Opportunity ID
702
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Location
IWM Duxford
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Career Level
B
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Salary
£26,500 to £29,000 per annum
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Hours
36
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Department
Exhibition Production & Delivery
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Position type
Permanent
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Job Summary
What It's Like to Work Here
At IWM, we're driven by a shared purpose: helping people understand conflict and its impact on people's lives. At IWM Duxford, one of Europe's most significant historic aviation sites, you'll join a passionate and collaborative team working to transform how visitors experience our collections, exhibitions and stories.
This is an exciting time to join. Through practical technical skills, attention to detail and collaborative working, the role helps create engaging exhibition environments that bring IWM's collections and stories to life.
Why This Role Matters
Exhibitions and displays are central to how IWM shares stories of conflict and their impact on people's lives. The Exhibitions Workshop & Display Technician plays an important role in ensuring these spaces are safe, accessible and visually impactful, helping to create meaningful experiences for visitors.
Through the construction, installation and maintenance of exhibitions, the role supports the successful delivery of IWM's exhibition programme and the presentation of its collections. Every day, the role brings IWM's values to life through teamwork, craftsmanship and problem-solving, helping to deliver high-quality exhibitions and gallery environments across the museum.
What You'll Be Doing
Conduct daily gallery inspections to ensure displays, exhibits, and gallery spaces are maintained to a high standard, identifying and reporting maintenance issues as required.
Carry out routine maintenance and repairs to gallery setworks, including painting, wall repairs, basic carpentry, and general exhibition upkeep.
Construct and install exhibition elements such as display cases, wall structures, plinths, cladding, panels, and exhibition furniture in line with project plans and design briefs.
Assist with the installation, dressing, de-installation, and relocation of exhibits within temporary exhibitions and permanent gallery spaces.
Support the installation and maintenance of audiovisual (AV) equipment used within exhibitions and gallery displays.
Maintain accurate records of gallery activities, including showcase access logs, object movement documentation, and collections database updates.
Manage assigned maintenance requests, implement preventative maintenance schedules, and ensure all work is completed within agreed deadlines and budgets.
Maintain stock levels of conservation-grade materials, tools, and equipment, while ensuring workshop, storage, and mount-making areas remain organised and safe.
Adhere to Health & Safety regulations by ensuring the safe use, maintenance, and operation of tools, machinery, and workshop equipment, while promoting a clean and safe working environment.
Collaborate effectively with internal departments, external contractors, partners, and volunteers to support exhibition projects, collections care activities, and organisational objectives.
What We're Looking For
We'd love to hear from you if you have:
Demonstratable workshop experience, ideally in a museum or gallery environment.
Good carpentry and technical skills, e.g previous experience of woodworking, exhibition/set building.
Decoration skills, such as plastering, filling, general making good and painting.
Proven ability to use a range or workshop equipment and hand tools, for example a panel saw, bench and band saws, planer, spindle moulder, pillar drill and handheld circular saws.
How You'll Work
This is a five day/week post. Working hours are 8am to 4.15pm Monday to Thursday and 8am to 4pm Friday, to enable daily checks and as much maintenance work as possible to be carried out on the public site before opening. From time to time flexibility with working hours is required to accommodate deadlines or priorities. Travel within the UK including to other IWM locations will be required. Out of hours and weekend work may be necessary during busy periods, in particular in the run up to exhibition openings and for maintenance purposes. Time off in lieu will be offered to cover this.
What Success Looks Like (First 6–12 Months)
Successfully completed organisational induction, mandatory training, and Health & Safety requirements, ensuring compliance with workplace policies and procedures.
Developed a strong understanding of exhibition production operations, workshop activities, and maintenance requirements across multiple museum sites.
Carried out routine gallery and exhibition maintenance tasks, ensuring displays and public spaces were maintained to a consistently high standard.
Maintained accurate records of maintenance activities, display requests, and workshop operations using internal departmental systems.
Built effective working relationships with colleagues across Production, Exhibitions, and wider organisational teams to support project delivery.
Demonstrated strong attention to detail and an understanding of conservation and collections care principles when undertaking maintenance and display activities.
Contributed to the planning and delivery of work programmes, identifying practical solutions to improve maintenance processes and exhibition operations while working independently and efficiently.
For a full list of duties and the person specification (which your application will be marked against) please view the Job Description.
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Application closing date
September 7th 2026, 11:55 PM
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Interview Details
Interviews for this post are planned for mid-September.
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Benefits
The benefits listed below are discretionary and IWM reserves the right, with due notice, to vary or withdraw them at any time. All such benefits apply during the course of your employment only.
Annual Leave: You'll have 25 days of annual leave, with public holidays on top. After 3 years, this increases to 27 days and after 5 years, you’ll get 30 days
Company Group Pension Plan: Our commitment to your financial well-being includes competitive employer contributions to your pension starting at 7% to a maximum of 12%.
Enhanced Maternity and Paternity Benefits: Celebrate life’s milestones with confidence, knowing that our policies support growing families.
IWM4me: Tailor your benefits to your unique needs through IWM4me. Access health, protection, and lifestyle benefits at corporate rates, ensuring your holistic well-being.
Free Sanitary Products: We prioritise your comfort by providing free sanitary products across all our sites.
Retail Discounts: 25% off IWM Cafes, 20% discount in on-site shops, Benefits hub offering retail discounts to several high street shops (via our EAP provider) and MyActive discounts for health and wellbeing based retail discounts (via IWM4me)
Free Entry to IWM Air Shows: Witness the thrill of vintage aircraft at our air shows.
Free Entry to Partner Museums & Galleries: Immerse yourself in art, history, and culture through our reciprocal arrangements with other institutions.
In-House Training Programmes: Fuel your intellectual curiosity and professional growth through our comprehensive training initiatives.
Season Ticket Loan Scheme: Simplify your daily commute with our interest-free loan program.
Cycle 2 Work & Cycle Hire: Promote well-being and environmental consciousness by cycling to work.
Eye Tests: Money back up to £80 for an eye test and a new pair of glasses.
Employee Assistance Programme: Access confidential support for personal or work-related challenges.
Benenden Healthcare & Dental Insurance: Prioritise your health with access to quality healthcare services (subject to terms and conditions).
Civil Service Sports Club Membership: Opportunity to join and enjoy additional discounts and perks as part of a vibrant community.
Staff Events and Networks: Join fellow colleagues in social gatherings and events, fostering camaraderie and shared experiences.
…and more!
Ready to embark on this exciting journey with us? Apply now and become part of IWM!
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Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions. This role is subject to:
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A basic check, which shows unspent convictions and conditional cautions.
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Equal Opportunities and Flexible Working
IWM is committed to a policy of Equal Opportunities.
We miss out when people feel IWM isn't for them, and are committed to removing and reducing barriers to make IWM open to everyone.
Our Access and Inclusion strategy has been developed to promote openness, equal opportunities to access, inclusivity and encourage diversity in everything that we do, from employment practices, the services we provide to our visitors to the facilities we make available to public.
At IWM we seek to address the need for greater diversity within our workforce as well as the wider museum and heritage sector. In all our practices we embrace diversity and promote equality of opportunity and we welcome applications from suitable candidates of all backgrounds.
We value and respect difference and are committed to building an inclusive culture by creating an environment where you can balance a successful career with your commitments and interests outside of work. We believe that you will do your best at work if you have a work / life balance. Some roles lend themselves to flexible options more than others, so if this is important to you please raise this with your recruitment contact, as we are open to discussing agile working opportunities during the hiring process.
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