Research and Collections Officer

Brooklands Museum is on the site of the world’s first purpose-built racetrack and has a unique collections of motor vehicles and aircraft that tell the story of the pioneering people who shaped the world of motoring and aviation from the Brooklands site. Supported by funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, we now want to work with our communities to tell the hidden stories within these collections of the amazing diversity of the Brooklands community. The Dynamic Collections Project will enable key research to be carried out on the existing collections and site history to identify diverse people who were part of Brooklands. Working with community partners, we will share these hidden stories through the creation of new onsite and online interpretation, as well as developing a detailed framework for longer term improvement of interpretation at Brooklands Museum. This is a significant step change for Brooklands Museum in working with communities to tell stories about the collections that reflect the contribution and achievements of people from different backgrounds as part of the future Museum development strategy.

We are looking for someone to research the collections and history of Brooklands to find and share the hidden histories of the diverse community of people at Brooklands from 1906 to 1989. Working with the collections and community engagement project team, you will be responsible for researching the collections and history of Brooklands, with the help of community volunteers, to provide content for the creation of new on site and digital interpretation and inform the overall site Interpretation Strategy. You will have great research skills, and a passion for diversity and inclusion, along with self-motivation to achieve research objectives and a methodical, organised approach to your work. You will be experienced in working with and supporting volunteers.

**Key responsibilities**:

- To research the collections and history of the Brooklands site to discover hidden stories about the diverse Brooklands community and to draw connections between past and future
- To work with collections team and in collaboration with community partners to select key objects and stories to be used in new onsite and digital interpretation
- To assist community volunteers in the Dynamic Collections Project to access collections stories about diverse people at Brooklands and research collections, both online and in person at the Museum

**General responsibilities**:

- Undertaking research through a variety of sources including collections records and archives housed at Brooklands and elsewhere, to explore Brooklands Museum’s collections to find stories about diverse people who worked and participated in motorsport at Brooklands
- Keeping good records of research findings
- Working with Collections, Marketing and Community Engagement Officer to create a set of agreed messages to inform outreach and interpretation
- Uploading new stories and objects onto museum collections databases
- Participate in training to use new collections management system
- Training other staff and volunteers and community partners in the use of the collections management system
- Sharing key stories from research with community engagement, collections and marketing teams
- Communicating and sharing key findings with collections and community teams
- Supervising project volunteers to assist with research into diverse Brooklands stories
- Working with project community partner volunteers and community project team to review and provide stories and collections for inclusion in new interpretation on site and digitally now and in the future
- Supporting community access to stories and collections reflecting diversity at Brooklands, using the collections management system online
- Oversee the Heritage Enquiries inbox, managing the process of external research enquiries and liaise with the Collections Manager to provide prompt responses.
- Provide project progress reports every quarter for submission to funder
- Work with evaluation consultant to deliver evaluation throughout the project about research and collections project outputs and outcomes

**Person Specification**

**Experience**
- Proven experience of researching historical content and knowledge of research methods
- Experience of working with volunteers from a wide range of backgrounds and an appreciation of the key role played by heritage volunteers
- Experience of database use and training others to use them

**Skills and Aptitudes**
- Excellent research skills and attention to detail
- Excellent organisational skills and methodical approach
- Ability to synthesize research to share with others
- Have a passion for diversity, equality and inclusion
- Confident and self-motivated, able to work without supervision to achieve objectives and to work as part of a wider team of staff and volunteers as needed
- Able to assist and support others in their work and in learning new skills