Conservator in Birmingham

Permanent / Full Time

Hours: 37 Hours Per Week

Salary: £32,401 per annum

Location: Birmingham Museum Sites / Hybrid

Do you know the difference between RH and pH? Are you never happier than when you have a vacuum on your back? Do you love sharing collection care with others? If so, you may be just the person we are looking for.

The Conservation Team at Birmingham Museums Trust (BMT) is looking for an experienced conservator to carry out preventive conservation tasks and some object conservation.

You will take the lead on environmental monitoring, including managing the suite of humidifiers working with the rest of the team, the technicians and the collections access team. You will manage the winter cleaning process, recruiting and working with a team of volunteers to ensure high standards are maintained across all of BMT’s sites. You will support the collections access team to provide high standards of care for stored collections and you won’t be phased by needing to deal with building failures. You will have an understanding of the hazards that collections can present and a pragmatic approach to managing them.

You will have the experience to undertake condition checks for new acquisitions and loans and will be able to undertake conservation as a general objects conservator. You will enjoy sharing your skills and experience with volunteers and our visitors through practical sessions, talks, training and social media posts. Flexible and pragmatic, you will be able to switch from focussing on conservation to working as part of the wider Collections Care team as required.

We are open to applications from those with conservation experience gained from an academic route or experience in conservation. We are looking for those who have achieved ACR status or are on the Pathway to achieve this recognition.

To succeed in this role you will need to be able to demonstrate the following skills and experience:

• Experience in undertaking environmental monitoring functions.
• A good understanding of hazards in collections and the associated legislation.
• Ability to prioritise and solve problems in a pragmatic way.
• Ability to react to change and be flexible.
• Ability to work in a self-directed way and in a team environment.
• Experience in practical conservation, working on a range of material types.
• Experience of working with volunteers and sharing conservation knowledge with a wider audience.
• An understanding of the BMT’s commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion.

This is a full-time post, 37 hours per week.

Important Information: Please read through the job description before applying. When completing your online application form, you must ensure all parts of the form are completed in full. You will need to clearly demonstrate clear examples of your experience and skills where asked and in your supporting statement. You will also need to tell us why you believe you are a suitable candidate. (CV's are not accepted). However, if you have any additional access needs, please do get in touch with the recruitment team and we will endeavour to support you with alternative application processes. Interviews will be taking place on 19th August 2026 with Jane Thompson Webb (Conservation Manager). In advance of the interview, you will receive a copy of the interview questions to prepare, and you will have an opportunity to express any reasonable adjustments you might need. We are an inclusive employer and recruit on the basis of ability, we are keen to hear from any applicants who feel suitably experienced. Any offer of employment will be subject to pre-employment checks being carried out. Close date for applications is 3rd August 2026.