Assistant Conservator (Paintings), HCC

National Heritage Board; Singapore; On-site; SGD 42,000 - 62,000; Full time

Job summary

National Heritage Board's Heritage Conservation Centre in Singapore seeks an Assistant Conservator (Paintings) to care for and conserve canvases and panels in the National Collection.

You will support exhibition planning, documentation, and preventive conservation under senior supervision.

Qualifications

• Background in Conservation or related discipline is required.
• Foundational understanding of chemistry and art/heritage science, with knowledge of materials deterioration and conservation methods.
• High manual dexterity and aesthetic sensitivity; familiarity with conservation tools/techniques.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills; keen attention to detail and organisational abilities.
• Ability to work respectfully with multicultural materials and contexts.
• Ability to work both collaboratively and independently, managing multiple tasks and meeting deadlines.
• Physical ability to handle collection objects with care and work in storage environments.
• Proactive, collaborative, and adaptable in a multilingual/multiracial environment.

Responsibilities

• Carry out conservation work for paintings in the National Collection, including condition assessment, documentation, photography, interventive treatments, and framing under supervision.
• Assist in planning and coordinating exhibition and gallery revamp preparations, including conservation-related and administrative tasks and stakeholder liaison.
• Maintain written, digital and photographic records in the collections management system.
• Support preventive conservation activities such as environmental monitoring, pest management, display mounting, handling and storage improvements.
• Assist with conservation studies or research projects contributing to knowledge building for the National Collections.
• Participate in outreach initiatives and educational activities to promote heritage conservation.
• Provide general administrative support to the department as required.

Skills

Manual dexterity

Attention to detail

Verbal communication

Written communication

Teamwork

Multicultural sensitivity

Education

Bachelor's degree in Conservation

Job description

What the role is:

The Heritage Conservation Centre (HCC) is an institution of the National Heritage Board (NHB) and supports the collecting and display activities of more than ten museums and heritage institutions across NHB. HCC's main mission is to care for the National Collection, facilitate its current and future access and promote its use while enhancing its cultural significance. HCC is located in a purpose-built facility that serves as the centralised storage and conservation labs for the National Collection of Singapore. The National Collection encompasses a wide range of art and heritage objects, including but not limited to decorative objects, social history objects, contemporary art installations, industrial and technical heritage objects.

Currently, the Conservation department at HCC comprises 6 conservation specialisations organised in sections: Inorganic Objects, Organic Objects, Paintings, Paper, Textiles, and Conservation Science. HCC is now recruiting an Assistant Conservator to join the Paintings conservation section.

The Assistant Conservator (Paintings) is a member of the Paintings Conservation section within the Conservation department. Working under the supervision of senior conservators, the role supports the organisation’s mission to manage, care for and facilitate access to the National Collection through interventive conservation work, exhibition support, contributing to long-term preservation strategy, preventive conservation, and outreach initiatives.

What you will be working on:

Collection care

• Carry out conservation work for canvas and panel paintings in the National Collection, including condition assessment and documentation, photography, interventive treatments, and framing and mountings under the supervision of the Paintings Conservator.
• Assist the Paintings project lead in planning and coordinating exhibition and gallery revamp preparations, including conservation-related and administrative tasks such as scheduling and liaison with internal and external stakeholders.
• Maintain written, digital and photographic records on the organisation’s collections management system.
• Support preventive conservation activities such as environmental monitoring, pest management, display mounting, handling and storage improvements.

Research, Advocacy, and Professional development

• Assist with conservation studies or research projects that will contribute to the long-term knowledge building for the National Collections, including the documentation of findings and preparation of reports or publications where relevant.
• Participate in HCC’s outreach initiatives, such as public programmes, talks, or educational activities that advocate for heritage conservation.
• Keep abreast of developments in paintings conservation practice and contributing to the professional development of the section.

General support

• Assist with administrative duties or institutional projects, as assigned.

The above job description is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities or qualifications associated with the job. Other duties may be assigned.

What we are looking for:

• Background in Conservation, or a related discipline such as Science, Fine Arts and Humanities, or Design is required. Candidates with equivalent professional experience will also be considered.
• Candidates are expected to have a foundational understanding of both chemistry and art and heritage science, including basic knowledge of materials and their deterioration processes, conservation ethics, and conservation treatment methods and terminology. For candidates with a degree in Arts and Humanities or Design, a minimum of 'O' Level Chemistry or equivalent is required, with GCE 'A' Level or equivalent preferred.
• High degree of manual dexterity and aesthetic sensitivity are essential, along with familiarity with commonly used conservation tools and techniques. Experience in diverse painting techniques will be advantageous.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, with keen attention to detail, patience, and organisational abilities.
• Ability to work respectfully with multicultural materials, with sensitivity to their cultural significance and contexts.
• Ability to work both collaboratively as part of a team and independently, managing multiple tasks and meeting deadlines.
• Physical ability to handle collection objects with care, work in storage environments.
• A proactive approach to work, with the initiative to identify and address issues, and a positive and collaborative disposition.
• Ability to adapt in a multi-lingual and multi-racial environment.

Work Location:

The Assistant Conservator (Paintings) will be based at HCC (32 Jurong Port Road, Singapore 619104), and may be required to occasionally travel to other work locations in Singapore.

Successful candidates will be offered a 2-year contract in the first instance.

About National Heritage Board

The National Heritage Board (NHB) champions the development of a vibrant cultural and heritage sector in Singapore. Our role is to make heritage enriching, relevant, accessible and above all, enjoyable to Singaporeans and visitors alike.If you have the Passion…to build a nation of confident people and sense of rootedness…to deliver great service towards a strong community…to inspire generations of Singaporeans through heritage preservation…to continually innovate and develop yourself as a professional…to have fun while doing all of the aboveWe Want You!http://www.nhb.gov.sg