Collections Care and Conservation Supervisor in Chelmsford

We are looking to recruit a Collections Care and Conservation Supervisor to join our team based at our Stafford site. You will join us on a full time, permanent basis and in return, you will receive a competitive salary of £29,497.50 per annum.

The Royal Air Force Museum is a national museum, a Government non departmental public body (NDPB) and a registered charity. We have two public sites in the Midlands and London and a stored collection at Stafford. Our purpose is to share the RAF story - past, present and future - using the stories of its people and our collections to engage, inform and inspire. Our vision is to inspire everyone with the RAF story - the people who shape it and its place in our lives.

Our museum commitments are the golden thread that run through everything that we do. These are:

• Health and Wellbeing
• Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
• Sustainability

Purpose of the Collections Care and Conservation Supervisor role:

You will carry out a variety of crucial conservation tasks to enable the move of our reserve collection to our new purpose-built store. This role will be based at our Stafford site and will work across all three Museum sites as required. Working elsewhere in the UK and abroad may be necessary.

Key responsibilities include:

• Training, leading and managing an ever-changing team of volunteers in undertaking collections care and conservation activities on over 50,000 items from the nationally important RAF Museum collection.
• Carrying out general conservation tasks as needed e.g. emergency interventive treatments, OCRs, IPM and other preventative measures.
• Administration and use of databases and volunteer system, supporting management in planning for and delivering object relocation to a new-build Collections Hub on our Midlands site.
• Recruiting, onboarding, training and supervising volunteers in tasks such as object handling, hazard recognition, preservation condition assessment, weighing, measuring, surface cleaning, packing, bar-coding, updating collections information on our database.
• Working as part of a cross-departmental team to manage, develop and maintain the Museum's computer-based collection management system.
• Ensuring that Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH, including radiation, asbestos and polychlorinated biphenyls) is maintained and recorded at all times, informing the relevant authorities to ensure the mitigation of risk is dealt with in a safe and timely manner.

What we are looking for:

• A relevant degree in conservation or equivalent conservation or collections care experience.
• Practical experience of museum collections care, conservation, documentation and collections management.
• Displays enthusiasm around activities, adopting a positive approach when interacting with others, and motivating team members.
• Listens to, understands, respects and accepts different views, ideas and ways of working.
• Uses experience and knowledge of standard practices, procedures or customs to evaluate problems and make appropriate decisions/provide appropriate advice.
• Is able to deal with unfamiliar situations or issues in an effective manner, understanding when a situation requires reference to a relevant individual.

The closing date for applications is: 09/08/2026. Interviews will take place on: 21/08/2026.

If you think you have what it takes and want to be part of this exciting journey, please click apply now to be re-directed to our jobs page where you can access the application method and details for the Collections Care and Conservation Supervisor role. Join us in delivering our purpose and achieving our vision, ensuring that the Royal Air Force's story continues to enrich and inspire current and future generations. We would love to hear from you.