Conservator - OX29 7QGNumber of Positions: 1Contract Type: PermanentSalary: £20660 - £22368Working Hours: 22.2Location: OxfordshireBusiness Unit: Public Health & CommunitiesAbout UsOxfordshire County Council are seeking to appoint a Conservator at the Oxfordshire Museum Service on a permanent basis. This is an exciting time to join the service as we strive to enhance our collections and explore new ways to make them accessible to audiences. Our museum service cares for a collection of approximately 112,000 objects, split equally between Archaeology and Social History, each overseen by a dedicated Curator. The collections are diverse, with objects from the Palaeolithic period through to contemporary collecting, and encompass a range of object types, including amongst others, metals, textiles, plastics, organics, stoneware, wood, and human remains. Objects we work with each day can vary from Roman coin hoards to a full-size Victorian coach, with notable pieces such as a Viking sword and an exceptional costume collection that illustrate the richness of the county’s heritage. We make our collections accessible via our range of services including through our key operating sites. The Oxfordshire Museum is our flag ship site of permanent and temporary galleries, attracting over 100,000 visitors every year. The Museum Resource Centre (MRC) is our bespoke storage and conservation centre. Home to tens of thousands of objects as well as curatorial and learning staff, the MRC is where conservation and collections management takes place. The service also manages two remote sites, Swalcliffe Barn (near Banbury), a Medieval tithe barn with agricultural collections, and the Bishops Palace (Witney) an open archaeological site of special historic interest. About the RoleThe Conservator plays a vital part in caring for our remarkable collections, delivering high standards of conservation and collections engagement. The role monitors and maintains environmental conditions, carries out preventive and remedial conservation, and support loans, exhibitions, and public programming. This is a hands-on role where the Conservator’s expertise is central to preserving objects for future generations, ensuring they are protected, maintained, and made accessible to all. The Conservator cares for the whole collection, whilst reporting directly to the Curator of Social History. The post will work closely with Collections team colleagues in both Social History and Archaeology, passionate volunteers, and alongside a range of other colleagues across the service. About youThe successful candidate will have a relevant degree and a professional conservation qualification with, or be working towards, an accredited status such as ICON. We’re looking for someone who can demonstrate conservation techniques across a variety of museum objects and who understands preventive care for collections, whether on display or in storage. They will have strong communication skills and computer literacy, a familiarity with collections management systems/databases, and the ability to undertake manual tasks. Experience working in a museum environment or as a professional Conservator is helpful but not essential. The successful applicant will have a genuine interest in promoting collections to audiences and will help us deliver high standards of collections care and engagement by demonstrating the Oxfordshire County Council values of ‘Taking Responsibility’ and ‘Equality and Integrity in everything we do’. They will be happy working independently, as part of the Collections team, or with wider museum colleagues, and with volunteers. For an informal discussion about the role, please contact Nicole Perry-Bradford, Curator of Social History Nicole.Perry-Bradford@Oxfordshire.gov.ukProvisional interview date is Tuesday 20th January 2026 Rewards and benefits10% discount in the Museum Café and ShopCulture of flexible working Technology to support agile working where role permits30 day’s holiday pro rata plus bank holidays Option to ‘buy’ additional holidayEmployee Assistance Programme including access to health and wellbeing supportMembership of the Local Government contributory pension scheme, with an employer’s contribution of up to 19.9%Enhanced family friendly policiesLocal and national discounts for shopping and travelGreat learning and development opportunities to support your ongoing development. Our commitment to: Equality, Diversity and InclusionAt Oxfordshire County Council we are proud of our diverse workforce. Everyone is accepted for who they are, regardless of age, disability, gender identity, marital status, race, faith or belief, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, or on maternity or family leave. We have a number of staff network groups which provide peer support, education and safe spaces for all.Our commitment to:Guaranteed Interview SchemesAs a Disability Confident employer, we guarantee an interview for disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the job. We also guarantee interviews to care leavers who have completed further education and who meet the essential criteria for the job. For those leaving care without any further education, we guarantee an interview for our apprenticeships. We are also committed to helping and supporting those transitioning from HM Armed Forces to civilian life and guarantee an interview for those demonstrating the essential criteria for the role, within three years of leaving the service.Our commitment to:SafeguardingOxfordshire County Council are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults. We expect all employees, workers and volunteers to share this commitment. We will ensure that all our recruitment and selection practices reflect these commitments.Our commitment to:Flexible WorkingWe are open to discussions about flexible working, which can include flexi-time, part time working, job sharing, nine-day fortnights and annualised hours, depending on the requirements of the role and the service.Follow us on Social MediaStay up-to-date with the latest news and featured jobs from Oxfordshire County Council by following us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.