Salary: £27,439-£31,078

Contract type: Temporary until June 2028

Reporting to: Curator

Department: Programme

Who are we?

We are Scotland’s design museum. Designed for everyone, firing imaginations and sparking curiosity in design across Scotland and around the world. At V&A Dundee we are on a mission to inspire and empower through design.

Design shapes our world, it's part of everyday life and it's everywhere. We are a museum with energy and have a vision of the future where everyone is inspired through design and recognizes its far-reaching impact in our lives.

We are a welcoming place for people of Dundee to explore design and to use as an everyday part of their city, as well as inviting visitors from around the world. We are part of the V&A family of museums that celebrate creativity in all its forms from across centuries, for everyone.

Role profile

The post will support a research initiative exploring the cultural and historical relationship between a nation and the moving image, tracing how cinema has shaped, and been shaped by, identity, landscape, and collective memory. The project brings together archival, material, and oral sources, and will result in a major public-facing output including an exhibition and published outputs.

The successful candidate will join a small, focused team at an early and exciting stage of the project's development. They will be expected to contribute meaningfully to the research, administration and delivery of this major cultural project which comprises various public outputs including an exhibition and accompanying published material.

The Exhibitions Research Assistant will be responsible for a range of tasks spanning archival research, stakeholder liaison, object and collection management, and publication support, contributing to every stage of the project lifecycle. This will include working with colleagues across the organisation as well as archives, collections, lenders, an advisory committee and partner institutions.

Duties and Responsibilities

Research

• Carry out primary and secondary research as directed by the Curators, including desk-based research, collection surveys, and object identification.

• Assist Curators in researching and identifying collections of material relevant to the project, including holdings across public institutions, private collections, and community archives.

• Together with the Curators lead in shaping the project’s scholarly and interpretive framework for published materials, engaging critically with existing literature and identifying current research discussions.

• Assist in preparing correspondence for loan requests and research access.

• Support the compilation of bibliographies, source lists, timelines, and object checklists.

Administration & Coordination

• Manage a range of administrative tasks including scheduling, correspondence, and maintaining accurate project records (electronic and hard copy).

• Assist with tracking project expenditure; support budget monitoring.

• Attend and contribute to project meetings; take minutes and circulate actions.

• Assist in briefing project stakeholders, including exhibition, graphic, and publication designers, ensuring all collaborators have accurate and timely information.

Collections & Object Management

• Maintain the project object list and asset database; track and update object records and condition reports in accordance with collections management procedures.

• Support the management of copyright, rights clearance, and image permissions for visual and audio-visual material.

Publishing

• Assist in the preparation of any accompanying published material, in digital format and print, including proofing, indexing, and the compilation of illustration lists and end matter.

• Assist with presentations and guided discussions for funders, supporters, and partner organisations as required.

General

• Promote equality, diversity, and inclusion in all aspects of work.

• Maintain familiarity with all health and safety policies and procedures.

• Carry out ad hoc duties as requested by the Curators or appropriate manager.

Person specification

Essential

• A degree or equivalent experience in museum and heritage studies, film studies, design, or a related discipline.

• Genuine interest in V&A Dundee's work and in Scottish film heritage, cultural history, or archival collections.

• Commitment to reaching wide and diverse audiences with Scottishdesign and film culture.

• Understanding of collections management principles and experience of, or clear aptitude for, tracking objects and archival materials.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including a proven ability to write clearly for both specialist and public audiences across museum, digital, and print contexts.

• Strong organisational and project management skills, with experience managing multiple workstreams and delivering to deadlines.

• Experience of image or audio-visual research, including an understanding of copyright and rights clearance processes.

• Able to work collaboratively and independently as the situation demands.

• Confident negotiating skills and the ability to handle sensitive situations diplomatically.

• Resilience under pressure with a practical, problem-solving approach.

• Proficiency in standard office and database software (Word, Excel, Mural or equivalent).

• Awareness of diversity and inclusion principles and their application within a cultural organisation.

Desirable

• Experience contributing to a major exhibition, festival or publication in a museum context.

• Experience collaborating with designers or other creative practitioners.

• A strong interest in the relationship between visual culture, place, and identity.

• A track record of academic publication.

• Knowledge of filmmaking and associated creative practices, industry networks, and current sector debates.