Collections Assistant

National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty; Ayot St. Lawrence; On-site; GBP 21,000 - 27,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Substantial pension scheme

Free entry to National Trust places

Season ticket loan

EV car lease scheme

Perks at work discounts

Holiday allowance up to 32 days

Job summary

The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty's Shaw's Corner in Ayot St Lawrence is seeking a Collections Assistant who loves history and detail. You’ll help care for fragile objects, textiles and furniture, while explaining the collections to visitors and making their day memorable.

You’ll work as part of a small team, contribute to regular cleaning and record-keeping, and support volunteers in a historic Edwardian house in Hertfordshire countryside.

Qualifications

• Eye for detail while handling precious objects and textiles.
• Willingness to work as part of a small team and with volunteers.
• Commitment to providing friendly, helpful service to visitors.

Responsibilities

• Assist with day-to-day cleaning and care of the collections.
• Monitor environmental conditions and signs of wear in rooms.
• Keep accurate records and support Collections and House volunteers.
• Talk to visitors about the work and the collections.

Skills

Attention to detail

Teamwork

Flexible working

Customer service

Communication

Job description

We’re looking for someone with a love of history and an eye for detail, who’s friendly and open with people. This role is about looking after a historic house and its collections of precious objects, furniture and works of art. And it’s about presenting all of this to people visiting, and helping to make every person’s day memorable and enjoyable.

Hours: You'll work 22.5 hours per week over3 days. From October - March you'll work Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. From April - September you'll work Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

Provisional interview date: 20th October 2026

For this role, you’ll need to complete our online assessment instead of using a C.V. or online application form. This will help us understand more about your strengths and give you more information on the role.

What it's like to work here

Shaw's Corner is open to the public 4 days a week for 6 months each year, from the end of March through to the end of September. You'll join a small team of dedicated staff and enthusiastic volunteers as we undertake our annual winter clean as we enter our closed season.

Once home of the Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw, Shaw's Corner is filled with the remnants of an extraordinary life. From typewriters to priceless works or art, we have a little bit of everything all tucked into a modestly sized Edwardian house in the middle of the Hertfordshire countryside.

What you'll be doing

As a Collections Assistant, you’ll be working with a supportive housekeeping team in an inspiring historic setting. You’ll be helping with the day-to-day cleaning and care of the precious collections of objects, works of art, textiles and furniture that are part of the house’s history. You’ll be alert to details and changes, and will keep a keen eye on everything from the environmental conditions in a room to any signs of wear and tear. You’ll also be keeping accurate records and providing support to our Collections and House volunteers when needed.

It's a role that’s all about people as well, so you’ll be talking to visitors about the work you’re doing and the collections you help to look after.

You can view the full role profile for this role in the document attached. You don't need to have all the knowledge, skills and experience listed in the role profile; this is just to provide a full picture of what’s possible in this role.

Who we're looking for

We’d love to hear from you if you're:

• good hand-to-eye skills, and happy to work from ladders or scaffold towers
• comfortable working in a flexible and adaptable way
• focused on giving great service to everyone you meet
• a team player, but also happy to work on your own initiative
• well-organised and versatile
• willing to learn new skills

The package

The National Trust has the motto ‘For everyone, for ever’ at its heart. We’re working hard to create an inclusive culture, where everyone feels they belong. It’s important that our people reflect and represent the diversity of the communities and audiences we serve. We welcome and value difference, so when we say we’re for everyone, we want everyone to be welcome in our teams too.

• Substantial pension scheme of up to 10% basic salary
• Free entry to National Trust places for you, a guest and your children (under 18)
• Season ticket loan
• EV car lease scheme (for roles that meet the salary criteria)
• Perks at work discounts such as gym memberships, shopping discount codes, cinema discounts
• Holiday allowance up to 32 days relating to length of service, plus holiday purchase scheme, subject to meeting minimum criteria.

National Trust place

Shaw's Corner, Ayot St Lawrence, Welwyn, AL6 9BX

Documents

Collections Assistant - Grade 10 - Career Level A2.pdf

Requirements

Compliance. Eligibility to Work in the UK

Additional information

Closing Date: 11th October 2026

Equal Opportunities Statement

The National Trust celebrates diversity and is committed to creating a fair and equal society, free from discrimination. You can read more about our commitment to inclusion and diversity here .

Safeguarding Statement

The National Trust is committed to a safe recruitment processes to help the organisation attract and appoint the right staff/volunteer for the role and responsibilities as set out in the vacancy advert. We will not accept applicants who are not suitable to work with children, young people or adults at risk. If you have any questions around your suitability for this vacancy, please contact the people service centre.