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Collections and Learning Officer

Job details
Posting date: 15 January 2026
Salary: £29,943 to £36,738 per year, pro rata
Hours: Part time
Closing date: 14 February 2026
Location: Colchester, Essex
Remote working: On-site only
Company: Colchester City Council
Job type: Temporary
Job reference: COLREQ01578

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Summary

Contract type: 18 Months Fixed Term Contract

Working Hours: 22.2 hours (3 days) per week

Colchester City Council is committed to delivering high-quality and accessible services to residents, visitors and businesses. They are a local government authority providing a diverse range of public and commercial services across Colchester, the second largest district in Essex.

The Council are seeking a Collections and Learning Officer, Natural Sciences, to support the exciting redevelopment of Colchester’s much-loved Natural History Museum. This role is funded by Art Fund’s Reimagine Grant.

Duties of the role

As an essential member of the Collections and Learning Team you will lead a brand-new public collections project: ‘Community Curators’, creating inspiring and inclusive opportunities for engagement with the Natural History Museum’s collections in the lead up to the museum’s redevelopment. You will develop innovative ways to connect audiences with our resources, working collaboratively with internal teams and external partners. Responsibilities include delivering twice-weekly sessions, engaging community groups and SEND students, ensuring safe and accessible environments, and managing supporting materials and risk assessments. You will provide timely project updates, celebrate achievements through blogs and social media, and uphold data protection, safeguarding, and ethical standards while promoting strong relationships within the wider museum and cultural community.

Qualifications and skills required

To be successful in this role, you will have a strong knowledge of natural science or natural history, excellent planning and organisational skills, and an understanding of health and safety and museum learning requirements. You should be confident building relationships across the community and motivating volunteers, with experience in heritage outreach and project work. Strong interpersonal skills are essential, along with IT skills. The role requires the ability to produce clear reports, apply data protection principles, and work flexibly, including attending external meetings. Enthusiasm for community engagement and a collaborative approach are also highly valued.

What we offer

The Council encourages all employees to maximise their potential. You will be entitled to join an attractive pension scheme and will receive a generous annual leave entitlement, including two extra company holidays during the Christmas period.

Other benefits include:

Flexible working
Gym, travel and online retail discounts
Excellent training, development and progression opportunities

For an informal discussion about this vacancy, please contact Ben Paites at ben.paites@colchester.gov.ukand Sarah Emerson at sarah.emerson@colchester.gov.uk

Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme

Disability Confident
A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that declares they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer. It is important to note that in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people. For more details please go to Disability Confident.

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