Project Conservator

As the living, growing home of our national story, The National Archives is already a special place to work. We’re an institution nearly 200 years old with a collection spanning 1,000 years of history. But it’s where we go next that makes things really interesting.

In our strategic vision: _Archives for Everyone, _we set ourselves the challenge of becoming the 21st Century national archive - a different kind of cultural and heritage institution: Inclusive, Entrepreneurial, Disruptive. We won’t become this overnight. It will take time, focus, effort and daring.

That’s where you come in. Because we can’t do this without you.

**Job Overview**

**Salary**: £32,721 per annum

Contract type: Permanent

Band: E / Higher Executive Officer

Closing date: Monday 17th February 2025 at midnight

About us:
This is an exciting opportunity to join the Collection Care Department at the National Archives (TNA) in Kew and work within a dedicated team of conservators preparing collections for digitisation. At The National Archives we are always seeking new ways to broaden, enable and enhance access to the 11 million records we hold in our collections. One such way that we achieve this is through the mass digitisation of our collections in conjunction with commercial partners in genealogy and academic publishing.

About the role:
Digitisation projects are a key part of The National Archives’ business, access and preservation strategy. They involve multiple departments working interdependently to bring a project together and allow us to build valuable partnerships with external clients and companies.

Working as a Project Conservator within the Collection Care Department, you will join a dedicated team of conservators responsible for assessing and preparing records for digitisation.

The role has a direct impact on the ability of the organisation to deliver large scale digitisation projects, many of which have strong commercial benefits. Maintaining the balance between preservation needs of the collection and commercial aspects of the project is crucial. You will play a vital part in facilitating the smooth running of these projects, ensuring timely delivery, while upholding the professional reputation of TNA.

About you:
You will have an extensive knowledge of paper conservation practice, with a specialism in assessing and preparing records for digitisation, bringing excellent project management skills as well as an informed approach to the delivery of conservation treatments in line with current conservation standards for the digitisation of archival documents. You will have a keen eye for detail and have an ability to work both individually and as part of a team. You will have strong organisational skills with the ability to plan and prioritise work while under pressure in order to meet strict deadlines and targets. With the need for cross-departmental working, you will also have strong verbal and written communication skills.

This is a full time post. However, requests for part-time working, flexible working and job share will be considered, taking into account at all times the operational needs of the Department.

This role requires on site presence and is not suitable for home working.

How to apply:
**Job Purpose**:
The Project Conservator is part of a team of conservation professionals responsible for the preservation of The National Archives’ physical collection through interventive and preventive means. The aim of this role is to prolong the life of the collection while also maximising access to the archival records and enhancing the experience of our users. This is achieved through a combination of special projects and on-going programmes, taking the lead as required and working together with colleagues across the organisation as well as external visitors and stakeholders.

You will have an extensive knowledge of paper conservation practice, with a specialism in assessing and preparing records for digitisation, bringing excellent project management skills as well as an informed approach to the delivery of conservation treatments in line with current conservation standards for the digitisation of archival documents.

You will take a full role in the on-going development of the digitisation conservation team within The National Archives by actively engaging in data collecting through in-depth collection surveys, conservation treatments for the digitisation process, knowledge sharing, teaching and mentoring others, planning, organising and helping to deliver mass digitisation projects whilst actively promoting the work of the department across The National Archives and to a wider professional community.

**Role and Responsibilities**:

- Take ownership of projects as set out in the departmental annual business plan, being responsible for the development, planning and delivery of projects to agreed targets and professional standards
- Contribute to on-going Collection Care/ Commercial Delivery programmes, including s