Senior Objects Conservator & Lab Lead

Balboa Art Conservation Center; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 80,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

Paid time off

Retirement plan

Professional development stipend

Relocation assistance

Job summary

Balboa Art Conservation Center in San Diego, CA seeks a Senior Objects Conservator or Head of Lab to lead the Objects Conservation Department. This role combines high-level conservation work with staff mentorship and workflow development to advance BACC’s mission and diversify service delivery.

The Senior Objects Conservator will oversee treatments, ensure ethics and quality, and collaborate with leadership to expand outreach, training, and client services across a regional nonprofit setting.

Qualifications

• Advanced training from a recognized art or objects conservation program.
• Strong leadership and team management capable.
• Ability to lead complex conservation treatments and mentor staff.
• Candidate must be authorized to work in the U.S. at time of application.

Responsibilities

• Adhere to conservation best practices and ethics.
• Approve treatment proposals and manage quality control.
• Lead surveys, exams, and analysis for conservation projects.
• Perform advanced treatments and document outcomes with minimal supervision.
• Develop workflows to maximize efficiency while upholding standards.
• Mentor conservators and collaborate with operations leadership.

Skills

Leadership

Mentoring

Hand-skills

Decision-making

Team management

Independent work

Communication

Education

Advanced conservation training

Tools

Microsoft 365

Adobe Creative Cloud

Google Drive

SharePoint

Airtable

monday.com

Job description

Balboa Art Conservation Center in San Diego, CA seeks a Senior Objects Conservator or Head of Lab to lead the Objects Conservation Department. This role combines high-level conservation work with staff mentorship and workflow development to advance BACC’s mission and diversify service delivery.

The Senior Objects Conservator will oversee treatments, ensure ethics and quality, and collaborate with leadership to expand outreach, training, and client services across a regional nonprofit setting.