Textile Conservation Intern

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

Benefits offered by this job

Civil Service Pension Scheme

28.5 days annual leave (+8 public hols

Free access to national and国际 museums

Wellbeing benefits

Job summary

National Museums Scotland is offering a Textile Conservation Intern position based at the National Museums Collection Centre in Granton, Edinburgh. The role is full-time (35 hours/week) on a fixed-term contract for 12 months, targeted at recent graduates with a textile conservation degree.

You will gain hands-on experience under experienced conservators, developing practical skills, contributing to condition surveys, documentation, and research while preparing items for display and public

Qualifications

• Practical conservation skills and hands‑on experience in textile care.
• Strong manual dexterity for delicate materials and detailed work.
• Solid documentation and reporting of conservation processes and results.

Responsibilities

• Carry out treatments under supervision of a textile conservator.
• Participate in preventive conservation including environment monitoring.
• Assist with condition surveys and written/photographic documentation.
• Support conservation research and skill development activities.
• Contribute to preparing collection for display.

Skills

Practical conservation

Manual dexterity

Documentation & reporting

Education

Textile conservation degree (MPhil/MA)

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 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.
• 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.

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