DiSSCo UK Technical Project Lead

UK natural science collections hold more than 137 million items. These are an unrivalled source of data about how the Earth and its natural systems formed over 4.56 billion years, with the potential to support research that addresses some of the critical issues facing the world, including biodiversity and climate change. They contain evidence of the changes in the natural world including the impact of human life on our planet over the past few thousand years. The scientific, commercial, and societal benefits of these collections are currently constrained by the limits of physical access, and by highly fragmented digitisation efforts with less than 10% digitally available. The Distributed System of Scientific Collections UK (DiSSCo UK, https : / / www.dissco-uk.org / ) is a consortium of UK natural science collections, led by the Natural History Museum in partnership with the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), who are developing a national infrastructure to support the digitisation and use of the UK's natural science collections to support this critical research. This will take the form of a 10-year programme focused on digitisation of critical mass of collections as FAIR data, made available through a well-supported backbone of technology infrastructure, with continued development and application of innovative approaches such as greater use of Artificial Intelligence and robotics. Investment of the order of £155m is expected to unlock at least a seven- to ten- fold economic return on investment, as well as efficiency savings for UK and global researchers, and the potential for research innovation and studies that have not previously been possible underpinning a future in which both people and planet thrive. Having already mobilised more than 14m records, DiSSCo UK will, from 2026, create a step change to accelerate the rate of digitisation, and we are looking for a proactive individual to project-manage the upscaling and development of our technical infrastructure. Working across NHM teams, and with external partners you will coordinate the development of the storage, access and research environment for the programme.

We are looking for a proactive individual to lead the development of the technical infrastructure required for delivery of the DiSSCo UK programme, including working with teams across the Museum and participating organisations across the UK. You will have strong experience in planning and leading complex technical development projects to time, budget and scope. The ideal candidate will possess a strong blend of technical expertise, project management experience, and leadership skills.

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 900 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.

• 27.5 days holiday plus 8 bank holidays (full time equivalent)
• Generous defined contribution Natural History Museum Pension Scheme (employer contribution 4 - 10%)
• Season ticket, bicycle and rental loan
• Life insurance
• Free admission to our exhibitions and many other paid exhibitions at museums, galleries and institutions across London and the UK.
• Staff discount at our Museum shops and cafes
• We offer a wide variety of training initiatives and opportunities to build skills. Investing in staff development is important to us, and we are ambitious about helping staff to grow and fulfil their potential.