Curator

The Egypt Exploration Society is seeking a self‐motivated and well-organised individual for the role of Curator to manage its papyri and cartonnage collections. This is a unique opportunity to realise the full potential of these internationally significant collections and they will work across both Oxford, initially, and eventually, London playing a fundamental role in the foundation of the Grenfell and Hunt Papyrology Centre.

The successful applicant will be qualified to a minimum of doctorate level, or in the final stages of submitting, with experience of handling fragile organic materials, such as unmounted papyrus fragments, and a proven ability to work remotely and as part of a small team. Conservation training will be provided, if the right candidate requires it.

Reports to: Collections Manager

Salary: £33,400 per annum

Contract: FT, five-year fixed term (with the possibility of extension)

Location: The Papyrology Rooms, Art, Archaeology and Ancient World Library, Oxford, 1 St John St, Oxford OX1 2LG and the Ioannou Centre for Classical and Byzantine Studies / The Egypt Exploration Society, 3 Doughty Mews, London, WC1N 2PG*

Start date: April 2027

* The Curator will be expected to work primarily from Oxford until the Grenfell and Hunt Papyrology Centre opens in 2028 when the place of work will switch to London.

The Society would consider supporting an application for a Skilled Worker Visa under occupation code 2472, job type ‘Archivists, conservators and curators’, if you do not currently have the right to work in the UK. Any offer of employment would be subject to acquiring that permission.

The Egypt Exploration Society is the UK’s leading charity and British International Research Institute supporting and promoting Egyptian cultural heritage since our founding in 1882. Today, we facilitate research projects around the world from our offices in London and Cairo, including access to our unique collections. The Society relies almost entirely on donations from our international membership and the wider public to fund our work and run an extensive educational programme of publications and training, as well as events to convey the results to interested audiences.

Our mission is to support and promote Egyptian cultural heritage, because we envisage a world where the cultural heritage of Egypt is preserved for posterity.

We are seeking a Curator to join our small team at a transformative time in the Society’s history. This role will be responsible for caring for, managing, digitising, and engaging people with the EES papyrological collections including The Oxyrhynchus Papyri and Cartonnage collections.

If you’d like to join a small but dynamic team to care for and engage people with extraordinary collections of international significance, then please consider applying.

Purpose

• Work with the Collections Manager to liaise between the EES and researchers in Oxford to ensure the safe management of the collection and that adequate reporting is provided to the EES Board of Trustees and funders
• Curate and manage the papyrological and cartonnage collections and oversee day-to-day activities within the collections ensuring security and compliance with established standards
• Work with the Collections Manager to catalogue the collection to Spectrum standards and make it available online, including the creation of digital images (see below)
• Oversee the loans process for papyrological items including couriering, reporting, and any conservation required
• Liaise with conservators and other specialists working with the collections
• Oversee the packing and relocation of collections from Oxford to London as part of the Building the Future project
• Work with the Collections Manager to apply for Accreditation for the EES and its collections
• Undertake some research (up to 20% allocation) and publish results via EES channels, i.e. social media, EA magazine, Spotlight, JEA/GRM

The Curator will be expected to carry out additional duties reasonably commensurate with being a member of a small and flexible staff team.

Principal Tasks

a) Curation and collections management:

• Liaise with colleagues in the Faculty of Classics, University of Oxford to ensure that facilities and security are maintained and access provided when required for items on loan there
• Oversee daily activities including providing researcher access, monitoring environmental conditions, logging user data, processing reproduction requests, etc. ensuring that management is compliant with recognised British standards
• Create and update digital catalogue entries for papyri and cartonnage to Spectrum standards, including digital images and translations/transcriptions where available
• Manage the loans process from request through conservation, couriering, reporting, and return
• Ensure that adequate insurance cover is in place for the collections at all locations in which they are held or loaned
• Submit reports to the EES Board of Trustees and funders as necessary

b) Conservation:

• Liaise with external conservators and specialists to ensure the collection is adequately cared for
• Liaise with UCL Conservation Department and maintain the ongoing partnership using the cartonnage collection
• Undertake conservation training for minor interventions to facilitate access to the collection by researchers

c) Research and dissemination:

• At the Director’s discretion, up to 20% of the Curator’s time can be spent on research and publication of the collection where this is shared in EES channels, i.e. social media, EA magazine, Spotlight, JEA/GRM
• Work with the Engagement Manager and Publications Manager to share information about the collections via EES social media, events, website, and publications
• Present the collection to researchers and the public through conferences and events (online and in-person)

d) Strategy and development

• Conduct a full audit of the collections where they are currently housed
• Author and implement a Disaster Recovery Plan including overview of risk management
• Oversee the packing and relocation of collections to London as part of the Building the Future project
• Work with the Collections Manager to apply for Accreditation for the EES and its collections
• Work with the Director and Development Manager to secure future financial support for the collections

Person Specification

The following is a person specification, based upon the above job description.

Eligibility

Applicants must be qualified to a minimum of Doctorate level (i.e. PhD, DPhil, etc.) or in the late stages of submitting. This should be in a relevant discipline such as Classics, Egyptology, Ancient History, Near Eastern Studies, Papyrology, or Library Science with a specialisation in Papyrology.

Essential

Proficient in reading Ancient Greek texts on papyrus

Experience of working with collections including handling of fragile organic materials (such as unmounted papyri fragments).

Self‐motivated, well-organised, and able to prioritise

Proven ability to work remotely and as part of a small team

Desirable

Knowledge of other languages preserved in the collection such as ancient Egyptian (hieroglyphic, hieratic, demotic), Coptic, Latin, Arabic, Hebrew, Aramaic, Syriac, and Pahlavi.

Experience of managing historic collections

Research profile including previous publications in a subject covered by the EES collections.

Experience of conservation techniques used on papyri fragments that facilitate their use by researchers.

How to apply

Please do not apply via third party websites or LinkedIn - these applications are not monitored. You must apply via the Society's website.

Send your completed application form to application@ees.ac.uk no later than 17:00 (UK) on Friday 4th December 2026. You should include a bibliography of published works and an example of your scholarship (a thesis is acceptable). Please do not include a CV as only the form and writing sample will be considered by the selection panel. If you would like to discuss the post further on an informal basis, please contact the Director, Dr Carl Graves: application@ees.ac.uk.

Applicants not meeting the eligibility criteria will not be considered by the panel.

Applicants are also encouraged to complete and return our Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form with their application to enable us to monitor our recruitment process in relation to our equal opportunities policy.

Your application should represent your authentic personality and communication skills. We encourage you not to use AI-generated answers in your application. The Society will not monitor applications or questions sent via third-party or social media channels.

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to an interview over Zoom in the week commencing Monday 11th January 2027. Questions will be sent to the candidates in advance.

The successful applicant would ideally commence their role by April 2027, or as soon as possible thereafter.