Collections Assistant

Starting salary: £25,770

Contract type: Fixed term until 21 June 2026

Grade: 1

Location: Seven Hills, Edinburgh EH11 4EP

Working Hours: Monday - Friday, 35 hours per week

Interviews: Expected to be held week commencing 07 December 2025

As a Collections Assistant you will prepare historic photographs to prescribed standards and will ensure that sufficient material is available for digitisation across the range of workstreams undertaken by NCAP for customer orders, programmes of digitisation and projects with external partners. The Collections Assistants undertake collection preservation that ensures the security and longevity of our collection, while supporting the high-volume, revenue-focused digitisation work of the organisation by supplying suitable collection material and correct data to the digital imaging team.

Benefits of joining us at Historic Environment Scotland

• Enrolment onto a Civil Service Pension scheme – 28% employer contribution
• 25 days annual leave, pro-rata (increasing to 30 days after 3 years public holidays
• Reimbursement for relevant professional subscriptions
• Support for further education and personal development
• Study leave for work related courses
• Flexible working hours (where appropriate)
• Free entry to all of our properties (with up to three guests)
• Free entry to English Heritage, Manx and Cadw properties

Key Responsibilities of this role

• Photographic preservation of historic and contemporary aerial fibre and resin prints, roll film, cut film and microfilm for digitisation using a variety of capture methods.
• Handling collection material while adhering to archival handling standards.
• Identification of collection material and types of deterioration in order to apply appropriate preservation treatments.
• Undertaking preservation techniques including dry and aqueous cleaning, humidification and pressing, some minor tear repairing and rehousing into appropriate enclosures.
• Updating the collection management system.
• Working with the preservation team to and meet production targets and deadlines.

Key requirements of the role:

In order for you to be successful in this post, we will be looking for you to complete a cover letter which addresses:

1. Why you are interested in the post with Historic Environment Scotland

2. How you can meet each of the essential and desirable criteria (in up to 800 words), using examples of where you have used these skills in the past.

Please ensure that you provide real life examples for each of the criteria to be considered for this post. You can use examples of how you have met this criteria from your work life, home life, education or volunteer experience.

Essential Criteria:

• Experience in handling historic photographs, documents or records.
• Good organisational skills and the ability to manage own workload.
• Experience of meeting targets and working to deadlines.
• Self-motivated approach to managing routine tasks.
• Experience within a relevant technical background to the role
• Knowledge or interest in analogue and/or digital photographic processes.

We are dedicated to building a workforce which is reflective of diversity within Scotland. We warmly welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds, regardless of age, race, gender or gender identity, religious beliefs, marital status, sexual orientation, disability, or neurodiversity. In support of our Gaelic Language Plan, we welcome applications from Gaelic speakers.

We want every candidate to have the best chance to succeed during the recruitment process. If you require your application in an alternative format, please reach out to us via email at or call our Head Office at and speak to a member of our People Team.

Please note that, at this time, we are unfortunately unable to provide sponsorship as part of the recruitment process, therefore you must have current right to work in the UK to be considered for a post.