Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art, Western Art

About the role

The Ashmolean Museum is seeking an outstanding Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art to lead the development, interpretation, and research of post-1945 collections within the Western Art Department. You will also be the curatorial lead for our experimental contemporary space, working with artists and with colleagues across the museum to deliver an ambitious programme.

You will contribute to the museum’s research and teaching mission through publications, talks, and university teaching, while working closely with colleagues on collections care, conservation, digitisation, and interpretation.

This is a full-time, fixed-term post for 5 years.

About You

You will have a postgraduate degree in modern and/or contemporary art together with significant curatorial experience within a museum or gallery environment. You will bring expertise in exhibitions, collections development, and the presentation of modern and contemporary art.

You will have experience of working with contemporary artists, a strong research and publication profile, and the ability to engage specialist and non-specialist audiences alike. Strong communication, collaboration, and project management skills are essential, together with the ability to build effective professional relationships and support interns, volunteers, and students.

What We Offer

As an employer, we genuinely care about our employees’ wellbeing and this is reflected in the range of benefits that we offer including:

• An excellent contributory pension scheme
• 38 days of annual leave (bank holidays inclusive)
• A comprehensive range of childcare services
• Family leave schemes
• Cycle loan scheme
• Discounted bus travel and Season Ticket travel loans

More information is available at https://hr.admin.ox.ac.uk/staff-benefits

Diversity

Our staff and students come from all over the world, and we proudly promote a friendly and inclusive culture. Diversity is positively encouraged, through diverse groups and champions, as well as a number of family-friendly policies, such as the right to apply for flexible working and support for staff returning from periods of extended absence, for example, shared parental leave.

We are committed to ensuring that our recruitment processes are inclusive and accessible. If you require the job description or any other materials in an alternative format, or if you would like to request any adjustments to support you through the application or interview process, please contact the recruitment team at recruitment@glam.ox.ac.uk.

How to apply

You will be required to upload your CV and a supporting statement as part of your online application. Your supporting statement should list each of the essential and desirable selection criteria, as listed in the job description, and explain how you meet each one. CVs alone will not be considered.

We aim to provide a supportive working environment and are happy to discuss training and professional development opportunities. Please contact Dr John Chu, Keeper of Western Art (john.chu@ashmus.ox.ac.uk) for any enquiries relating to the role. General queries about the recruitment and application process should be directed to the GLAM Recruitment team (recruitment@glam.ox.ac.uk).

Only applications received online by 12.00 midday (BST) on Monday 22 June 2026 can be considered. Interviews are expected to take place on Friday 10 July 2026 in-person.

*An automatic annual increment each year will be paid up to (and not including) the discretionary range within the University of Oxford’s grade 9 salary scale.