Overview
Role Summary
Conservator: Organics
Collection Care and Moves
Part-time (21.6 hours per week)
Permanent
£39,105 per annum (pro-rata)
Application deadline: 12pm (midday) on 15 September 2025
About the role:
The successful postholder will take the lead in the care of the collection to support the Museum’s operating plan and to proactively engage with the Public Programme activities of the Collection Care and Moves department. This role requires the successful Conservator: Organics to have excellent knowledge in interventive and preventive measures across a wide range of organic materials, and significant post-graduate experience working in organic object conservation, archaeological organics material would be desirable.
Key areas of responsibility:
- Conserve objects made of organic materials for loans, temporary exhibitions and permanent display.
- Advise on the care and conservation of collections made of organic materials.
- Act as conservation exhibition and loan liaison and member of core project teams as necessary.
- Line manage, motivate and develop one member of staff.
- Devise and undertake projects for the care of the collections in store.
- Underpin care of the collection through research, documentation, surveys, data collection, and analysis.
- Ensure best practice and compliance with latest health and safety legislation.
- Contribute to the conservation of materials/object types outside own area of expertise as necessary and develop new preventive or interventive measures as appropriate.
- To proactively engage with the department’s outreach activities through public speaking and publication
- To assist with the day-to-day running of the department and work collaboratively with colleagues across the Museum, other institutions and groups, and ensure good relations with stakeholders.
- To change the focus of work in line with museum priorities and work on other duties as assigned.
About you:
- Professional conservation qualification to degree level (or equivalent) with the conservation of the material relevant to the specialism of the role.
- Excellent demonstrable practical skills in the conservation of a wide range of organic materials.
- Experience with loans and display related activities.
- Excellent knowledge of contemporary principles and practice in preventive conservation.
- Strong understanding of conservation theory and ethical decision making.
- Relevant knowledge of health and safety.
- Good computing skills and proficiency with a range of IT systems.
- Ability to lead and motivate a team to deliver agreed outcomes.
About the British Museum:
Founded in 1753, the British Museum’s remarkable collection spans over two million years of human history and culture. The Museum is a leading visitor attraction, and its world-famous collection includes the Rosetta Stone, Egyptian mummies, the Sutton-Hoo finds, and the Lewis Chessmen. The Museum also holds an extensive collection of prints and drawings spanning 600 years, including works by the greatest graphic artists such as Dürer, Michelangelo and Rembrandt.
You can view a selection of our impressive collection of prints and drawings in our virtual gallery.
The Museum offers a competitive benefits package including:
- Generous annual leave allowance of 25 days (rising to 30 days after 10 years’ service) plus 2.5 privilege days and plus bank holidays.
- Membership of the civil service defined benefit pension scheme (find out here what benefits a civil service pension provides).
- Free entry to a wide range of museums and exhibitions
- Participation in private and public Museum activities, including talks by leading curators from around the world and behind-the-scenes opportunities to learn how museums care for and manage their extraordinary collections.
- Interest-free travel, bicycle, and rental deposit loans
- Professional and personal development opportunities
- Employee Assistance Programme
- Discounts on food and gift shop purchases
Additional details:
For more information about this role, please see the job description.
The interviews are expected to take place on Wednesday 8 October 2025.
If you have any additional needs that we should be aware of to support you with your application, please provide details to bmrecruit@britishmuseum.org.
We have a legal responsibility to ensure that employees have the right to work in the UK. If you currently do not hold the right to work in the UK, we can only sponsor a limited number of roles that meet eligibility criteria. To offer a sponsorship, the job role you apply needs to be in the list of eligible occupations: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/skilled-worker-visa-eligible-occupations. Additionally (with some limited exceptions), the role will need to meet the new minimum salary threshold of £41,700 or the going rate for the job, whichever is the highest. You can find more information here: https://www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa/your-job
The British Museum is committed to promoting equality of opportunity for all staff and job applicants. We aim to create a working environment in which all individuals can make best use of their skills, free from unlawful discrimination or harassment. We value the benefits that a diverse workforce brings to a museum which represents world culture. The Museum is committed to ensuring that no job applicant suffers unlawful discrimination because of any protected characteristics. Our recruitment procedures aim to ensure that individuals are treated because of their relevant knowledge, skills, and experience.
We specifically encourage applications from candidates from ethnic minority groups who are underrepresented within our senior roles.
We offer a flexible way of working scheme that allows our employees to work remotely in a way that suits them and the organisation. We welcome questions and conversations at interview stage about how flexible working could work for you. This role will require the successful postholder to work Wednesdays (9am-5pm) but there is flexibility on how the rest of the week will look like.
The Museum also adheres to the HMG Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) for pre-employment screening of Civil Servants.
