National Portrait Gallery
Job Summary
Job Description
24 hours and 3 days per week
Role Purpose:
The National Portrait Gallery holds the most extensive collection of portraits in the world, starting with its unparalleled collection of Tudor panel paintings, and continuing through to present day contemporary portraiture. Artists represented include: Sir Anthony van Dyck; Joshua Reynolds; Thomas Gainsborough; Lucian Freud; David Hockney. Conservation plays a lead role in the care and preservation of the collection, helping to ensure public access and substantively supporting the Gallery’s strategic objectives and key income-generating programmes.
Reporting to the Senior Conservation Manager, this exciting and dynamic role is responsible for delivering conservation support for the Gallery’s international programme of touring Collections exhibitions. You will have a conservation specialism in either Paintings, Works on Paper, Frames, Objects. You will take a lead role providing conservation advice to stakeholders and undertaking treatments and conservation documentation.
Couriering is a key responsibility for this role and will be a significant activity in 2026. Couriering touring exhibitions offers unique opportunities to travel internationally and work collaboratively and rewardingly with partner venue installation teams. You will have the flexibility to adjust work patterns to facilitate extended periods travelling and working internationally. Additional hours worked while couriering are taken as Time Off in Lieu (TOIL).
Job Requirements
- Conservation related BA degree or higher, with at least 3 years relevant experience as a Paintings, Works on Paper, Frames, or Objects conservator
- Extensive knowledge and understanding of conservation materials and techniques in area of specialism; sound understanding of materials and considerations in other conservation disciplines
- Proven experience undertaking conservation treatments, and managing a demanding schedule of projects
- Significant courier experience: accompanying artworks in transit, condition checking, overseeing exhibition installations
- Flexibility to adjust work patterns to facilitate extended periods travelling and working internationally. Additional hours worked while couriering taken as Time Off in Lieu (TOIL)
- Pragmatic, calm, solution focused
- Ability to work independently, and collaboratively as part of a team with internal and external colleagues and stakeholders
- Strong and effective communication and interpersonal skills.
- Excellent written skills, with t
Job Overview
- Job Title: International Projects Conservator
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Salary: £20k-£25k
(pro-rata) - Hours:
Part time - Artform: Museums
- Role: Curation
- Contract: Permanent
- Closing date: Mon, 24 Nov 2025
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Location:
London
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