Bute Preventive Conservation Internship

Location: North East Regional Office, Crathes Castle, Crathes, Aberdeenshire, AB31 5QJ

Type of Contract: Fixed-Term 18-Month Contract, (November 2026 - April 2028)

Full-Time, 40 Hours Per Week.

Job Purpose

The Bute Preventive Conservation Internship, supported by the Trust's Bute Memorial Fund, is an exceptional opportunity for an emerging conservation professional. The Trust is Scotland's leading conservation charity, with an extensive portfolio of built heritage sites, from castles and country houses to cottages, working historic environments to modern museum facilities. Material culture collections are on open display at more than 50 of these properties, and their care is the responsibility of the Trust's Collections Conservation and Management and Curatorial Teams. Our emphasis is on a collaborative approach rooted in strategy, preventive conservation principles and practice.

Since 2008, the NTS has supported twelve interns, ten of whom were funded through the Bute Memorial Fund. Through their time at NTS, they have all been given an outstanding opportunity to develop their conservation skills, building on the theory and experience of prior formal training.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND ACCOUNTABILITIES

The Bute Preventive Conservation Intern will develop their knowledge, skills and experience under the guidance of the Conservator North East and other Trust staff.

The internship is for a fixed term of 18 months and will follow a work and learning plan mutually agreed between the intern and intern supervisor to include the following opportunities.

• Work closely with the NE Conservator to provide conservation advice, guidance and training to collection care staff to ensure a good level of collection care throughout the region.
• Contribute to all aspects of preventive conservation in an historic house setting, including environmental monitoring and control, condition assessing, integrated pest management, collection management, emergency planning and collection care and cleaning.
• Build on knowledge and skills learnt during formal conservation qualification, expanding real life experience of conservation issues and solutions.
• Experience the process of recognising the need for, and commissioning remedial conservation of collections.
• Attend training and development opportunities internally and externally where offered to develop knowledge, skills and experience in preventive conservation and develop a network of contacts across the sector.
• Contribute to public engagement activities, sharing conservation stories within the Trust and externally to promote both conservation practices and the Bute internship.
• Contribute to regional and national projects including the Fyvie Masterplan Project and the Environmental Monitoring Replacement Project.
• Manage small conservation projects with the support of the Conservator North East to develop project and time management skills.

12 months of the internship will focus on developing skills and experience. The last 6 months of the internship will involve more independent working on agreed projects.

Qualifications

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS, EXPERIENCE & KNOWLEDGE

• Recognised conservation qualification.
• A full UK/EU driving licence, and access to car/own transport

Experience

Essential

• Demonstrable interest in preventive conservation and collection care.
• Highly motivated, reliable and resourceful individual.
• Strong communication skills, willing to work alongside others, in a team and with external professionals.
• Good time management skills, able to prioritise workloads, meet deadlines and organise own learning and work planning.
• Competent user of Microsoft Office products.
• Willing to promote conservation for the benefit of education and public interest.

Desirable

• Able to work at height.
• Experience of working in a heritage property.
• Experience of using collection management systems.

DIMENSIONS AND SCOPE OF JOB

Scale

• Work with the Conservator North East to develop and deliver preventive and remedial conservation for the collections and interiors across the NE region.
• Attend development and learning opportunities available internally and externally.
• Regular travel between 11 main heritage sites within the NE region and Mar Lodge. National travel to other Trust sites for projects and opportunities as required.

People Management

• No direct line management responsibilities.
• Close working with Collections Conservation and Management staff and NE regional staff.

Finance Management

• Not a budget holder.

Tools / equipment / systems

Will Be Required To Work With

• Preventive conservation equipment and materials (COSHH).
• Collection Management System (Axiell).
• Working at height equipment (Ladders, Mobile Access Towers, PASMA)

Training provided where required.

Example key performance indicators and targets

• Regular reviews with Line Manager to ensure development targets laid out in agreed work plan are being met.

The Purpose, Context, Key Responsibilities, and Person Specification reflect the requirements of the job at the time of issue. The Trust reserves the right to amend these with appropriate consultation and/or request the post-holder to undertake any activities that it believes to be reasonable within the broad scope of the job or his/her general abilities.