“Jen is doing a fantastic job [...] bringing intelligence, rigour, and creativity to the role, which has been brilliant to see. Her work on the interpretation plan and digital, as well as contributions more broadly, have been so appreciated.”
- Sophie McKinlay, Project Director, Fashion Museum Bath
“Jen’s work at Stourhead has been exceptional - demonstrating her creativity, curatorial skills and her tenacity. The positive response from visitors, volunteers, the property team and consultancy is a testament to her abilities and it has been great seeing recognition of her skills spread through the curatorial community.”
- Emily MacCormack, Senior Collections and House Manager, National Trust - Stourhead
“Jenn is a truly wonderful person to work with – unflappable, positive, thoroughly organised and focused, and a good laugh on top of all that.”
- John Benfield, Website Product Owner, The RSPB
Experience curating both permanent and temporary displays for a range of audiences.
Excellent knowledge of the care and documentation of a diverse fashion collection.
Experience writing exhibition, display, academic and website text for a range of audiences.
Strong project management skills with a track record of delivering on time and within budget.
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills fostered by strong emotional intelligence.
Experience delivering engagement activities including talks, tours and presenting research.
1 year fixed-term contract
Predominantly working on research into the Fashion Museum Bath collection to support interpretation as part of a major capital project involving the complete re-opening of the museum at a new site in the city of Bath. A particular area of research has focused on diversifying the narratives told in the Museum and on developing and taking ownership of the object list for the new permanent galleries. Other duties include supporting public consultation sessions, assisting the Documentation Manager with location auditing, photography and updating information on the CMS, supporting the Collections Manager with long-term loans into the museum as well as our loans-out programme, acquisition and cataloguing backlog, environmental monitoring and IPM in the collections store, answering enquiries about the collection and giving tours, study appointments and public talks.
2 years, 11 months
Promoted to Collections and House Officer after seven months. Working collaboratively with a team of house staff to ensure the conservation, care and management of the Palladian mansion and collection of over 8,000 objects. Specific responsibilities include management and care of the collection of over 4,000 books, management and care of textiles, coordinating and maintaining environmental control measures, leading on CMS documentation, coordinating collections photography and curation of house displays and exhibitions. Curation responsibilities include leading on house themes and narrative, selecting objects for display, undertaking research, meeting accessibility standards, managing project budgets, commissioning work from creatives and collecting and collating visitor feedback.
1 year
Part of the Visitor Experience team based at the Fleet Air Arm of the museum. Duties included engaging with visitors in the shop, cafe, and galleries, as well as knowledge of health and safety procedures and evacuation of galleries in an emergency.
1 year, 11 months
Responsible for managing a team of Content Executives, leading on website content and email sends to over a million subscribers. A key aspect of the role included determining content engagement strategies, narratives, schedules and timelines for key campaigns and ensuring our website met the highest accessibility standards. Also a member of the charity’s cross-department Equality Diversity and Inclusion group, responsible for helping disseminate information, training and engagement.
1 year, 10 months
Promoted to a senior management position working alongside the company directors, directly managing an interdisciplinary team of twelve with accountability for over 30 employees. Jointly responsible for setting the strategic direction and long-term vision of the business as well as overall performance and financial health against KPIs. Sole accountability for employee satisfaction, recruitment and retention. Represented the business at public speaking engagements, including presentations, talks, workshops, special events, radio interviews, and lectures at Brighton University.
4 years, 11 months
Accountable for various innovation projects to grow the business in alignment with brand guidelines and delivering to commercial performance targets. Managed ten business-wide projects simultaneously, from research, vision setting and development to final delivery and retrospectives within budgetary targets. Successfully juggled concurrent deadlines and shifting priorities and managed multiple budgets.
8 years, 4 months
Progressed from Product Manager to Head of Product in just over four years. Became responsible for the Product department, implementing customer feedback processes, analysing data and making changes to our offering. Managed the Product team, including assigning workload, setting goals, coaching and focusing on their personal growth and development. Set the long-term vision for the team, encouraging rigorous research, creativity, collaboration, customer focus and maximising commercial opportunities. Worked closely with partners in 22 countries across five continents.
1 year
Looked after large groups of children at various schools across the Brighton area during the school holidays. Involved in the planning, organisation, provision, and evaluation of play sessions while ensuring the overall safety and happiness of the children. When the holidays ended, my supervisor singled me out to stay on as a member of after-school 'bank staff'.
1 year, 4 months - present
I currently volunteer at the local fashion museum in Blandford Forum. Although originally designated to work in the cafe, the curator noted my knowledge, skills, and experience in historical fashion, and I was reassigned to the display team, where my duties include handling historic garments, preparing displays, and installing and deinstalling exhibitions. Due to my passion and knowledge of documentation, I am also currently working alongside the curator to transfer all the museum's paper-based object documentation into the MODES collection management system.
WHO ISKATE? exhibition
Supported a Bristol-based artist with their first exhibition of photography and video art. Duties included assisting with the setup and takedown of exhibition displays and installations, helping to promote the exhibition via Instagram, distributing promotional materials, and engaging with the community, as well as welcoming and assisting guests, providing information about the exhibits, and ensuring an engaging visitor experience.
6 weeks
Placement working with the reserve collection under the curator at the Clothworkers' Centre at Blythe House. Duties included assisting students, researchers, and members of the public with enquiries, handling and moving the collection, preparing objects for display, using the collection database to record object movement and keep accurate records, pest monitoring, supporting research, and photographing the items.
5 years, 10 months
Assisted a Brighton-based record label with delivering album launches and artists' events. Duties ranged from supporting the organisation and planning of events and liaising with artists to managing ticket sales and processing post-event data.
2 seasons
Voluntary role working alongside a team of other volunteers as a point of contact for visitors to Virginia Woolf’s former home. Responsibilities included interpreting the house and collection for visitors and ensuring health and safety while working under minimal supervision.
6 years
Part of a team of volunteers offering emotional support to a wide variety of people in distress, turmoil and dealing with thoughts of suicide via telephone, email, text message and face-to-face. The role required empathy, tact and excellent active listening skills. I also assisted in training and mentoring new volunteers after a year and supported fundraising initiatives.
Art History and Museum Curating MA, Distinction | University of Sussex
The Research, Care, Interpretation and Display of Dress | National Trust
The Principles of Exhibition Making | V&A Professional Development Programme
Interpretive Writing Masterclass | TextWorkshop
Collections Care Advanced | South West Museum Development
Legal Ownership and Provenance | National Trust
English Literature and Film Studies BA, 2:1 | University of Sussex
User Experience Design Professional Certificate | Google
