At a Glance
- Tasks: Pack and prepare museum collections for safe transport and long-term storage.
- Company: Join the Royal College of Surgeons of England, a leader in surgical education and care.
- Benefits: Enjoy 27 days holiday, flexible working, and a great pension scheme.
- Other info: Dynamic role with opportunities for learning and career growth.
- Why this job: Make a real impact by preserving history and contributing to surgical heritage.
- Qualifications: Relevant degree or vocational qualification and conservation training required.
The predicted salary is between 25000 - 31000 £ per year.
The Museums of the Royal College of Surgeons of England cares for 70,000 objects and organic preparations. 23,000 of these are currently housed in offsite storage, including artworks, historic surgical instruments and organic preparations (including human tissue). These need to be moved to a new store by November 2026. To achieve this, RCS England Museums are seeking to appoint a Conservation Assistant to provide conservation support and help in the preparation and physical move of the collections.
As the Conservation Assistant, you will:
- Pack objects and specimens for safe transportation and long-term storage
- Carry out pest inspections of organic preparations
- Assist in auditing, monitoring and tracking movements of the collections
The role requires the post holder to work a five-day week across multiple sites, including RCS Central London headquarters, the offsite store in Southeast London, and a future store within England (location tbd). Please note this job will involve physical work.
About you:
- Hold a relevant degree or level 3 vocational qualification
- Have conservation training
- Have museum or heritage conservation work experience
- Have experience of preparing and packing collections for safe transportation
- Experience of working with natural history/medical collections is desirable
- Have used a collections management system (CMS)
What we can offer you:
- 27 days paid holiday + bank holidays and up to 4 college closure days
- Flexible working
- Enhanced contributory pension scheme & other leave entitlements
- Variety of learning and development opportunities
- Wellbeing programme & Employee Assistance Scheme
If you wish to apply or if you have any questions about this position please email your CV together with a cover letter to RCSHR@rcseng.ac.uk. Any personal data collected from you, or that you provide to us, will be processed by us in accordance with our recruitment processes. If unsuccessful in your application, your information will be held by us on our database for a period of 6 months before deletion. If you would like your information removed sooner, please contact RCSHR@rceng.ac.uk.
Closing date: 4 January 2026
The Royal College of Surgeons of England is an Equal Opportunities Employer. We are open to all talent and we actively ensure that all qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment without regards to age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.
The Royal College of Surgeons of England is committed to protecting your privacy. We are registered as a data controller with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). All College employees are responsible for records held, created and used as part of their work for the College including patient/client, corporate and administrative records. Records are managed according to the requirements of the Data Protection Act 2018 and ensure confidentiality. The College ensures that staff are trained to handle the information you submit to us with care and discretion, seeking advice where necessary.
Conservation Assistant employer: Radix Solutions
The Royal College of Surgeons of England is an exceptional employer, offering a supportive work culture that prioritises employee wellbeing and professional development. With a generous benefits package including 27 days of paid holiday, flexible working arrangements, and a commitment to equal opportunities, the role of Conservation Assistant provides a unique chance to contribute to the preservation of significant historical collections in a dynamic multisite environment across Southeast and Central London.
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We think this is how you could land Conservation Assistant
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We think you need these skills to ace Conservation Assistant
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