Head of Preventive Conservation

Head of Preventive Conservation
Collection Care
Full-time (41 hours per week)
Permanent
£46,926 per annum
Application deadline: 12pm (midday) on 06 January 2025

About the role:
To lead, develop, manage, and set standards for a specialist team of Preventive Conservators. To make a major contribution to the management and planning of the Conservation Team in support of the Museum Operating Plan, the Public Programme, and all relevant Museum strategies. To contribute to the delivery of the Museum’s Collection Care Strategy, preventive conservation strategies and ensure the collection risk management ethos is embedded across the Museum in line with the Conservation Policy.

Key areas of responsibility:

1. To develop, in conjunction with other senior members of Conservation, operational plans for the Preventive section that support the preservation, conservation and research strategies of Conservation, Collection Care and the Museum.
2. To manage and deliver the operational plan of the section.
3. To develop and manage the Preventive section’s contribution to the Museum’s commercial activities, including international loans and consultancy, and contribute to the generation of income for the Department.
4. To ensure regulatory compliance for the team, including security and health and safety, and to manage delegated budgets for materials.
5. To recruit, lead, manage, mentor and motivate a team of staff with expertise in preventive conservation. Maintain a student placement and other training programmes within the team.

About you:

1. Recognised degree in preventive conservation, conservation, or conservation science or equivalent.
2. Recognised expert in the contemporary principles and practice in preventive conservation, both nationally and internationally.
3. Extensive relevant preventive conservation experience.
4. Knowledge and understanding of risk management principles as applied in the heritage sector.
5. Well established history of preventive conservation work in a museum or heritage sector environment.
6. Management experience at senior level within a heritage organisation.

About the British Museum:
Founded in 1753, the British Museum’s remarkable collection spans over two million years of human history and culture. The Museum is a leading visitor attraction, and its world-famous collection includes the Rosetta Stone, Egyptian mummies, the Sutton-Hoo finds, and the Lewis Chessmen. The Museum also holds an extensive collection of prints and drawings spanning 600 years, including works by the greatest graphic artists Dürer, Michelangelo and Rembrandt.

You can view a selection of our impressive collection of prints and drawings in our virtual gallery.

The Museum offers a competitive benefits package including:

1. Generous annual leave allowance of 25 days (rising to 30 days after 10 years’ service) plus 2.5 privilege days and plus bank holidays.
2. Membership of the civil service defined benefit pension scheme.
3. Free entry to a wide range of museums and exhibitions.
4. Participation in private and public Museum activities, including talks by leading curators from around the world and behind-the-scenes opportunities to learn how museums care for and manage their extraordinary collections.
5. Interest-free travel, bicycle, and rental deposit loans.
6. Professional and personal development opportunities.
7. Employee Assistance Programme.
8. Discounts on food and gift shop purchases.

Additional details:
For more information about this role, please see the job description. Interviews are expected to take place on the 16th and 17th of January 2025. If you have any additional needs that we should be aware of to support you with your application, please provide details to bmrecruit@britishmuseum.org.

The British Museum is committed to promoting equality of opportunity for all staff and job applicants. We aim to create a working environment in which all individuals can make best use of their skills, free from unlawful discrimination or harassment. We value the benefits that a diverse workforce brings to a museum which represents world culture.

We offer a flexible way of working scheme that allows our employees to work remotely in a way that suits them and the organisation. We welcome questions and conversations at interview stage about how flexible working could work for you.

The Museum also adheres to the HMG Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) for pre-employment screening of Civil Servants.