Senior Curator in Charge Lepidoptera
Natural History Museum
London,
England,
United Kingdom
Research and Science
Skilled Worker
Job posted on July 3, 2025
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Job Description:
About Us
We are a world-class visitor attraction and leading science research centre. We use the Museum's unique collections and our unrivalled expertise to tackle the biggest challenges facing the world today. We care for more than 80 million objects spanning billions of years and welcome more than five million visitors annually and 16 million visits to our website.
Today the Museum is more relevant and influential than ever. By attracting people from a range of backgrounds to work for us, we can continue to look at the world with fresh eyes and find new ways of doing things.
We employ 900 staff in a variety of roles, all united by our vision of a future where people and planet thrive. We need everyone to have the passion and drive to help us with our mission to create advocates for our planet and inspire millions to care about the natural world.
Diversity and inclusion matter to us.
Our vision is of a future where both people and the planet thrive. Diversity is one of our core values and we strive to build a workplace where everyone feels a sense of belonging. All new staff who join us learn about the importance of diversity and inclusion to the Museum and how to contribute to creating an inclusive environment.
We know we have more to do, but we are committed to ensuring that everyone who works at the Museum feels they can thrive and feel valued and respected.
About The Role
Embedded within Insects, the Senior Curator in Charge of Lepidoptera will lead and manage a curatorial team ensuring best practice in collections care and providing access to a world-class collection of natural history specimens in their taxonomic area. Specimens are to be acquired, well-managed and made available to facilitate research, teaching, training, reference and exhibitions. An established or emerging expert in their field of collections-based science, the Senior Curator in Charge demonstrates a high level of scholarship science (e.g., taxonomy, systematics, organismal biology). The Senior Curator in Charge works with other Senior Curators in Charge and line manages other Curators within the curatorial team. This post is in turn line managed by the Principal Curator in Charge. The Senior Curators in Charge are expected to support the Principal Curator in Charge.
About You
You will have a higher degree or equivalent experience in taxonomy, systematics and the management of natural history collections, together with a demonstrable knowledge of Lepidoptera ideally the superfamily Noctuoidea (other groups will also be considered). You will have the ability to carry out dissection and mounting of Lepidoptera specimens, including Type specimens to a very high standard which will include preservation of material for molecular work. You will have experience of Lepidoptera collections management, care and development, be computer literate, and have experience with databases, ideally with a Collections Management System. You will need to have demonstrate experience of management of a curatorial team and supervise students/visiting scientists. You will have experience of successful delivery of collections/curatorial projects and a track record in publishing scientific articles as lead author. You will also have good presenting skills and a willingness to engage in public outreach and be able to demonstrate your ability to develop and maintain effective relationships with a variety of stakeholders.
Thriving at the Museum: the way we work
We are proud to work at the Museum and have identified the qualities we all need to embody to reach our shared ambition. This sits alongside the Museum’s values and forms the framework for the way we work.
Find out more here
What We Offer
Hybrid working
Due to the nature of this role the work pattern will be 100% on site.
How To Apply
If this sounds like you, please apply below by clicking on Apply for job.
Please note that as part of our commitment to anonymised shortlisting, panels do not view CVs during the recruitment process. If you choose to upload your CV, our system will automatically pull information from your CV into our application form. We advise you to double-check your application form data before submitting as the tool may interpret CVs differently.
Closing date: 23:59, 20 July 2025
Interviews expected: w/c 04 August 2025
Please note that this role qualifies for Museum sponsorship. Whilst we would still expect the successful postholder to have valid right to work in the UK at the point of starting the role, the Museum can support in obtaining a Certificate of Sponsorship for this role to apply for future or continued right to work in the UK. Please contact our Recruitment Team at hrteam@nhm.ac.uk if you have any further queries regarding this.
APPLY NOW
We are a world-class visitor attraction and leading science research centre. We use the Museum's unique collections and our unrivalled expertise to tackle the biggest challenges facing the world today. We care for more than 80 million objects spanning billions of years and welcome more than five million visitors annually and 16 million visits to our website.
Today the Museum is more relevant and influential than ever. By attracting people from a range of backgrounds to work for us, we can continue to look at the world with fresh eyes and find new ways of doing things.
We employ 900 staff in a variety of roles, all united by our vision of a future where people and planet thrive. We need everyone to have the passion and drive to help us with our mission to create advocates for our planet and inspire millions to care about the natural world.
Diversity and inclusion matter to us.
Our vision is of a future where both people and the planet thrive. Diversity is one of our core values and we strive to build a workplace where everyone feels a sense of belonging. All new staff who join us learn about the importance of diversity and inclusion to the Museum and how to contribute to creating an inclusive environment.
We know we have more to do, but we are committed to ensuring that everyone who works at the Museum feels they can thrive and feel valued and respected.
About The Role
Embedded within Insects, the Senior Curator in Charge of Lepidoptera will lead and manage a curatorial team ensuring best practice in collections care and providing access to a world-class collection of natural history specimens in their taxonomic area. Specimens are to be acquired, well-managed and made available to facilitate research, teaching, training, reference and exhibitions. An established or emerging expert in their field of collections-based science, the Senior Curator in Charge demonstrates a high level of scholarship science (e.g., taxonomy, systematics, organismal biology). The Senior Curator in Charge works with other Senior Curators in Charge and line manages other Curators within the curatorial team. This post is in turn line managed by the Principal Curator in Charge. The Senior Curators in Charge are expected to support the Principal Curator in Charge.
About You
You will have a higher degree or equivalent experience in taxonomy, systematics and the management of natural history collections, together with a demonstrable knowledge of Lepidoptera ideally the superfamily Noctuoidea (other groups will also be considered). You will have the ability to carry out dissection and mounting of Lepidoptera specimens, including Type specimens to a very high standard which will include preservation of material for molecular work. You will have experience of Lepidoptera collections management, care and development, be computer literate, and have experience with databases, ideally with a Collections Management System. You will need to have demonstrate experience of management of a curatorial team and supervise students/visiting scientists. You will have experience of successful delivery of collections/curatorial projects and a track record in publishing scientific articles as lead author. You will also have good presenting skills and a willingness to engage in public outreach and be able to demonstrate your ability to develop and maintain effective relationships with a variety of stakeholders.
Thriving at the Museum: the way we work
We are proud to work at the Museum and have identified the qualities we all need to embody to reach our shared ambition. This sits alongside the Museum’s values and forms the framework for the way we work.
Find out more here
What We Offer
- 27.5 days holiday plus 8 bank holidays (full time equivalent)
- Generous defined contribution Natural History Museum Pension Scheme (employer contribution 4 - 10%)
- Season ticket, bicycle and rental loan
- Life insurance
- Free admission to our exhibitions and many other paid exhibitions at museums, galleries and institutions across London and the UK.
- Staff discount at our Museum shops and cafes
- We offer a wide variety of training initiatives and opportunities to build skills. Investing in staff development is important to us, and we are ambitious about helping staff to grow and fulfil their potential.
- Affordable membership to the Civil Service Sports Council which offers a range of benefits including an extensive list of special offers and reduced entry fees at a selection of cinema chains, theme parks, theatres, retailers and supermarkets. It also provides entry to up to 300 English Heritage sites and other national treasures. For more details, visit https://www.cssc.co.uk
- Membership to our Sports and Social Association (for a small fee), which includes access to our in-house gym and clubs such as football, softball, table tennis and tennis and classes in Middle Eastern dance, yoga and Tai Chi
Hybrid working
Due to the nature of this role the work pattern will be 100% on site.
How To Apply
If this sounds like you, please apply below by clicking on Apply for job.
Please note that as part of our commitment to anonymised shortlisting, panels do not view CVs during the recruitment process. If you choose to upload your CV, our system will automatically pull information from your CV into our application form. We advise you to double-check your application form data before submitting as the tool may interpret CVs differently.
Closing date: 23:59, 20 July 2025
Interviews expected: w/c 04 August 2025
Please note that this role qualifies for Museum sponsorship. Whilst we would still expect the successful postholder to have valid right to work in the UK at the point of starting the role, the Museum can support in obtaining a Certificate of Sponsorship for this role to apply for future or continued right to work in the UK. Please contact our Recruitment Team at hrteam@nhm.ac.uk if you have any further queries regarding this.