Curatorial Fellow
Location: Liverpool (International Slavery Museum)
Salary: £42,644 per annum
Contract Type: Temporary
Position Type: Full Time
Closing Date: Thursday 20 November 2025 at 12 noon
The Vacancy
Our people are at the heart of National Museums Liverpool. Colleagues from across the NML team make a difference every day, creating memorable experiences for everyone and challenging expectations. We pride ourselves on being a place for everyone, but we are always aiming higher, aspiring to be representative of the communities we serve. Through our people, we are building a culture which embeds trust, respect and inclusion and an organisation in which people are engaged and empowered to enable National Museums Liverpool to evolve. You could be just the right person to join us.
We currently have the post of Curatorial Fellow available.
The International Slavery Museum (ISM) explores how transatlantic slavery shaped, and continues to shape, the world we live in today. It is dedicated to demonstrating that legacies of transatlantic slavery are experienced every day – locally, nationally and internationally.
ISM has received funding from National Lottery Heritage Fund and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to undertake a comprehensive redevelopment. The museum’s existing displays are being completely redesigned, and ISM will gain a new entrance via the Martin Luther King Jr Building. ISM’s redevelopment is central to National Museums Liverpool (NML)’s Waterfront Transformation Project, a 10-year masterplan to reimagine the iconic Liverpool Waterfront site.
This Fellowship is supported by the Art Fund’s Empowering Curators programme. The Curatorial Fellow at ISM offers a unique chance to help shape the redesigned museum. You will lead on the development of new approaches to the interpretation of racial slavery. Through your leadership, you will research, develop and share expertise in conveying all the complexities of racial slavery and its legacies in ways that are layered, compelling, multi-vocal and accessible. You will work across National Museums Liverpool, sharing best practices in interpretation and leading on the development of new displays relating to transatlantic slavery and its legacies.
You will have extensive experience in interpreting museum collections and histories. You will be a brilliant storyteller, experienced in communicating research, complicated narratives in accessible ways to a wide range of audience. You will be given support to further develop your expertise in interpretation and implement it as part of ISM’s redevelopment and share that expertise with the ISM Curatorial team and colleagues across NML. Working with ISM Curators, the wider NML team and external design contractors, you will develop and deliver high-quality and visitor-focused museum displays. You will lead on the co-production of interpretation for ISM and play an active role in engaging with communities about the museum and its redesign, ensuring ISM’s displays reflect a range of people and perspectives.
We strongly encourage applications from candidates from the global majority* who are underrepresented in curatorial roles within our organisation and across the museum sector. If you are successful, we have a wide range of support available, including, subject to application, a potential three-year fellowship programme of training, support and networking for global majority* curators supported by Art Fund’s Empowering Curators programme.
Please note that the Art Fund’s Empowering Curators programme has a meet-up planned for December 2025. The successful applicant will be expected to attend this event, even if their onboarding has not yet been completed. A specific date has not yet been confirmed.
*Global Majority in this context refers to people who identify as Black, Asian, mixed and/or have been racialised as ‘ethnic minorities’; these groups represent over 80% of the world’s population.
If you think you match the job description and our organisation ethos then click on the link to apply with your CV and supporting statement indicating how you meet the person specification.
Recruitment Insight Event
Want to learn more about working with National Museums Liverpool? Join us on Tuesday 11th November 2025 from 17:00 – 18:00 for our online Recruitment Insight Event.
You’ll hear about our organisation, the work of our teams, as well as find out more about the job opportunities currently being advertised. You’ll also meet some of the staff recruiting and get the opportunity to ask any questions you may have.
This online event will be conducted via Microsoft Teams, but don’t worry, you don’t need to install anything – when the time comes, simply click this link to join.
Additional Information
Disclosure and Barring Service Checks (DBS)
National Museums Liverpool carries out checks, at a level appropriate for each role, as part of our recruitment process. Checks are completed through the Disclosure and Barring Service, following a successful interview and conditional offer. Details of these checks are restricted to the People Team and not shared with recruiting managers.
If you have questions about the DBS service please visit https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dbs-application-forms-guide-for-applicants.
Overseas Applications
National Museums Liverpool are not currently a sponsor organisation for those applying from outside of the UK. This means that we will be unable to sponsor applications for a work visas from those who live outside of the UK and do not currently hold the right to work.
For more information on whether or not you need a Visa to work in the UK please go to https://www.gov.uk/check-uk-visa.
Documents
Curatorial Fellow (ISM) Recruitment Pack – October 2025.pdf – Download