Collections Assistant

Summary We protect everything from bats to buildings to beaches - and we want to share them with everyone too. But how do we care for our special places, while helping everyone to enjoy them and their fascinating stories? It’s no small task. In fact, it’s a bigteam effort and it’s why our Collections Assistant are so important.

**Hours**: 37.5 hours per week. Working pattern will normally be Sunday to Thursday with an 8.30am start.

**Salary**: £19,305 per annum

**Contract**: Permanent role

What it's like to work here The Hinton Portfolio comprises of Hinton Ampner, Uppark House and Garden, Winchester City Mill and Ludshott and Selborne Commons. The portfolio is large and varied, covering the Western part of the South Downs National Park. In it we have 2 pay for entrysites with glorious mansions, priceless collections and stunning gardens; 1 city centre water mill which is free entry for everyone, still milling flour that we use in our café and sell to our visitors; and several pockets of beautiful countryside providingaccess to nature for everyone.

Uppark was built c.1690, crowning the South Downs ridge in West Sussex. Uppark is a fine example of a family home built during the golden age of country-house construction in the 17th century, cherished by generations of families and the survivor of turbulentevents.

The interiors and gardens are predominantly associated with the Fetherstonhaugh family who bought the estate in 1747 and filled it with British decorative art and extensive sets of paintings acquired on extended Grand Tours. Changes were made later to theapproaches, gardens and interiors by renowned architect and landscape designer Humphry Repton. One key element to our collection at Uppark is one of just two most important 18th-century British dolls’ houses in the world, brought to Uppark in 1746. Upparkis also immortalised in H.G.Wells’ novel ‘Tono Bungay’ after he spent some of his youth living here. A devastating fire in 1989 gutted many of the interiors but they were painstakingly reconstructed, and the house today is presented as it was on the day beforethe fire, highlighting the amazing skill and specialist craftmanship that was brought in to bring this unique property back to its former glory.

Hinton Ampner is a Grade II listed mansion radically remodelled for Ralph Dutton between 1936-9. Hinton Ampner is an important building in shaping twentieth-century interpretation of the significance of the Country House in the U.K. context. Dutton was positionedat the centre of an important homosocial relationship network of creative individuals who came together to co-create and co-design collections, interiors, and architecture. After a fire in 1960, the house was rebuilt and refurnished immediately, and HintonAmpner still retains its Regency Villa style today. The house interiors and works of art are comparable with international museum collections. Dutton was authority on art and architecture, avidly buying art at a time when the market was flooded with the dispersalof major private collections, and before an increase in prices of the late 1960s. Dutton’s collection comprises of important examples of seventeenth to twentieth-century European art including paintings, furniture, sculptures, porcelain and one of the finestgroups of hardstones in the National Trust.

What you'll be doing As part of a dedicated collection and house team the Collections Assistant role will be working across Uppark and Hinton Ampner with a great team learning the basics of housekeeping, taking pride in getting the house ready for opening to the public. Youwill need a keen eye for detail, a love for cleaning and a good knowledge of caring for the collection. Please note that the cleaning element of the role will play a large part of your day to day responsibilities so you'll need to be comfortable with activitiessuch as dusting and hoovering in order to present our items and collections in the best way we can.

No detail will go unnoticed, and you’ll need some understanding of everything from the environmental conditions in a room, bugs and signs of wear and tear. You’ll keep accurate records too. In this visitor facing role, we’d love you to talk to visitors aboutthe work you’re doing, and the collections we have, to widen the visitor experience. You'll also be part of a bigger team of employees and volunteers looking after the whole portfolio and to help where necessary.

**Please also read the full role profile, attached to this advert.**

Who we're looking for
- A keen interest in history, historic properties and conservation of their collections
- Content with repetitive cleaning tasks to help care for the collection i.e. dusting on a daily basis
- A good understanding of preventive conservation
- Knowledge of the approach required when working with fragile historic collections as well as Health & Safety and emergency procedures
- Good manual dexterity and hand-to-eye skills and ability to work from ladders and tower scaffold
- The ability to support volunteers to perform at their best
- Good interpersonal and communication skills, and a great team player
- A willingness to undertake continuing professional development and personal skills development and have an enthusiasm to learn
The package The National Trust has the motto ‘For everyone, for ever’ at its heart. We’re working hard to create an inclusive culture, where everyone feels they belong. It’s important that our people reflect and represent the diversity of the communities and audienceswe serve. We welcome and value difference, so when we say we’re for everyone, we want everyone to be welcome in our teams too.

Wherever you’re from, and whatever your background, we want to hear from you - and it doesn’t matter if you’re jam first, cream first, or even if you don’t like scones at all. Everyone is welcome.

Benefits for working at the National Trust include:

- Flexible working whenever possible
- Free parking at most locations
- Free entry to our properties for you, a guest and your children (under 18)
- Substantial pension scheme of up to 10% basic salary

Click here to find out more about the benefits we offer to support you.