HR Payroll and Systems Manager

The National Gallery

"200 years of NTG"

About Us

We are home to the national collection of paintings in the Western European tradition from the 13th to the 19th centuries. Our paintings are on show 361 days a year, free of charge.

On 10 May 2024, we come together and start our celebration of the National Gallery’s Bicentenary - 200 years of bringing people and paintings together.

For the entire year, we'll celebrate our past and look forward to our future with a year-long festival of art, creativity and imagination which sets the tone for our third century.  

Extensive Career Opportunities

Working at the Gallery

We are delighted you are considering applying for a job at the National Gallery. We hope the information in this section will encourage you to apply.

The Gallery has employees ranging from curators and art handlers to conservators and finance staff, and from fund raisers and commercial services staff to learning, exhibition and design experts.

Our visitors come from many different backgrounds and we think the Gallery can only benefit from having employees who are equally diverse. We work hard to recognise, support and develop our employees and believe that everyone who works here should be treated with the same level of respect regardless of their background. We are genuinely committed to equality of opportunity and encourage applications from all sections of the community.

Our Values drive and support this commitment and behaviours:

• Personal leadership - our personal accountability
• Diversity/Inclusion - our openness towards others
• Working together - how we work effectively
• Respect - how we work and engage with others
• Forward thinking - how we plan for the future
• Integrity - our sense of what's right

All employees are based in central London. Currently some are located in the Gallery itself on the north side of Trafalgar Square. Others are in open-plan offices behind the Gallery's Sainsbury Wing. We are happy to talk flexible working for all our roles and are continuously looking for ways to work increase remote working.

Where does the Gallery advertise vacancies?

National Gallery vacancies are posted in the jobs section of the Gallery’s website and those advertisements could also appear on www.nationalmuseumjobs.org.uk [external website] or in the national press and specialist publications.

Vacancies at The National Gallery Global Limited, which publishes books and makes merchandise based on the paintings in the collection, operates shops in the Gallery, licenses images, and manages the Gallery's catering contracts, are published on the National Gallery Global Limited's website jobs page.

I would like a career in a gallery or museum - how could I find out what type of experience and qualifications I would need?

Jobs in museums and galleries are wide ranging and each could require different qualifications, experience and skills. The Museums Association has some advice for those interested in a career in the sector. 

Find out more on the Museums Association website.

Can I work as a volunteer or undertake work experience at the National Gallery?

Unfortunately, as the Gallery is a comparatively small organisation we lack the space and other facilities to offer voluntary work, and only very rarely have any opportunities for work experience.

Can I work as a casual worker at the National Gallery? 

We recruit casual workers twice a year. Details will be posted on our jobs page and advertised here, so please check back regularly. 

Wages are determined by assignment, and are paid in line with the London Living Wage.

If your application is shortlisted, you will be invited for an interview, and if you are successful at the interview stage, you will be offered a casual contract subject to passing our security screening process. 

Can I send my curriculum vitae to the National Gallery speculatively?

Rather than send the Gallery your CV in this way, we would suggest that you register for job alerts on our on-line recruitment system and apply specifically for any that you think would be suitable.

If I am not a United Kingdom or European Economic Area national could I still work at the National Gallery?

This would depend on the type of current visa you have in your passport and the post you are applying for.

Work permits for skilled jobs are not issued to individuals; an application for a work permit can only be made by a United Kingdom Border Agency-licensed employer in the UK, who has a specific skilled job to offer a named person. The National Gallery currently holds a United Kingdom Border Agency licence.

The United Kingdom Border Agency considers applications under the points-based system. Points are awarded for the level of qualifications required, prospective earnings and areas in which there is a particular skills shortage in the UK. The United Kingdom Border Agency also needs to be satisfied that a vacancy could not be filled by a UK or European Economic Area national. In addition, under the points based system, two statutory requirements must be met – a certain level of English language skills and the ability to maintain yourself financially when you first arrive in the UK.

This information correct as at February 2020 and will be kept under review.

What is the Gallery’s policy on recruitment of offenders and ex-offenders?

The National Gallery undertakes to treat all applicants fairly. It undertakes not to discriminate unfairly against anyone who is the subject of a Disclosure on the basis of a conviction or other information revealed.