Textile Conservation Intern

Board Of Trustees Of National Museums Of Scotland; City of Edinburgh; On-site; GBP 24,000 - 30,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Civil Service Pension

Annual leave entitlements

Museum access

Wellbeing benefits

Portfolio access

Job summary

National Museums Scotland is seeking a Textile Conservation Intern to join the textile conservation team at the National Museums Collection Centre in Edinburgh. This fixed-term 12-month internship provides hands-on experience under the guidance of senior textile conservators.

You will develop practical conservation skills, contribute to condition surveys and documentation, and may attend a relevant conference or workshop during the year.

Qualifications

• Demonstrable practical skills and manual dexterity.
• Good conservation documentation and reporting skills.

Responsibilities

• Develop and consolidate practical conservation skills by carrying out treatments under supervision of a textile conservator.
• Take part in preventive conservation activities, including environment, pest monitoring and deep cleaning, under supervision of the Collections Care team.
• Assist with condition surveys.
• Undertake supervised conservation research and study to extend skills and experience.
• Assist with written and photographic documentation of treatments undertaken.

Education

MPhil or MA in textile conservation

Job description

Textile Conservation Intern | Full time | 35 hours | Fixed term 12 Months

Full Time Salary: £26,881

Hours: 35 hours per week | Monday – Friday

Contract: Fixed term, 12 months

Location: National Museums Collection Centre, Granton, Edinburgh

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 a recent graduate with a recognised textile conservation degree to join our busy and dynamic textile conservation team. You will be keen to develop your expertise in this specialism. You will be self-motivated and a good team player with a passion for conservation and will be able to communicate this to our wide range of audiences.

Benefits of joining us as our Textile Conservation Intern include

• Annually alongside your salary, National Museums Scotland contributes 28.97% of thistowards 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.
• Free access to national (and international) museums and exhibitions
• A range of wellbeing benefits including Employee Assistance Programme 24/7
• Access to all the above and more from day one of employment.

About the Textile Conservation Intern role

Your role will join our team working under the guidance of the experienced Textile Conservators. You will gain experience from and contribute to a range of textile conservation activities to prepare our truly diverse collection for display. You will have the opportunity during the year to attend a major conference or workshop relevant to your skills development.

As a Textile Conservation Intern at National Museums Scotland you will

• Develop and consolidate practical conservation skills by carrying out treatments, under supervision of a textile conservator
• Take part in Preventive Conservation activities, including environment, pest monitoring and deep cleaning, under supervision of the Collections Care team
• Assist with condition surveys
• Undertake supervised conservation research and study, where relevant, to extend skills and experience
• Assist with written and photographic documentation of treatments undertaken.

Skills and experience we’re looking for in our Textile Conservation Intern

• A relevant degree (MPhil or MA) in textile conservation (or will have submitted by 01.10.25 with an expected pass)
• Demonstrable practical skills and manual dexterity
• Good conservation documentation and reporting skills

Please be sure to view relevant attachments for this role (available on our Careers Portal: careers.nms.ac.uk) for full details of the position.

If you are shortlisted to be invited to the selection event you will also be required to submit a current portfolio of work which will demonstrate your experience and capabilities relevant to this role. Your portfolio will be shared via a hyperlink as part of the application process and details of how to send this to us will be included with your interview invite.

The closing date for this role is 20/09/2026 (20September 2026). The Selection Event is likely to take place 01/10/2026 (01October 2026).

Textile Conservation Intern

Edinburgh, City of Edinburgh, United Kingdom

EH5 1JA

£26,881 per year Generous Civil Service Pension Scheme, Holidays and more

Temporary - Full-time

Closing date: 21/09/2026

Recruitment Pack - TC Internship 2026.pdf

Textile Conservation Intern

Edinburgh, City of Edinburgh, United Kingdom

£26,881 per year Generous Civil Service Pension Scheme, Holidays and more