here at North Northamptonshire Council, we’re transforming for the better, using all our creativity and imagination to create the best life for our local people.

You’ll find that we have a wide range of careers that may be more surprising than you think!

Why choose us?

We offer a vibrant working environment with:

• a competitive salary
• a pension scheme, where we pay a significant contribution on top of your contribution. It provides life cover and ill-health protection.
• lots of opportunities to develop your skills, knowledge and potential in a large unitary council
• generous leave entitlement (28 days, rising to 33 days) and bank holidays, plus the option to buy up to an extra 10 days
• hybrid and flexible working arrangements, where practicable for service needs to help you with a healthy work-life balance.

 

We provide a range of great benefits such as an Employee Assistance Programme, an Employee Benefits Scheme, wellbeing support, travel rates at HMRC rates, as well as supporting a range of active Employee Network Groups.

About the role

Kettering Museum (Manor House Museum) is at an exciting turning point. With support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, North Northamptonshire Council is rebuilding the museum’s professional capacity and planning for its long-term future through Kettering Museum: Building a Resilient Future.

As Collections Manager, you’ll be the museum’s professional lead for its accredited collections. You’ll make sure they are properly cared for, documented and accessible. You’ll lead a comprehensive collections review and strengthen policies for documentation, storage and preventive conservation. You’ll also develop a volunteer and placement programme that gives local people the chance to get involved.

You’ll play a key part in shaping the new Kettering Museum Masterplan, working with our consultant team to set a sustainable vision for the museum’s future operations, buildings and interpretation.

We’re looking for someone with hands-on experience of accredited museum collections, a strong knowledge of Spectrum and preventive conservation, and the confidence to advise colleagues, partners and the public.

This is a fixed-term, full-time post for three years, based at Kettering Museum and the Alfred East Art Gallery.

What will you be doing?

You’ll lead every aspect of collections management at Kettering Museum, making sure the collections are cared for to national standards and ready for the future. Your work will include:

• leading collections management in line with Spectrum and Arts Council England’s Museum Accreditation requirements
• carrying out a comprehensive collections review, assessing significance, condition and rationalisation to inform future planning
• developing and embedding policies and procedures for documentation, storage, preventive conservation and emergency planning
• monitoring environmental conditions across the museum stores and putting preventive conservation measures in place
• keeping digital and physical records, including MODES, accurate and up to date
• working with our consultant team on the Kettering Museum Masterplan, advising on collections, access, interpretation and storage
• helping senior managers build the evidence to guide long-term decisions on the museum’s future
• setting up a volunteer and placement programme for documentation, cataloguing and digitisation
• representing the museum at regional and national heritage forums
• contributing to evaluation and reporting for The National Lottery Heritage Fund

You’ll be the go-to professional voice on collecti