Collections Care Officer

West Dean is a unique place to work and visit, combining an internationally recognised centre for arts, design, craft and conservation with award-winning public gardens, historic collections and a working estate.

Our Sussex campus is set within the 6,350-acre West Dean Estate in the South Downs National Park. It is home to West Dean College, renowned gardens attracting thousands of visitors each year, heritage glasshouses, a kitchen garden and tranquil parkland walks. The estate also includes our Tapestry Studio and historic staterooms, which host events, exhibitions and private functions.

Our London campus in Bloomsbury is home to the prestigious KLC School of Design, surrounded by world-class museums, galleries and theatres.

Together, our two campuses bring together education, heritage, hospitality and visitor experiences. Working at West Dean means becoming part of a community that values creativity, craftsmanship, sustainability and inclusivity, while helping to safeguard and share one of the UK's most distinctive cultural institutions.

About the Role

We are looking for a Collections Care Officer to join our Collections team and play an important role in caring for and protecting West Dean College's exceptional collections, historic interiors and archives.

Working closely with the Collections Manager and wider Collections team, you will help ensure that our collections are cared for to a high standard through practical conservation, preventative conservation, environmental monitoring, documentation and risk management.

This is a varied and hands-on role, with the opportunity to work across the College and contribute to a wide range of collections care activities. You will work with colleagues, students and volunteers, providing training and guidance and helping to develop a strong culture of collections care across West Dean.

You will also support access to the collections, exhibitions, loans, house tours and other activities, ensuring that objects and historic interiors are handled, displayed and cared for appropriately.

This is an exciting opportunity for someone who is passionate about heritage and conservation and who enjoys working in a unique historic environment where no two days are necessarily the same.

This advert has been shortened in order to display it here. Please view the full advert on our careers site for full advert information.

• 33 days' annual leave, including bank holidays, pro rata for part-time employees.
• Generous contributory pension scheme, with employer matching from 4% to 7.5%.
• Employee Assistance Programme.
• Access to Mental Health First Aiders.
• Cycle to Work Scheme.
• Free entry to West Dean Gardens.
• Discounts on retail goods in our Sussex shops.
• Free and discounted places on short courses at West Dean College.
• Free use of West Dean facilities, including the swimming pool, library and tennis courts.
• Subsidised bed and breakfast rates at the Sussex campus.

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