Objects Conservator

About the role

The Department of Antiquities at the Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology cares for around 275,000 objects representing the material cultures of Europe, Egypt and Sudan, and the Middle East, spanning almost the entire history of humanity. We are undertaking an ambitious multi-year Collections Management Project, DigitiseLocateStore (DLS), to audit, document, and digitise the collections with the goal of enhancing access—both physically and online—and ensuring best practice in collections care and long-term storage.

To support this work, we are seeking an Objects Conservator to work closely with the team of Collections Assistant carrying out the audit. You will play a key role in carrying out the pre audit conservation assessment plus guiding rehousing of objects and improving storage conditions. This role will directly contribute to the preservation, accessibility, and understanding of the Ashmolean’s world-renowned collections, supporting the museum’s core activities of research, teaching, and public engagement.

The role is based across Ashmolean Museum sites in Oxfordshire (including off-site stores near Bicester and Botley).

This is a part-time role (15 hours per week, 0.4 FTE), 1 year fixed-term post available until 31 May 2027.

About You

You will have a post-graduate or graduate level professional conservation qualification in Objects Conservation with significant experience of implementing conservation or preservation work in a museum, historic collection or similar setting. You will have specialist knowledge and work-based experience of assessing the conditions of archaeological and historical materials and objects, as well as remedial and preventive conservation.

You will have the ability to manage a busy workload including handling competing demands. You will have demonstrable knowledge of COSHH regulation.

You will ideally be confident using Collections Management Software and Digital Asset Management Systems, with excellent data-entry, cataloguing, and IT skills (including Excel).

How to apply

You will be required to upload your CV and a supporting statement as part of your online application. Your supporting statement should list each of the essential and desirable selection criteria, as listed in the job description, and explain how you meet each one. CVs alone will not be considered.

Only applications received online by 12.00 midday (BST) on Tuesday 7 April 2026 can be considered. Interviews are expected to take place on Monday 27 April 2026.

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