Conservator in Standlake

Oxfordshire County Council are seeking to appoint a Conservator at the Oxfordshire Museum Service on a permanent basis. This is an exciting time to join the service as we strive to enhance our collections and explore new ways to make them accessible to audiences. Our museum service cares for a collection of approximately 112,000 objects, split equally between Archaeology and Social History, each overseen by a dedicated Curator. The collections are diverse, with objects from the Palaeolithic period through to contemporary collecting, and encompass a range of object types, including metals, textiles, plastics, organics, stoneware, wood, and human remains.

The Conservator plays a vital part in caring for our remarkable collections, delivering high standards of conservation and collections engagement. The role monitors and maintains environmental conditions, carries out preventive and remedial conservation, and supports loans, exhibitions, and public programming. This is a hands-on role where the Conservator’s expertise is central to preserving objects for future generations, ensuring they are protected, maintained, and made accessible to all. The Conservator cares for the whole collection, whilst reporting directly to the Curator of Social History.

The successful candidate will have a relevant degree and a professional conservation qualification with, or working towards, an accredited status such as ICON. We’re looking for someone who can demonstrate conservation techniques across a variety of museum objects and who understands preventive care for collections, whether on display or in storage. They will have strong communication skills and computer literacy, a familiarity with collections management systems/databases, and the ability to undertake manual tasks. Experience working in a museum environment or as a professional Conservator is helpful but not essential.

The successful applicant will have a genuine interest in promoting collections to audiences and will help us deliver high standards of collections care and engagement by demonstrating the Oxfordshire County Council values of ‘Taking Responsibility’ and ‘Equality and Integrity in everything we do’. They will be happy working independently, as part of the Collections team, or with wider museum colleagues, and with volunteers.

Rewards and benefits include:

• 10% discount in the Museum Café and Shop
• Culture of flexible working
• Technology to support agile working where role permits
• 30 days holiday pro rata plus bank holidays
• Option to ‘buy’ additional holiday
• Employee Assistance Programme including access to health and wellbeing support
• Membership of the Local Government contributory pension scheme, with an employer’s contribution of up to 19.9%
• Enhanced family friendly policies
• Local and national discounts for shopping and travel
• Great learning and development opportunities to support your ongoing development.

At Oxfordshire County Council we are proud of our diverse workforce. Everyone is accepted for who they are, regardless of age, disability, gender identity, marital status, race, faith or belief, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, or on maternity or family leave. We have a number of staff network groups which provide peer support, education and safe spaces for all.

As a Disability Confident employer, we guarantee an interview for disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the job. We also guarantee interviews to care leavers who have completed further education and who meet the essential criteria for the job.

Oxfordshire County Council are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults. We expect all employees, workers and volunteers to share this commitment.

We are open to discussions about flexible working, which can include flexi-time, part-time working, job-sharing, nine-day fortnights and annualised hours, depending on the requirements of the role and the service.