Textiles & Costume Conservator — Global Stewardship

Museum of Fine Arts Houston; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation support

Medical Insurance

Dental Insurance

Vision Insurance

MFAH Membership

Job summary

Museum of Fine Arts Houston (MFAH) seeks a Conservator of Textiles and Costume to join the Sarah Campbell Blaffer Foundation Center for Conservation. This full-time role focuses on preserving textiles and costumes within a dynamic, cross-disciplinary setting with a rapidly expanding collection.

The Conservator will lead treatment, documentation, and preservation planning, collaborating with Conservation Science and contributing to research, education, and public programs.

Qualifications

• Graduate degree in Conservation or equivalent training.
• Minimum two/ five/ ten years of post-graduate textile conservator experience.
• Knowledge of museum standards and ethical guidelines.
• Experience with flat textiles and costumes.
• Strong written and verbal English communication.

Responsibilities

• Examine, document, and treat textiles and costume per ethics guidelines.
• Develop treatment plans for historical to contemporary works.
• Document analyses, material descriptions, and handling recommendations.
• Provide condition assessments for acquisitions and loans.
• Contribute to preventive conservation planning and storage design.
• Collaborate with Conservation Science on analytical research.
• Engage in collection-based research and publications.
• Mentor interns and professionals, and support outreach.

Skills

Textile conservation

Costume conservation

Documentation skills

English communication

Collaboration

Education

Graduate degree in Conservation

Tools

Imaging systems

Museum databases

Standard software

Job description

Museum of Fine Arts Houston (MFAH) seeks a Conservator of Textiles and Costume to join the Sarah Campbell Blaffer Foundation Center for Conservation. This full-time role focuses on preserving textiles and costumes within a dynamic, cross-disciplinary setting with a rapidly expanding collection.

The Conservator will lead treatment, documentation, and preservation planning, collaborating with Conservation Science and contributing to research, education, and public programs.