Conservator

• APS 5 - Total Remuneration Package - $83,351 - $89,121
• Attractive employee benefits including 15.4% superannuation
• Australia’s leading museum located waterside in beautiful Darling Harbour

The Australian National Maritime Museum is seeking an experienced and highly organised Conservator to join our Conservation team in this ongoing position.

As one of Sydney’s most visited museums, the Australian National Maritime Museum shares our national maritime story across Australia and the world, online, onsite and through research, presentations and travelling exhibitions, and provides must-visit museum experiences that delight and inspire.

We connect our visitors with the oceans and waterways that are the heartbeat of who we are. From deep time to modern Australian and beyond, we explore our past, our present and future as an island nation shaped by sea, offering a sustainable and cohesive vision for the future.

The Museum welcomes over 2.5 million local, interstate and international visitors annually, and is supported by a thriving and passionate staff, membership, volunteer and education base. Find out more at sea.museum

Reporting to the Manager, Conservation and working with Senior Conservators the Conservator will undertake and document routine and complex conservation treatments for a wide range of object materials and formats in the National Maritime Collection (NMC) ensuring its ongoing preservation is in accordance with museum policies, priorities, conservation ethics and best practice.

High level overview of accountabilities:

• Working under general direction undertake and document preservation, conservation and restoration treatments using established and new conservation techniques to museum and professional standards.
• Gather object / treatment information, carry out research, stakeholder consultation and conduct technical analysis as directed. Evaluate, recommend, and apply new ethical conservation treatments as required and in accordance with museum policies, section priorities and conservation ethics, including options and time frame estimates.
• Participate in wider inter-disciplinary museum teams and contribute conservation expertise to project and program management, such as the production and development of exhibitions, inward and outward loans, and storage design.
• Participate and assist with preventive conservation and collection maintenance programmes including environmental monitoring and control, integrated pest management, lighting, pollutant monitoring, collection safety activities.
• Undertake collection surveys including condition and conservation needs assessment, as well as identification and management of hazards in the NMC, help to ensure museums compliance with relevant regulations and WHS legislation.
• Participate in risk assessment and management for museum projects and in object treatment option proposals. Identify risk factors, propose, and implement risk mitigation. Actively participate in maintaining WHS processes especially the development of safe work method statements.
• Assist and participation in the development and delivery of workshops, public forums and outreach programs and social media engagement related to conservation. Preparation and delivery of training, seminars, talks and tours as needed, representing the museum at internal and external functions, events and conferences. Participate in the management of interns and volunteers when required.

Selection Criteria:

• Recognised tertiary qualifications in materials conservation and minimum two years related experience and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience in cultural heritage conservation.
• Experience from cultural institutions undertaking preventive and remedial conservation of different collection and material types, with a focus on an area of specialisation as relevant to the National Maritime Collection.
• Demonstrated knowledge of current conservation practice. Experience in both routine and complex materials conservation, conservation techniques and related scientific processes. Demonstrated understanding of application of conservation ethics, as accepted by the Australian Institute for the Conservation of Cultural Materials.
• Demonstrated organisational and problem-solving skills with initiative and good work management skills, including self-discipline, and manage time to meet deadlines. Experienced with Office software, and familiarity with collection management databases and other specialised applications.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, including the capacity to work collaboratively in and lead small teams and to liaise effectively with internal and external stakeholders, prepare and deliver talks and presentations.
• Australian Institute for the Conservation of Cultural Materials (AICCM) Membership

Applications Close: 3pm AEST, Wednesday 6th March 2024. No Applications will be accepted by mail or email.

Selection for this position will be made on the basis of relative merit which will be assessed against each item of the selection criteria. Applications that do not address the selection criteria will not be considered for short listing by the Selection Committee. As part of the selection process the selection committee may invite candidates to undertake psychometric test, you should advise the selection committee if you have any special needs. Psychometric tests may be used as the initial short-listing test or later in the selection process. Some tests are very short while others may take one or more hours.

This position is open to all eligible members of the community, and we encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people with a disability and people from every cultural and linguistic background. To be an eligible member of the community, you must be an Australian citizen. Applications may be accepted from Australian permanent residents who are in the process of acquiring Australian citizenship.