SIR JOHN SOANE’S MUSEUM
WEBSITE EDITOR AND COLLECTIONS INFORMATION OFFICER
Full-time post
Monday to Friday, 9.30-5.30pm (some flexibility is expected as the post-holder may be
required to undertake occasional evening and weekend duties)
The post is offered as a short-term contract: 1 year (the post may be renewed if funds are
raised during the year)
Salary: in the range £21,000 - £24,000 p.a.
25 days paid annual leave plus 1½ privilege days, and all Bank and public holidays.
The Museum is a member of the Civil Service Pension Scheme, and the post holder will be
eligible to join one of the schemes on offer. You will be provided with information to assist you
in making your choice.
BACKGROUND: Sir John Soane’s Museum
Sir John Soane’s Museum has been called ‘the supreme example of the house museum in the
world’. It was the home of one of England’s greatest architects Sir John Soane (1753 – 1837)
and houses his collections of antiquities, furniture, models and paintings as well as 30,000
architectural drawings and his archive and library. Soane demolished and rebuilt three houses in
succession on the north side of Lincoln's Inn Fields, starting with No. 12 (1792 to 1794), moving
on to No. 13 (re-built in two phases in 1807-9 and 1812) and ending with No. 14 (rebuilt 182324). Throughout the period he made continuous alterations, adding ever more objects to his
arrangements and always seeking to enhance the 'poetic effects' and picturesque qualities of his
interiors. In 1833 Soane negotiated an Act of Parliament leaving the house to the nation on his
death, to be preserved ‘as nearly as possible’ as it was left at that time. The house became a
museum on his death in January 1837. No. 14 was bequeathed to his family but was bought back
by the Museum in 1996 and today houses the education facilities, Research Library and staff
offices.
The Museum is a Registered Charity, governed by unincorporated Trustees and constituted by
the Sir John Soane’s Museum Order. The Museum is a Non-Departmental Public Body (NDPB)
sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and is an Equal
Opportunities employer.
The Museum is managed by a Director who reports to a board of Trustees and is financed by a
combination of grant-in-aid from central government and self-generated income. It is the
smallest of the national museums. It is listed Grade I and its whole collection is ‘Designated’ as
of pre-eminent national importance.
Page 1 of 6
‘OPENING UP THE SOANE’
Since 1985 the Museum has been engaged in the gradual restoration of the building fabric and in
the careful study and reinstatement of Soane’s original interiors and arrangements. This process
has culminated in a £7 million project, ‘Opening up the Soane’ (‘OUTS’), which began on site in
February 2011, funded by major trusts and foundations and the Heritage Lottery Fund, and will
be completed in 2014. The project comprises a series of careful interventions to create new
temporary exhibition galleries, a shop, disabled lifts and better visitor reception facilities in
Soane’s first house, No. 12, without affecting Soane’s unique historic interiors in No. 13. The
second floor of No.13, administrative offices since Soane’s death but during his lifetime his
private apartments and Model Room, will be restored, and other spaces elsewhere in the
Museum will also be returned to their appearance at the time of Soane’s death.
Alongside these physical interventions is a programme of key activities as part of which we aim
to transform the Museum’s online resources, making its collections fully accessible to a virtual
audience for the first time. The two major tasks in this area are the implementation of the
Museum’s first Collections Management System (CMS) and the expansion and development of
the Museum’s website. The abbreviation CMS is used throughout the document to refer to the
proposed Collections Management System which will facilitate management of information and
processes relating to the management of the collection. It should not be confused with Content
Management Systems which are used to manage websites.
At present the Museum relies on a combination of modern databases and older computerised lists
and paper-based catalogues for its object records. The selection and implementation of a
computerised CMS for recording object information and a comprehensive digital imaging
programme (this has already begun) will enhance the Museum’s ability to plan and manage
future projects to care for, interpret and display its collections including not only the works of
art, drawings and library but the extensive Soane archive and our collections of artefacts relating
to the history of the Museum (‘the Building Archive’). Ultimately the CMS will include all these
collections, fully catalogued and with the Museum’s conservation records incorporated. The
database will be made available to staff and in modified form to our worldwide virtual audiences
via the internet. Scholars, researchers, educators, schoolchildren and the public alike will be able
to access accurate information prior to, during and following a visit. Schools will be able to use a
variety of online educational resources to complement their studies. Audiences who may never
visit the Museum itself will have new opportunities to experience the richness of the collections.
The Museum commissioned consultants to advise on the development of the website and to draw
up outline generic tender / specification documents for a CMS prior to our successful application
to the HLF in 2009.
OVERALL PURPOSE AND ROLE
The post-holder will work with the Museum’s website designer (Soulbat) and curatorial and
other staff on the development and expansion of the website, based on the existing website
platform. Key to this is the further population of the website with images and information
related to the collection. This will include the availability of images for scholarly and
commercial purposes through an effective Picture Library service. [this service is mentioned
below]
Page 2 of 6
The post-holder will also work with the Museum’s Steering Committee (the Deputy Director &
Inspectress (who is the Curator of works of art), the Head of Library Services, the Exhibitions
Curator and the Head of Education) to:



procure and commission a collections management system (CMS), reviewing and
expanding the documentation that has been prepared as appropriate and advising staff on
the choice of system
establish a public-user interface to the CMS, published through the Museum’s website
create up-to-date digitised photographs of the whole collection, linked to the CMS (using
the Museum’s existing archive of digital images and some newly created ones – digital
photography is on-going).
The CMS will be the crucial tool for facilitating, expanding and enhancing the public interface to
our collections on the internet.
As part of a small curatorial team, working closely with a steering group of senior staff, the postholder will manage the successful implementation of the objectives of ‘Opening up the Soane’
for the website and CMS and will lay the ground-work for the future development of the Soane’s
virtual resources after the completion of OUTS.
The successful candidate will be expected to play a role in assisting the Development department
to secure continuing/additional funding for on-going development of the website and CMS,
which could include funding for the continuation of this full-time post or for a different future
part-time post once the CMS has been implemented.
RESPONSIBILITIES
The principal responsibilities are:
Website and e-learning





Oversee and implement the further development of the Soane website working closely
with the Exhibitions Curator (who currently manages the website), curatorial,
conservation and education staff and with the Development Director and the Enterprises
Manager on fundraising and e-commerce; and liaising with Soulbat
Contribute to the development of elearning resources; this will include the integration of
the education website into the main website
work with the Head of Library Services to develop and implement proposals for an online Picture Library
work with our Outreach Officer to ensure that the website is access friendly and complies
with all relevant standards for disabled access
Maintaining and updating the website on a regular basis and as required
Page 3 of 6
CMS












working with the curatorial team to draw up an agreed specification for a CMS
administer the tendering process and advise and assist with the system selection
manage implementation of the CMS, including the migration of data from existing
databases / on-line catalogues, computerised findings lists, and paper-based records);
recommending further customisation and enhancements; and, liaising with existing
service providers (for current databases), the CMS provider, and with the Museum’s
website provider as required
create and edit data including images to specified industry standards, targets and
deadlines, working with the Deputy Director, the Head of Library Services and other
curatorial / cataloguing staff to develop internal cataloguing and publishing standards.
Audit and monitor data quality on an ongoing basis so that standards are maintained.
Provide training in use of the CMS for staff and supporting documentation such as a User
Manual complementing materials supplied by the CMS provider
Provide CMS user support to staff as required, developing materials and preparing
briefings as required
Demonstrate the system to visiting scholars, researchers and students if required.
Plan and manage data quality control measures to ensure that system content confirms to
agreed guidelines and standards (including Accreditation/Spectrum documentation
requirements) and is consistent, accurate and up to date
Identify and highlight issues for wider discussion and resolution.
Participate in meetings and prepare progress reports and statistics as required.
Undertake any other collections and information management tasks as required
Administration and Management




Draw up and manage a detailed budget in consultation with the OUTS Project Manager
and the Museum’s Finance Director.
Draw up and implement a work plan for the use of volunteer help for the population of
the CMS and website with data including images
Assist in the recruitment and management of temporary project staff and/or volunteers as
required.
Manage own files and maintain effective administrative systems.
Other




Advise/support the Development Office in the development of the website as a tool for
securing funding and generating support
assist as necessary with the provision of material/data for funding applications
undertake any other collections, documentation and information management tasks as
required
comply with the Staff Code of Conduct, Museum Security rules and Equal Opportunities,
Health and Safety and other policies at all times
Working as a key member of staff within a small institution, the post-holder may be required to
carry out other duties from time to time, including attendance at evening and weekend events.
Page 4 of 6
Person specification
The ideal candidate will be someone who already has some experience of website editing and of
implementing a Collections Management System (CMS) but who is keen to take on a new
challenge with greater responsibility. The successful candidate will be enthusiastic about the
history of collections and will be someone who will enjoy working in the context of a small
house-museum with varied collections of works of art whose histories and meanings in the
context of Soane’s collection are as important as their intrinsic artistic qualities. He/she will
understand the special nature of the Museum and be prepared to work with a wide range of staff
many of whom do not have specialist technical knowledge of website and CMS systems.
Essential Requirements










Educated to degree level, preferably in History of Art, Archaeology or Information Science.
Demonstrable empathy with Sir John Soane’s Museum and its collections
Significant experience (over one year) in working in a responsible role with a museum
cataloguing, digitisation or website project
Knowledge of current policy and practice in the Museums’ sector relating to information
management, public access to collections, and documentation standards
Understanding of web technologies and related standards including web accessibility
Ability to identify and prioritise needs and to work to standards and targets
Ability to work systematically with accuracy and attention to detail
Ability to build effective working relationships and experience of working in
multidisciplinary teams
Demonstrable high standard of English and excellent editorial, presentation and
communication skills
The successful candidate will be required to obtain an Enhanced CRB check as do all
Museum staff
Desirable Requirements





Postgraduate qualification in information science
Project management skills
Experience of e-commerce
Experience of authoring training materials
Experience of delivering training and providing user support
Page 5 of 6
KEY RELATIONSHIPS
Director
Deputy Director and Inspectress (responsible for works of art/paintings/building archive)
Archivist and Head of Library Services (responsible for the library, archive and drawings
collection and for photography)
Exhibitions Curator
Education Department
Senior Management Team
REPORTING STRUCTURE:
The post-holder will report to the Exhibitions Curator with additional reporting line to the
Deputy Director for the CMS.
www.soane.org.uk
Registered Charity no. 313609
Sir John Soane’s Museum is a Non-Departmental Public Body (NDPB) whose prime sponsor is
the Department for Culture, Media and Sport
Page 6 of 6