DiSSCo UK Head of the Technical Innovation Centre

We are a world‑class visitor attraction and leading science research centre. We use the Museum's unique collections and our unrivalled expertise to tackle the biggest challenges facing the world today. We care for more than 80 million objects spanning billions of years and welcome more than five million visitors annually and 16 million visits to our website.

Today the Museum is more relevant and influential than ever. By attracting people from a range of backgrounds to work for us, we can continue to look at the world with fresh eyes and find new ways of doing things. We employ 1100 staff in a variety of roles, all united by our vision of a future where people and planet thrive. We need everyone to have the passion and drive to help us with our mission to create advocates for our planet and inspire millions to care about the natural world.

Diversity and inclusion matter to us. Our vision is of a future where both people and the planet thrive. Diversity is one of our core values and we strive to build a workplace where everyone feels a sense of belonging. All new staff who join us learn about the importance of diversity and inclusion to the Museum and how to contribute to creating an inclusive environment. We know we have more to do, but we are committed to ensuring that everyone who works at the Museum feels they can thrive and feel valued and respected.

This is an opportunity to lead a new national centre, as part of the DiSSCo UK programme, using AI, robotics, data and digital technologies to transform access to the UK’s natural science collections. As Head of the DiSSCo UK Technical Innovation unit, (known internally as the Catalysis centre) you will establish and lead a specialist team developing new ways to digitise collections faster and turn collections data into useful tools and services for research, policy and industry.

You will set the Centre’s direction, build and lead a multidisciplinary technical team, and take promising ideas from early testing through to practical use. Initially, the focus will be on technologies such as AI-assisted transcription, computer vision, automated imaging and robotics to improve the speed and quality of digitisation.

Reporting to the DiSSCo UK Programme Director, and working closely with the Head of Digitisation and Head of Engineering, within the Natural History Museum's Department of Digital Data and Informatics, you will ensure new approaches can be adopted across the national programme. You will also develop partnerships with universities, government and industry, and identify opportunities for further investment and commercial development. This is a fixed term role until 31 March 2029.

You will be an experienced technology, innovation or digital leader who has successfully turned new technologies into practical products, services or ways of working. Your background might be in AI, data, research infrastructure, digital transformation or a technology business. You will have strong technical understanding in one or more areas such as AI and machine learning, robotics, automation, data engineering or digital platforms, together with experience of leading multidisciplinary teams and delivering complex programmes.

You will be a collaborative leader who can work across organisational boundaries, build strong partnerships and explain complex technical ideas clearly. You should also be comfortable getting close to the technical work when needed. Experience of developing partnerships, attracting investment or turning technology and research into sustainable services would be an advantage. Above all, you will be motivated by using technology to accelerate scientific discovery and increase the value and use of the UK’s natural science collections.

We are proud to work at the Museum and have identified the qualities we all need to embody to reach our shared ambition. This sits alongside the Museum’s values and forms the framework for the way we work.