Head of Preventive Conservation

Job Title: Head of Preventive Conservation                         Department: Collections Care, Conservation 

Reports to: Head of Conservation                                        Grade: C5B

Main purpose of Job  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 Responsibilities: • 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. • To manage and deliver the operational plan of the section. • 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. • To ensure regulatory compliance for the team, including security and health and safety, and to manage delegated budgets for materials. • 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. • To contribute, develop and disseminate preventive conservation strategies and effective guidance for care of the collection for all Departments to use, ensuring sustainability is considered throughout. • To maintain high standards of preventive conservation and related collection care to ensure that activities meet the ethical standards of the Museum and the broader conservation profession, including accurate conservation record keeping. • To ensure delivery of comprehensive and tailored preventive conservation training across all Departments that operate with and around the collection. • To build and enhance strong relationships with colleagues across the Museum to ensure collection safety throughout the delivery of projects, an ambitious capital and Master plan. • To ensure preventive conservation liaison across workstreams is provided effectively for all projects that involve the collection. • To support the Museum’s Integrated Pest Management programme, in conjunction with the IPM Manager based in Estates. • To support, contribute to and implement the Collections Rescue and Recovery Plan and Emergency Plan. • To maintain and further develop the team’s reputation as a centre of excellence for preventive conservation, both nationally and internationally and to sustain and develop relationships with internal and external stakeholders. • To provide advice on preventive conservation and collection risk management to colleagues within and beyond the Museum. • To lead and encourage dissemination of the work of the team to the conservation community through staff activity, publications, lectures and through the Museum’s public and educational programmes. • To lead a team research programme on the preventive conservation and to maintain personal expertise and research in one or more fields relevant to the team’s activity. • To develop and maintain professional relationships in the field of preventive conservation, nationally and internationally • To contribute to wider Museum activities as appropriate and represent Conservation within the Museum, nationally and internationally. 

What are the main work pressures and challenges? Ensuring that the Museum’s obligations for preventive conservation and related collection care activity are fulfilled working across teams and Departments within the museum to do so. Balancing the competing demands on the team’s time and resources from across the Museum’s activities and responsibilities, including loans, exhibitions, storage projects and the development of Masterplan projects. Collaborating with multiple stakeholders to deliver a complex programme of collection projects across the Museum estate whilst the Bloomsbury site is being redeveloped. 

Key Dimensions (e.g. number of staff directly managed, budget responsibilities, specific authority levels, types of decisions taken etc): Management of 8 preventive conservators, these being 4 direct reports and 4 indirect reports. Delivery of the preventive team’s contribution to the Museum’s objectives and plans. Responsible for managing the materials and equipment budgets for Preventive Conservation, c. £6500. To ensure the Head of Conservation and the Head of Collection Care department are appraised of new opportunities, technologies, and initiatives in preventive conservation relevant to the Museum’s vision 

What are the performance targets or standards? Delivery and implementation of preventive conservation strategies, guidance and project liaison. Delivery of the section’s contribution to the Museum’s operating plans to time and budget, including contributions to commercial income and income generation. Effective and efficient internal and external communication and collaboration Management of the staff of the section including completion of annual appraisal process Provision of well organised and effective services to internal and external stakeholders 

What changes are likely to occur in the next two years of this job? Masterplan projects will be further developed, and delivery started. Review and potential replacement of the Hanwell Environmental Monitoring System. 

Who are the main contacts of the jobholder and what are the relationships to these contacts (e.g. managing, influencing, advising)? Head of Collection Care: influencing, advisory, collaborative working Head of Conservation: management role, influencing, advising, collaborative working and taking advice from. Senior management team: influencing and advising; mediating and ensuring collaboration, supporting, encouraging and taking advice from Collection Care Department, Keepers and curators: liaising and providing points of contact, advising on key areas, influencing, taking advice. Peers and other organisations outside the Museum: collaborating, networking, advising, developing joint work and training programmes. Public: engaging with and informing the Museum’s visitors Estates and Capital Projects, Collection Projects and Resources, IPM Manager, Exhibitions, International Team: influencing, advising and collaborative working.

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Closing date: Midday (GMT), Monday 6 January 2025