Conservator

Fixed term, maternity cover

Salary on appointment will be £30,805 per annum, with an annual increment up to £37,174 per annum.

The Sainsbury Centre is a world-renowned art museum with one of the most celebrated collections in the UK. It is famous for creating a unique perspective on how art can foster cultural dialogue and exchange. The Centre was founded in 1973 by Sir Robert and Lady Sainsbury, built on the gift of their extraordinary collection to the University of East Anglia and housed in Sir Norman Foster’s first ever public architectural masterpiece. Foster’s radical design for the building creates a unique experience for world-class art to be seen and enjoyed in a totally different way to the usual museum. Art is taken off the walls and placed on pedestals of equality in what was the largest open plan gallery space in the country when it was created. The vision of our founders was to encourage visitors to have a fundamentally unique museum experience at the Sainsbury Centre. We live by this ambition today and currently our visitors come from all over the world to enjoy a beautiful and dynamic arts landscape across three floors of indoor gallery space and a 20-acre sculpture park stretching out through surrounding meadow, forest and lake. It is a wonderful place to work.

The Sainsbury Centre has an exciting opportunity for a Conservator to join the team. You will play a key role in caring for the Sainsbury Centre collection and works under its care.

You will manage the day-to-day activity of the purpose-built conservation studio and supervise a conservation technician. You will work on a range of collections and temporary exhibition activities including the growing campus Sculpture Park. A key task will be maintaining preventive conservation strategies.

You will have a post graduate qualification in a conservation specialism. You should have a keenness to follow a career as a museum/gallery professional. Given the broad multi-disciplinary nature of the collections, you will be expected to develop your knowledge whilst continuing to develop your own specialism. You will also possess excellent organisational, communication and presentation skills. The conservator will work closely with colleagues such as technicians, registrars and curators.

This post is available from 7 July 2025 on a full-time, fixed term basis for up to 12 months to cover for the absence of the post holder on maternity leave. The appointment will be terminated (with four weeks’ notice) at the end of the week immediately preceding the return of the post holder from maternity leave.

Further information on our great benefits package, including 34 days annual leave inclusive of Bank Holidays and additional University Customary days (pro rata for part-time), can be found on our benefits page.  

Closing date: 21 May 2025

The University holds an Athena Swan Silver Institutional Award in recognition of our advancement towards gender equality.

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