Conservation Intern

National Museums; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 28,000 - 32,000; Full time

Job summary

National Museums invites applications for a 6-month fixed-term internship based at the British Library Centre for Conservation. The role is full-time (36 hours) and targets early-career conservators who recently graduated, offering hands-on experience across Books and Paper, Conservation for Digitisation, Exhibitions and Loans.

You will learn treatment decisions, gain practical skills, and work within a multidisciplinary team, developing both technical and communication abilities while

Qualifications

• Conservation degree required.
• Knowledge of theoretical and practical aspects of the profession.
• High manual dexterity and good attention to detail.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Eligibility to live and work in the UK.
• Graduated in the last 3 years.

Responsibilities

• Gain experience conserving items from the British Library Centre for Conservation's collections.
• Work across Books and Paper conservation, Conservation for Digitisation, Exhibitions and Loans.
• Learn how to make treatment decisions and understand ethical and practical considerations involved.

Skills

Manual dexterity

Attention to detail

Written and verbal communication

Education

Conservation degree

Job description

Location: St Pancras
Contract: Fixed Term for 6 months
Hours: Full time (36 hours)
Grade: Intern
Salary: £27,706 per annum

About the role

This exciting internship opportunity aims to equip an emerging conservation professional with the skills necessary for a career in conservation as well as providing an opportunity to work in a multidisciplinary conservation department within a large public institution. The internship is available to conservators who have graduated in the last 3 years, and who wish to develop their research and practical, hands‑on conservation skills working on a diverse range of items.

The intern will be based in the British Library Centre for Conservation and will spendtime working with Books and Paper conservation,Conservation for Digitisation, Exhibitions and Loans.

They will gain experience conserving items from the BL’s collections to improve the longevity, stability and accessibility of these items. They will learn how to make treatment decisions and gain an understanding of the ethical and practical considerations that this involves.

The successful candidate will have a conservation degree and knowledge of the theoretical and practical aspects of the profession. They will possess high manual dexterity and good attention to detail. They will be highly motivated with good written and verbal communication skills.

The internship is open to those who have the right to live and work in the UK and runs for 6 months.

Closing at 23:59 on Sunday 08 November 2026

If you have any questions, please contact [e-mail]

National Museum Directors' Council, National Museums Liverpool, World Museum, WilliamBrown Street, Liverpool, L3 8EN