Beattie Visiting Fellow in Carpet Studies

The Ashmolean Museum is looking for an Islamic carpet specialist as the next May Beattie Visiting Fellow in Carpet Studies, a prestigious fellowship supporting research based on the exceptional May Beattie Archive and the Museum's carpet collections. You will undertake an original research project with the aim of publication and public engagement, contribute to the documentation and organisation of the Archive, and support academic and public activities such as study sessions, lectures, and events.

Built in collaboration with colleagues in the Eastern Art Department and relevant academic partners, you will promote carpet studies at Oxford and deliver at least one public lecture during the fellowship.

This is a full‑time, fixed–term post for two years, working 37.5 dbg per week. The role is on‑site only. You will be a specialist in Islamic carpets and textiles, with a postgraduate qualification or equivalent scholarly standing in Islamic art history or a related field. You will have strong art historical and technical knowledge of carpets, including the ability to analyse and document them accurately, and experience or confidence working with museum or archive collections and digital databases.

You will communicate clearly and effectively in spoken and written English, engage positively with both academic and public audiences, and be well organised, self‑motivated, and able to work collaboratively as part of a team. Publications and previous museum or archive experience would be an advantage.

As an employer, we genuinely care about our employees' wellbeing and this is reflected in the range of benefits that we offer including advice and paying for some of your childcare cost and other support.

• An excellent contributory pension scheme
• 38 days of annual leave
• A comprehensive range of childcare services
• Family leave schemes
• Cycle loan scheme
• Discounted bus travel and Season Ticket travel loans