Senior Conservator

JOB PURPOSE 

The Senior Conservator leads the planning and delivery of collections conservation at the National Trust for Scotland, managing the Conservators within the Collections team. Collections and interiors are central to the Trust’s heritage, offering a tangible link to the people who lived and worked in the buildings we protect.

The role also supports operational teams across the Highlands & Islands region to ensure consistent care and management of collections and interiors. The region includes nine diverse heritage sites - castles, a battlefield visitor centre, a birthplace property, gardens with significant outdoor collections, and two island properties - several of which are among the Trust’s most visited locations.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND ACCOUNTABILITIES

• Provide professional leadership for collections conservation across the Trust and provide authoritative conservation and collections care advice to regional operational teams.
• Line manage the Regional Conservators, setting clear objectives aligned with the Collections Strategy and Operational Plan.
• Lead on Health & Safety and hazards management for the Conservation team and promote a strong culture of compliance and safe working.
• Lead the development and implementation of Trust wide collections conservation standards, procedures, processes, guidance and training in conservation and collections care and manage the development and delivery of the Icon Internship programme.
• Champion the integration of heritage science, data and analysis within conservation practice and support associated research activity.
• Oversee delivery of preventive conservation programmes, ensuring consistent practice across the Trust supporting departmental and organisational strategies and sustainability objectives.
• Lead a prioritised, strategic approach to remedial conservation, commissioning external experts where required.
• Ensure all conservation information and documentation is accurately structured and maintained in Axiell.
• With Collections colleagues, support the planning and delivery of capital projects and plan and lead centrally managed conservation projects, including procurement, temporary staffing, and delegated budgets to minimise risks to collections.
• Lead conservation and collections care input into the development and operational efficiency of the Central Collections Store.
• Monitor risks to collections, including loss, damage, environmental threats and security vulnerabilities, and work with Collections and Operations colleagues to implement appropriate mitigation measures.
• Contribute collections related content to NTS digital channels to support audience engagement activities that promote the value and impact of best practice in conservation and collections care.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS, EXPERIENCE & KNOWLEDGE

Qualifications

Essential

• Recognised qualification in remedial or preventive conservation, or equivalent experience.
• Full driving licence and willingness to travel regularly across Scotland and beyond.
• Desirable
• ICON accreditation (highly desirable).

Experience

Essential

• Proven experience leading a team of conservation professionals.
• Strong track record in project management and people management.
• Up to date deep knowledge of best practice in collections conservation.
• Strong IT skills, including experience with collections management systems.
• Knowledge of ethical, professional, and legal considerations in collections conservation.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities with exceptional attention to detail.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and liaison skills.
• Experience coaching or training others and developing training programmes 
• Demonstrable expertise in preventive and/or remedial conservation of collections and interiors.
• Ability to communicate complex scientific information clearly and accessibly.

Desirable

• Experience of commissioning conservation 
• Experience of working across multiple sites
• Experience of contributing to publications, delivering lectures, or developing audience outreach activities

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