Conservator

Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies; Canberra; On-site; AUD 90,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies in Canberra seeks an experienced Conservator to care for the AIATSIS collection. The role involves hands-on conservation, assessment and treatment, and collaboration with colleagues to ensure long‑term preservation and accessibility.

You will contribute to preventive conservation, storage, packing and loans, with emphasis on culturally safe practices.

Qualifications

• Professional qualifications in conservation.
• Experience in conservation within a cultural institution or collection.
• Understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and cultural safety considerations.

Responsibilities

• Carry out conservation assessments and hands-on treatments to preserve the AIATSIS collection.
• Contribute to preventive conservation programs and exhibition support activities.
• Manage storage, packing, transport, and rehousing of collection materials.
• Record treatments and prepare condition reports to guide acquisitions and loans.
• Collaborate with Curatorial, Registration and other staff to meet conservation needs and project timelines.
• Provide expertise and training to staff to improve collection care practices.

Skills

Conservation

Education

Conservation qualification

Job description

Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies – Canberra ACT

This is an Identified position open to all Australian Citizens

About the Group

The Collections Services Group is responsible for the development, management, preservation and provision of access to the AIATSIS Collection at both Maraga (Canberra) and Mparntwe (Central Australia) sites. The Group manages, describes, preserves, digitises and provides access to the AIATSIS Collection.

About the Program Area

The Collection Development & Care Program is responsible for building, documenting and maintaining the AIATSIS Collection to ensure its long term preservation and accessibility. The program acquires new collection materials in line with AIATSIS' legislative function and strategic priorities and ensures appropriate description, cataloguing and metadata standards are applied. The program includes the Rights and Policy Unit, the Acquisition, Registration and Cultural Gifts Unit and the Curatorial, Exhibition, Conservation and Loans Unit. Key operational activities include developing, conserving and preserving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural heritage material in the AIATSIS collection in a culturally safe way. Engaging with donors and depositors to expand the collection, curating domestic and international display and exhibitions (both online and physical), implementing collection care practices, facilitating loans and managing the rights and policy environment of the AIATSIS collection.

Role Summary

This role requires a qualified and experienced Conservation professional, who will be responsible for the care and preservation of the AIATSIS Collection. Working as part of a small multidisciplinary team, the role undertakes conservation and collection care activities across a broad range of material types in response to operational priorities. The Conservator provides specialist conservation expertise to support the preservation, accessibility, and long-term care of the collection. The role undertakes conservation assessments and treatments, contributes to preventive conservation programs, and delivers collection care activities including exhibition support, storage, transport, and rehousing. The position collaborates with a broad range of internal and external stakeholders, provides specialist advice, supports capability development through training, and contributes to organisational priorities through cross-functional projects, public engagement activities, and support of exhibitions and collection work.

This is an Identified position open to all Australian Citizens

About the Group

The Collections Services Group is responsible for the development, management, preservation and provision of access to the AIATSIS Collection at both Maraga (Canberra) and Mparntwe (Central Australia) sites. The Group manages, describes, preserves, digitises and provides access to the AIATSIS Collection.

About the Program Area

The Collection Development & Care Program is responsible for building, documenting and maintaining the AIATSIS Collection to ensure its long term preservation and accessibility. The program acquires new collection materials in line with AIATSIS' legislative function and strategic priorities and ensures appropriate description, cataloguing and metadata standards are applied. The program includes the Rights and Policy Unit, the Acquisition, Registration and Cultural Gifts Unit and the Curatorial, Exhibition, Conservation and Loans Unit. Key operational activities include developing, conserving and preserving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural heritage material in the AIATSIS collection in a culturally safe way. Engaging with donors and depositors to expand the collection, curating domestic and international display and exhibitions (both online and physical), implementing collection care practices, facilitating loans and managing the rights and policy environment of the AIATSIS collection.

Role Summary

This role requires a qualified and experienced Conservation professional, who will be responsible for the care and preservation of the AIATSIS Collection. Working as part of a small multidisciplinary team, the role undertakes conservation and collection care activities across a broad range of material types in response to operational priorities. The Conservator provides specialist conservation expertise to support the preservation, accessibility, and long‑term care of the collection. The role undertakes conservation assessments and treatments, contributes to preventive conservation programs, and delivers collection care activities including exhibition support, storage, transport, and rehousing. The position collaborates with a broad range of internal and external stakeholders, provides specialist advice, supports capability development through training, and contributes to organisational priorities through cross‑functional projects, public engagement activities, and support of exhibitions and collection work.

The key duties of the position include:

• carry out routine operation of all aspects of conservation and collection care to the highest professional standards, including condition assessments, hands‑on treatments in preventative and interventive, risk management, preparation for exhibition and loans, transportation and storage.
• maintain conservation records and documentation on all treatments undertaken and prepare condition reports and advice on, new acquisitions, exhibition display, inward and outward loans, work activities and conservation project scheduling.
• liaise with Curatorial staff, Registration and other technical staff and support the Assistant Director in the conservation needs of the collection, including its display, packing and storage.
• provide expert advice on all matters relating to the conservation and care of the collection. This may include internal stakeholders, exhibition development, scheduling, storage, movement and transportation of the collection.
• participate, develop and contribute to conservation methodologies, technique and materials research relevant to the care of the collections as required.
• participate and support all conservation and preservation activities including design and manufacture of packing and display systems, design and maintenance of storage systems, integrated pest management, environmental control activities and disaster response.
• other duties as required.

Eligibility

Cultural capability - essential

Roles at AIATSIS require candidates to have an understanding of the issues affecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and proven culturally appropriate engagement and communications skills.The nature of this role requires the candidate to consistently demonstrate the following specific cultural capabilities:

• understand Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander business within the agency and the outcomes the agency is responsible for delivering.
• works in genuine partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to achieve shared outcomes.
• communicates respectfully with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander stakeholders, clients, and colleagues.
• has an authentic and respectful interest in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture, policy, and implementation matters.

AIATSIS embodies Yindyamarrain everything we do.

Skills, knowledge and personal attributes

To be successful in this role, you will have substantial professional experience in conservation within a cultural institution, or community organisation. You will have a demonstrated understanding of the role of a major specialist collection in meeting the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander people.

You will come with the following skills, experience and attributes:

• professional qualifications and hands on training in Conservation is essential, including at least five years relevant professional experience. A specialisation in the conservation of paper based and bound material is highly desirable. Equivalent relevant skills and experience will be recognised.
• sound knowledge and practical experience in the conservation and care of cultural heritage collections, including an understanding of the appropriate care and management of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s cultural materials. This includes knowledge of Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP), relevant cultural protocols, and cultural safety considerations.
• proven ability to apply established conservation and preservation principles, techniques and practices across a broad range of material types and collection preservation activities.
• demonstrated hands on experience and knowledge of collection care activities, including conservation treatment, collection storage, packing and transport, exhibition preparation, installation, and display.
• well-developed written and verbal communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build effective relationships and work collaboratively with a diverse range of stakeholders. Experience in providing training to a diverse range of people is highly regarded
• strong organisational, time management and problem‑solving skills, with the ability to work independently, manage competing priorities, and deliver quality outcomes within agreed timeframes.
• demonstrated experience contributing to the development and improvement of work practices, policies and procedures. Experience using collection management systems and other collection management tools is highly regarded.

Notes

Applications close 11.30pm Sunday 11 October 2026.

The successful candidate/s will need to undergo:

• Police check
• 6 month probation
• Medical clearance (ongoing roles only)

This vacancy is being advertised concurrently under an identified and affirmative measure recruitment process. There is 1 position available.

Identified positions

Identified positions are roles that require people to understand the issues affecting Indigenous Australians and a proven ability to communicate sensitively with them.These requirements are generally for jobs that involve providing services or developing policies for Indigenous Australians, and/or direct interaction with Indigenous communities.

Identified positions are crucial in ensuring that the APS has the right people working on initiatives to improve the delivery of services and close the gap between Indigenous and non‑Indigenous Australians and are open to all Australian citizens.

At AIATSIS all positions are Identified positions where candidates are required to demonstrate an understanding of the diversity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, their cultures, and their issues and to be able to communicate respectfully with them. You must provide the name and contact details of an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander referee. This referee will be contacted to determine your cultural capability.

What is Cultural Capability?

As all positions at AIATSIS are ‘Identified’ each position will have various elements of involvement with the delivery of Indigenous specific services, programs, and policies as part of AIATSIS core functions.AIATSIS therefore needs to also identify the cultural knowledge; skills and personal attributes needed to deliver the required outcomes.

Every part of how we work, who we work with and for, requires varying levels of knowledge of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, protocols and an understanding of issues that enable effective communication and ultimately effective performance in the role. To assist you in determining the required cultural capabilities of this role, you can refer to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Capability – A Framework for Commonwealth Agencies.

Getting to know the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies

We are Australia’s only national institution focused exclusively on the diverse history, cultures, and heritage of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australia. We house the world’s most important and extensive collection of cultural information and material and we provide leadership, publish and promote greater understanding and appreciation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. We create opportunities for people the world over to engage with and be transformed by the knowledge, the culture and the story of Australia’s Indigenous peoples. We are Australia’s national institution for leadership in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander research.We care for a priceless collection, including films, photographs, video and audio recordings as well as the world’s largest collection of printed and other resource materials for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander studies. We undertake and encourage scholarly, ethical, community‑based research in a variety of sectors, including health, native title, languages and education. Our publishing house, Aboriginal Studies Press, regularly publishes outstanding writing that promotes Australian Indigenous cultures. Our activities affirm and raise awareness of the richness and diversity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and histories.