Curator European Art

We believe everyone deserves a great Glasgow life and that starts with the people who work here. Glasgow Life is a charity like no other. Our vision is to improve the lives of everyone in our city. To help us achieve that, we are looking for a Curator (European Art) to join our Museums and Collections team. As Curator (European Art), you will support the research of the 8,000 European art objects held at Glasgow Life Museums and Collections. This post is full-time based at Glasgow Museums Resource Centre and working across our other museum venues including Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum and The Burrell Collection.

Our teams focus on making a real difference through culture and sport in Glasgow. If you’re excited by the idea of being part of that, this could be the job for you.

What you need to know

• Hours: 35 hours per week.
• Contract type: Permanent
• Pay details: The listed salary is for a full-time role. If you’re applying for a part-time or bank job, we will calculate your pay on a pro-rata basis.
• Location: Hybrid. You will spend part of your week at home, and part of your week in one of our offices.

What you’ll do

As a Curator (European Art), you’ll be a part of an established team, reporting to the Senior Curator. You’ll play an essential role in researching and documenting the European Art collection and developing content for public programming. You will develop and manage the delivery of displays, publications and other collections-related projects. Glasgow Life Museums has an internationally significant collection of European art. The collection comprises of paintings, drawings, prints and sculpture from the period 1200 to 1960 including works from the Italian Renaissance, 19th century French Impressionism, and Dutch, and Spanish Old Masters. We take a broad view of Europe and the successful candidate will be expected to be an active participant in our legacies of slavery and empire initiatives.

Who you are

We’re looking for someone with the right skills who brings energy to the role. If the following sounds like you, apply today!

• A degree or equivalent in a relevant subject area
• Experience of using museum collections for research, learning and public engagement
• Experience in working with and advocating for communities as part of displays, exhibitions, and public programmes

Download the Person Specification in the Job Attachments section on MyJobScotland. Use this to shape your application and show how your experience aligns with the job. When selecting candidates for interviews, managers will look for candidates who meet all the ‘essential’ criteria listed in the Person Specification. If there are many candidates, they may also consider desirable skills. So, include those if they apply to you.

What we offer

At Glasgow Life, our work changes lives. As a charity, we bring communities together and support wellbeing through sport, culture, heritage, and learning. We support you to live a great life. Inside and outside of work. Some of our benefits include:

• Holiday: When you join, you’ll get 30 days’ holiday. Plus 6.5 public holidays if you’re full-time. This increases to 35 days after 5 years of service. Fancy a bit more time off? You can buy extra holiday too!
• Pension: Join the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) – a Defined Benefit scheme that provides you with a secure pension for later life.
• Support: Sometimes we all need support and a listening ear. Our free and confidential Employee Assistance Programme can support your mental, emotional, and physical wellbeing.
• Discounts: As a colleague, you can enjoy discounts on the things you love, from Glasgow Club memberships to our museum shops and our online store. We are also part of the cycle-to-work scheme, helping you stay active.
• Flexibility and development: We are proud of our flexible and inclusive work policies, which help you balance work and life. We also offer support for learning, development and career progression.

Please note that Glasgow Life is an Arm’s Length External Organisation to Glasgow City Council. We are currently completing a Job Evaluation exercise and introducing a new pay and grading structure. This may impact current salaries quoted in job adverts.

What’s next

To get started, complete our short application form. In this, you’ll fill out:

• Work history
• Qualifications/training
• Key questions like “Why are you a good fit for this role?” Use the Person Specification in the Job Attachments section to guide your answers.

Important Dates:

The closing date for this job is 11.59pm on 12 April 2026. Interviews are provisionally scheduled for 4 May 2026.

Who We Are

Our Museums service, managed by Glasgow Life on behalf of the community, cares for thousands of years of history. We take care of the city’s museum and library special collections, its archives, and operate award-winning museums, keeping them safe for future generations. We run talks, tours, workshops, and events, so people can explore and enjoy the collections. By connecting people with the city’s stories, our museums continue to enrich the lives of local people and visitors.

Diversity and Fair Work at Glasgow Life

We’re working to build a team that reflects the rich diversity of Glasgow’s communities — where everyone feels valued, respected, and able to be their full, authentic selves at work. We’re proud to be a Disability Confident and Carer Positive employer, and we welcome applications from people of all backgrounds. We’re also committed to Fair Work First principles, including effective voice, opportunity, security, fulfilment and respect for all our staff. We’re working hard to address underrepresentation in our workforce. We especially welcome applications from people with disabilities and from ethnic minority communities.

We’re excited to hear from you. Let’s shape a great Glasgow life — together.