Conservator (12-month fixed term)

National Museums; United Kingdom; Hybrid; GBP 20,000 - 33,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Meaningful work

Career growth

Work-life balance

Healthcare cash plan

Wellbeing support

Colleague networks

Contributory pension

Interest-free loans

Museum discounts

Job summary

National Science and Media Museum in Bradford is seeking a Conservator on a 12-month fixed-term contract. You will lead conservation work across exhibitions, loans and transfers, with 35 hours per week on a hybrid basis and a minimum on-site commitment.

Salary £33,127 per annum, reporting to the Conservation and Collections Care Manager. We welcome applicants with a conservation qualification or equivalent experience, strong team-working, and the ability to deliver conservation plans while

Qualifications

• Conservation qualification or equivalent practical experience.
• Proven experience with remedial conservation of 2D and 3D objects.
• Experience delivering exhibitions, loans and acquisitions conservation plans.
• Strong IT skills in Word, Excel and collections databases (ideally MIMSY XG).

Responsibilities

• Develop and deliver conservation plans for exhibitions and loans.
• Coordinate and manage staff, students and volunteers as needed.
• Collaborate with sites to deliver conservation across projects.
• Produce conservation reports and liaise across departments and with the public.

Skills

Teamwork

Communication

Planning

Independent working

Education

Conservation qualification or equivalent experience

Tools

MIMSY XG

Photoshop

Word

Excel

Job description

Details:

Location: Bradford, West Yorkshire

Category: Conservation

Salary: Up to £33127 per annum + 12-month fixed term contract

Contract type: Contract Temporary

Hours: Full time

Telephone: [phone]

Conservator (12-month fixed term)

Are you a conservator who's energised by working across the full spectrum - from vintage film and broadcast equipment to contemporary gaming technology and photography collections?

About us

The National Science and Media Museum in Bradford explores the science and culture of image and sound technologies, and their impact on our lives. The museum displays world-famous collections in photography, film, animation, broadcast and sound and gaming technologies.

The Conservation and Collections Care team (C&CC) support all conservation activity across the collection and are responsible for establishing and maintaining conservation and collection care standards. We are looking for an enthusiastic and knowledgeable Conservator to join the team at the Science and Media Museum

About the role

You will be instrumental in the development and delivery of conservation and collection care aspects of exhibitions and masterplan projects at the Science Museum Group. On occasion you may manage short term staff, students and volunteers.

You will be joining the SMG Conservation and Collections Care team, working with conservators across all SMG sites. In this role you be covering a diverse range of activities. Working closely with colleagues across departments and sites you will be developing, coordinating and delivering conservation plans for exhibitions, loans, acquisitions and transfers, installations and decants.

This is a fixed-term contract for 12 months, based at the National Science and Media Museum in Bradford. You'll work 35 hours per week on a hybrid basis - while this is primarily a site-based role, you'll be required on-site for a minimum of 40% of your working hours, with the remainder flexible and agreed with your line manager. The salary is £33,127 full time, and you'll report to the Conservation and Collections Care Manager.

About you

We're keen to see applications from candidates who bring a relevant conservation qualification or equivalent practical experience and knowledge, with a strong track record of undertaking remedial conservation on both 2D and 3D objects. You'll be someone who demonstrates excellent team-working skills, with a genuinely positive approach and the ability to work independently when time-sensitive situations demand it. We need someone with demonstrable experience of working collaboratively with collections teams to deliver exhibitions, manage loans and acquisitions, and who can juggle competing priorities with clear planning, resourcing and prioritisation skills. Strong written and verbal communication is essential - you'll be producing conservation reports, liaising across departments and sites, and occasionally presenting conservation work to colleagues and the public.

You’ll have a solid understanding of current UK Health and Safety practice and how it applies to working with collections and hazardous materials, along with practical IT competence in Word, Excel and collections databases (ideally MIMSY XG), and image manipulation software such as Photoshop. Above all, you should be values-driven and genuinely passionate about contributing to an open, inclusive organisation where everyone's contribution is valued. Ideally, you’ll also have experience working with scientific, technical, engineering or modern materials collections, a background in undertaking collections care activities, and awareness of collections-based hazards - but these aren't deal-breakers if you can demonstrate equivalent experience and a keen willingness to learn.

Don't feel you meet all the criteria? We welcome you to apply even if your experience doesn't match directly. With your transferable skills, you could be the right candidate for this, or other opportunities that we have.

What we offer

• Meaningful work. We're a mission-led organisation where the work you do supports us in Inspiring Futures.
• Career growth. We offer enhanced support with personal and professional development.
• Work/life balance. We offer 27 days annual leave in addition to bank holidays, along with flexible policies which support you and your home life.
• Healthcare cash plan. Digital health tools, gym discounts and cashback towards your everyday healthcare costs.
• All our colleagues can access an employee assistance programme and other wellbeing support.
• Colleague networks. Our colleague-led networks are an informal forum for colleagues to come together to discuss topics of shared interest and lived experience. They create a space for people to exchange ideas, discuss best practice, socialise and build a sense of community.
• Enhanced contributory pension. To support you in saving for the future.
• Interest-free loans. When you need a little extra cash for life events or home improvements.
• Great discounts. Free entry to exhibitions, discounts in our shops and cafes, and access to other museums in the NMDC network.

Open for All

Open for All is one of the Science Museum Group's five core values and sets out our important aspiration to be a place for everyone. We are working hard to understand our organisation better and to develop a culture that recognises and values different backgrounds, mindsets, skills, experience, knowledge, and expertise. By having greater diversity, we believe that we will be a stronger and better organisation, capable to continue to Inspire Futures.

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