Conservation Technician (project)

Project Conservation Technician (TAE 3 full-time, fixed term) 

Archives and Special Collections, Hartley Library

Introduction

The Archives and Special Collections has holdings of around 7 million manuscript items and 50,000 books in purpose-built accommodation in the Hartley Library at the University of Southampton. It is an Accredited Archive Service. The archival holdings are especially strong in political and military material for the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and the archives of Anglo-Jewry represent one of the largest collections of such material in the UK. Other growing collection areas are those for maritime archaeology and the Basque child refugee archive.  

The role 

Would you like to play a key role in the care of a world-class Anglo-Jewish archive? If you are a conservation technician or recent conservation graduate with a passion for care of archives, who would like to join our small but busy team in Archives and Special Collections, we would like to hear from you.

You will have a recognised qualification as a Conservation Technician or Conservator, ideally with a specialism in care of archive and/or library collections. You will be able to demonstrate excellent manual dexterity and precision, strong communication skills both written and verbal, and a good eye for detail. You will need to be proactive with a flexible approach and have the ability to work with changing priorities during periods of pressured workload. You will thrive within a small, friendly team, and be open and enthusiastic about honing your skills and developing new ones.

The role will focus on stabilisation of badly damaged archive material from the papers of Rabbi Solomon Schonfeld and will involve cleaning and rehousing of archive documents and bound volumes, as well as a programme of routine conservation treatment. You will work under the guidance and supervision of the department's qualified conservator, with opportunities to collaborate on involved or complex treatments as appropriate. 

This is a full-time fixed term post for a three-year externally funded project due to start July 2024. The expected hours of work for this full-time role are 9am-5pm or 8am-4pm Monday-Friday.

Please see the job description below for further details. 

The University of Southampton is a signatory of the Technician Commitment and a partner affiliate of the National Technician Development Centre (NTDC).   We are committed to supporting our technical staff and offer a wide range of opportunities including networking, mentoring, training, professional registration and career development. We really value all our technical staff and recognise the broad range of skills they have in support of education, research and enterprise activities. By joining Southampton you will be part of a bigger technical community, offering support and guidance.

Advert information