Heritage Science Analyst

National Museums Scotland; City of Edinburgh; On-site; GBP 22,000 - 25,000; Part time

Job summary

Join a forward-thinking organization as a Heritage Science Analyst, where you will contribute to the scientific analysis of 18th-century paintings. This part-time role offers the chance to work within a multidisciplinary team, applying innovative methods and cutting-edge equipment to enhance our understanding of cultural heritage. You will engage with diverse communities and promote the museum's scientific competence while enjoying generous benefits, including flexible working options and access to national museums. If you're passionate about heritage science and eager to make an impact, this is the perfect opportunity for you.

Benefits

Civil Service Pension Scheme

Generous Annual Leave

Cycle to Work Scheme

Free Access to Museums

Exclusive Retail Discounts

Wellbeing Benefits

Flexible Working Options

Qualifications

• Proven experience in a scientific laboratory delivering analytical data.
• Ability to solve problems using complex analytical equipment.

Responsibilities

• Apply non-destructive methods to analyze painted surfaces.
• Collaborate with conservation and scientific staff for research projects.

Skills

Analytical Skills

XRF

SEM

FTIR

Problem Solving

Education

Degree in Science

Tools

Analytical Equipment

Job description

Heritage Science Analyst | Part time | 21 hours | Fixed Term until 31 March 2026

Salary: £36,932 to £40,123 per annum, pro rata to £22,159 to £24,073 per annum

Hours: 21 hours per week | 3 days between Monday and Friday

Location: National Museums Collection Centre

National Museums Scotland is one of the leading museum groups in Europe with one of the largest and most diverse collections in the world.

As an organisation our values are Creative, Inclusive, Collaborative and Forward-thinking.

We are looking for enthusiastic, passionate, committed individuals to join the Collections Science team.

Benefits of joining us as our Heritage Science Analyst will include:

• Annually alongside your salary of £22,159 to £24,073, National Museums Scotland contributes 28.97% of this towards you being a member of the Civil Service Pension Scheme
• A generous annual leave of 28.5 days - rising to 33.5 after 5 years, plus an additional 8 paid days public holidays. For part time staff annual leave and public holidays will be pro-rated to reflect your normal working hours.
• Cycle to Work scheme
• Free access to national (and international) museums and exhibitions
• Exclusive discounts on both local and national High Street and online retailers
• A range of wellbeing benefits including Employee Assistance Programme 24/7
• Flexible working options such as hybrid working, part time working, paid special leave, career breaks and unpaid leave
• Access to all the above and more from day one of employment.
  
  

To see more of our benefits please visit out dedicated benefits page on our careers portal.

About the Heritage Science Analyst role:

The position we are recruiting for is situated within the Collections Science section, and the selected candidate will be reporting to the Analytical Scientist. The job holder will be an early career scientific analyst. They will contribute to enhance and promote the scientific competence of National Museums Scotland in the area of heritage science. The job holder will bring with them new ways of thinking to optimise the application of cutting-edge scientific equipment at National Museums Collection Centre for the study of paintings. Working within a multidisciplinary team and with external stakeholders, they will develop scientific imaging and pigment analysis protocols to better understand a group of paintings from 18th-century India. Throughout the project, the job holder will contribute to the team’s efforts to engage diverse communities with the scientific analysis, South Asian cultural heritage and the field of heritage science. This position is co-funded by the Art Fund Re-imagine Grant, 2023 and National Museums Scotland Charitable Trust, 2024.

As a Heritage Science Analyst at National Museums Scotland you will:

• Apply non-destructive or minimally invasive methods to analyse painted surfaces to develop expert knowledge about a group of 18th-century paintings from India
• Collaborate proactively with the museum’s conservation, scientific, curatorial and photography staff, and externally, to enable the museum to deliver this externally funded research project
• Enable public access to the work of the Collections Science Section by dealing with enquiries and visitors and organising study visits
• Represent National Museums Scotland in the academic and cultural sectors as required and give professional advice
  
  

Skills and experience we’re looking for in our Heritage Science Analyst:

• Excellent analytical scientist skills including the ability to solve problems
• Experience using complex analytical equipment such as XRF, SEM, FTIR
• Proven experience in a scientific laboratory, or similar environment, and delivering analytical data at a research standard
• Experience of analytical work, including sample preparation, documentation, data interpretation
  
  

Hiring the right person for the right job is everything to us. We want to encourage you to apply if you think this is the role for you.

Please be sure to view our recruitment pack for this role (available on our careers website: careers.nms.ac.uk) for full details of the position that may help with your application.

The closing date for this role is 23/05/2025. The Selection Event is likely to take place 10/06/2025.