May Beattie Visiting Fellow in Carpet Studies

University of Oxford

Location: Ashmolean Museum, Beaumont Street, Oxford, OX1 2PH

About the role

The Ashmolean Museum is looking for an Islamic carpet specialist as the next May Beattie Visiting Fellow in Carpet Studies, a prestigious fellowship supporting research based on the exceptional May Beattie Archive and the Museum’s carpet collections.

You will undertake an original research project with the aim of publication and public engagement, contribute to the documentation and organisation of the Archive, and support academic and public activities such as study sessions, lectures, and events. Working closely with colleagues in the Eastern Art Department and relevant academic partners, you will help promote carpet studies at Oxford and deliver at least one public lecture during the fellowship.

This is a full-time, fixed-term post for two years, working 37.5 hours per week. Due to the nature of the duties, this role is on-site only.

About You

You will be a specialist in Islamic carpets and textiles, with a postgraduate qualification or equivalent scholarly standing in Islamic art history or a related field. You will have strong art historical and technical knowledge of carpets, including the ability to analyse and document them accurately, and experience or confidence working with museum or archive collections and digital databases. You will communicate clearly and effectively in spoken and written English, engage positively with both academic and public audiences, and be well organised, self-motivated, and able to work collaboratively as part of a team.

Publications and previous museum or archive experience would be an advantage.

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. The Chair of this recruitment panel will be Dr Francesca Leoni, Curator of Islamic Art, who can be contacted with enquiries relating to the role (francesca.leoni@ashmus.ox.ac.uk). General queries about the recruitment and application process should be directed to GLAM Recruitment team (recruitment@glam.ox.ac.uk).

Only applications received online by 12.00 midday (GMT) on Friday 13 February 2026 can be considered. Interviews are expected to take place on Wednesday 25 February or Thursday 26 February 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 7 salary scale.