Collection Conservation Officer

National Film And Sound Archive Of Australia; Canberra; On-site; AUD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

The National Film and Sound Archive of Australia (NFSA) in Canberra invites applications for a Collection Conservation Officer. You will be part of a small team reporting to the Team Leader Conservation and play a key role in exhibitions, collection care, and preventative conservation.

You will carry out day-to-day conservation tasks, assist with storage and rehousing, and work with the Conservation and Collection Management teams to implement Integrated Pest Management and chemical controls,

Responsibilities

• Carry out day-to-day documents and artefacts conservation tasks (examination, research, conservation treatment, and exhibition-related work)
• Perform preventative conservation tasks (assessment of incoming collection materials including AV materials, identification of hazardous materials such as asbestos and lead paint, mould, and care for materials on display)
• Assist in preparing objects for exhibition, loan and digitisation
• Collaborate with the Conservation and Collection Management teams to monitor and implement Integrated Pest Management and chemical management
• Assist in audiovisual conservation projects such as surveys, large collection arrivals and analytical work using FTIR as required
• Support the coordination of Conservation team activities and tracking of KPIs

Job description

The National Film and Sound Archive of Australia (NFSA) is Australia’s audiovisual archive, telling the national story by collecting, preserving and sharing audiovisual media, the cultural experience platforms of our time. The collection itself dates back to 1935, making it one of the world’s oldest audiovisual collections. It is also one of the country’s most used cultural collections, with around 125 million views of collection content each year. The NFSA is in a period of significant change. Following increased Government investment, the institution is in a process of digital transformation, establishing the NFSA as Australia’s most dynamic and valued cultural organisation. We are rebuilding our curatorial workforce and developing the NFSA’s capacity to digitise our collection at scale – to preserve it for the future, to make sure it can be discovered, and to share it with all Australians.
We continue to work on developing a stable, secure and future-proof workforce across our four physical sites based in Canberra and Mitchell in the ACT as well as in Sydney and Melbourne.
We are also undergoing a program of business improvement for many of our corporate systems to improve efficiency and reduce manual handling.
We are an ambitious organisation, and we aim to be an employer of choice within the Galleries, Libraries, Archives and Museums (GLAM) sector, providing exciting and challenging work, as well as favourable employment conditions and unique development opportunities for our staff.

About the Team

• Audiovisual Conservation, who prepare and preserve audiovisual material for digitisation, curatorial and access programs, and analysis of audiovisual materials; and
• Collection Conservation, who care for the documents and artefacts collection including interventive treatments, exhibition preparation, condition reporting and research.

Both teams coordinate and undertake a range of collection are programs such as Integrated Pest Management (IPM), chemical management, collection assessments and procedures for hazards in collections.

The Opportunity

The Collection Conservation Officer is part of a small team reporting to the Team Leader Conservation and plays a key role in a wide range of activities associated with exhibitions, collection care, and preventative conservation and works closely with the Collection Management team by assisting and giving advice on collection storage and rehousing activities.

Key Responsibilities/Duties

Under general direction, this position is responsible for delivering the following functions:

• Carry out day to day documents and artefacts conservation tasks including:
  • examination
  • research
  • conservation treatment; and
  • exhibition related work
• Carry out and report on preventative conservation tasks such as:
  • assessment of incoming collection materials including AV materials
  • identification of hazardous materials in the collection (including asbestos, lead paints, vinegar affected materials, mould)
  • gallery cleaning and caring for collection materials on display
• Assist in preparing objects for exhibition, loan and digitisation
• Work collaboratively with the other Conservation and Collection Management team members to monitor, implement and address Integrated Pest Management and chemical management
• Assist in audiovisual conservation projects such as surveys, large collection arrivals and analytical identification using FTIR as required
• Support the coordination of Conservation team activities, monitoring the achievements of key performance indicators