JOB PURPOSE
The collections and interiors held by the National Trust for Scotland are historically significant and an important part of the visitor experience at many properties. The Regional Conservator North East will provide leadership and support for operational teams to ensure the consistent care and management of collection and interiors across the region. They will support remedial conservation projects, including ‘conservation in action’, loan in and out, temporary displays and exhibitions and will maintain information on all aspects of conservation through the Axiell Collections Management & Conservation System. The job holder will collaborate with colleagues from across the Trust to ensure the preservation of, and access to, collections & interiors; the creation of conservation information for collections on display and in storage and support the delivery of engagement activities. The role holder will also be expected to lead on Trust-wide conservation activities relating to either Environmental Monitoring or Training and Standards.
The post covers thirteen sites across Aberdeenshire and Angus housing important collections and interiors. These include castles, mansion houses, birthplace properties, garden properties with significant outdoor collections and a working mill.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND ACCOUNTABILITIES
• Develop, lead, and manage preventive conservation regimes and collection care practices (IPM, Environmental Monitoring, Object Handling & Moving, Storage and Collections & Interiors Cleaning), including providing training for collections care staff at properties in the North East
• Work closely with Project Conservators in the region to provide targeted and meaningful support for major projects at properties
• Lead the on the prioritisation and delivery of remedial conservation projects for collections and interiors in the region commissioning external consultants and contractors as required.
• Uphold the Trust’s conservation and collection management framework & policies and promote the wider work of the collections team to regionally based colleagues, by signposting to centrally based colleagues and resources where appropriate
• Maintain personal awareness of sector best practice and ensure high professional standards in Collections & Interiors Conservation are delivered and maintained at properties
• Collaborate to develop and facilitate innovative visitor experiences and engagement activities with Collections & Interiors at properties and provide conservation knowledge to interpretation and learning activities, exhibitions, and publications.
• Develop and manage improvements to Environmental Conditions & Systems within properties in collaboration with relevant stakeholders and support properties by ensuring Collections Incident Response Plans and equipment are in place and up to date, and that staff are trained appropriately
• Lead on the strategic development of a core theme of collections care across the whole Trust, as part of the Collections Conservation and Management Team, and work with Conservator colleagues to implement this (either Environmental Monitoring and Control or Training and Standards).
• Provide annual strategic budget requirements to regional Operations Managers for discussion with Business Managers and Regional Directors and central conservation budget requirements to the Head of Collections.
• Promote and develop NTS conservation activities through collaboration with other organisations such as ICON, National Trust, Universities, Emergency Planning Group, HES, and other heritage organisations
Other duties which may arise, including managing national conservation projects, ensuring that any work produced under the umbrella of the Conservation & Policy Directorate is outcome led, focused on delivery, and supports the needs of properties while aligning to NTS Sustainable practices.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS, EXPERIENCE & KNOWLEDGE
Qualifications
Essential
• A recognised qualification in remedial or preventive conservation or equivalent experience
Driving Licence, valid for driving within the UK, and a willingness to travel
Desirable
A strong commitment to continuous professional development, including ICON Accreditation status
Experience
Essential
• Substantial and relevant post-qualifying experience of delivering preventive and/or remedial conservation of collections and interiors
• A demonstrable level of technical expertise and sound professional judgment
• Excellent communication, influencing and advocacy skills, including the ability to communicate complex scientific concepts in an accessible way, combined with demonstrable experience of building and maintaining relationships across teams and within organisations
• An eye for detail, accuracy, and ability to analyse and present data in engaging ways for advocacy purposes
• Ability to travel and work out with contracted hours and/or nights away in more distant parts of the country as necessary
• A flexible attitude with an ability to prioritise and re-prioritise workload in the face of changing demands and in the context of a developing and changing organisational environment
• Experience of collections management and conservation systems and procedures (Axiell or similar)
• Competent user of Microsoft Office products
• A full driving licence, current for driving within the United Kingdom, own car, and willingness to travel across Scotland and on occasion abroad.
Desirable
• Experience of commissioning contractors, managing projects, and overseeing budgetary spend
• Strong professional networks and contacts within the sector
• Experience of leading training programmes, system development and business change projects
• Demonstrable experience of creating and enabling interpretive and audience-visitor experience solutions and promoting these through presentations, research publishing and the use of social media
DIMENSIONS AND SCOPE OF JOB
Scale
• Provision of preventive and remedial conservation to collections and interiors to properties within the Region
• Dotted Line Reporting to Regional Director and Operations Managers within the region
• Dotted Line management of Collections Care staff in the region
People Management
• There are currently no permanent roles reporting to this post, but the post-holder will be expected to line manage temporary project staff, interns and volunteers as needed
• Management of contractors
• Close working relationships with property-based staff
• Pro-actively and routinely liaise internally with Collections Conservation & Management Team members, curatorial colleagues, surveyors, and central teams
Finance Management
• Not a budget holder but will contribute to budget management by identifying appropriate levels of prioritised budget for preventive and remedial conservation in properties with Regional Business Managers and Collections Manager
• Prioritised spend of centralised Remedial Conservation budget
• Work with fundraising team on grant applications and support for fundraising activities
Tools / equipment / systems
Knowledge and skills in the use of preventive conservation equipment and chemicals (COSHH), working at height equipment (PASMA)
Actively promotes and leads a safe working environment including the use of PPE
Axiell Collections Management System
Example key performance indicators and targets
Environmental conditions KPI
Collections Care Index (CCI)
