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Job summary
Conservation Traineeships are a part of HES’s long-standing conservation skills development programme. This post is a part of a wider team of Conservation Trainees. You will have the opportunity to gain experience in your chosen field of conservation, increase your knowledge of the wider heritage conservation sector, expand your professional network and receive expert mentorship. You will learn from HES teams by working alongside and contributing to live projects as a valued member of staff. You will have the opportunity to learn about the wider heritage conservation sector from experts across our organisation and beyond while networking with others. As a team of Trainees, you will learn from each other and receive group training. We will work with you to develop your own continual professional development (CPD) goals and mentor you working towards these. You will be supported by both your team and our wider Traineeship programme, to develop your skills and knowledge, and also develop your career in the heritage conservation sector.
We are looking for someone with a keen interest in history and heritage to join our Collections and Applied Conservation Team as a Trainee. Our team’s work is similar to that carried out in a museum, and includes cataloguing, preserving, researching and providing both physical and digital access to objects that are historically and culturally important.
We manage over 42,000 historic objects from important heritage sites across Scotland. These items are distributed across more than 140 locations throughout the country. Our collections span over 5,000 years of human history and range from small archaeological finds to large industrial machinery. You can learn more about these objects on our website here.
This is a hybrid-working post, mainly split between our head office at Longmore House, Edinburgh, and working from home. You will be required to work from Trinity House, Edinburgh, for one day every two weeks, and will occasionally be required to travel to other locations throughout Scotland as part of the role, costs for which will be covered by HES.
You will occasionally be required to travel across Scotland and work evenings or weekends to assist in the delivery of our events programme.
Job description
Key responsibilities, duties and objectives
You will work closely with colleagues from across our Collections Team to support making our collections more accessible both digitally and physically.
Online Collections Catalogue
You will work with the Collections Access Manager and Collections Systems Manager to add new content to our online collections catalogue (www.historicenvironment.scot/collections). This will include object research, writing and editing captions, and overseeing the upload process to our website.
You will work with colleagues to identify priority objects to add to our online catalogue and oversee a programme of improvement.
You will review the backlog of collections research reports and extraction of relevant information for publishing online.
You will work with colleagues to review images currently attached to our database records and help to co-ordinate improved photography of objects as necessary.
You will work with colleagues to update and improve our records on the Art UK website.
You will monitor collections-related web analytics (e.g. number of views) and report back to the Collections Team.
Events and Learning
You will work with the Collections staff responsible for Trinity House in Edinburgh to develop a new guided tour script for Trinity House Maritime Museum. Using recent research exploring underrepresented stories (including those of LGBTQ+ communities, women, and Black sailors), you will help support the creation of an inclusive tour that is representative of the diverse nature of Leith’s maritime history. You will be required to work from Trinity House once every two weeks in order to support and deliver guided tours.
You will work with colleagues to support our events and learning activities throughout the year. These include delivering object handling sessions to staff, school groups and members of the public, facilitating specialist tours and open days, and creating short-term displays to compliment events.
Other Duties
You will work with colleagues to support planning and drafting social media and blog content. This will include assisting with the identification of regular themed events (e.g. Scottish Museums Day), as well as content focused on specific projects or objects.
You will work with colleagues to support the programme of collections display improvements across the estate. This may include object research, installing/de-installing exhibitions, display maintenance and drafting object captions.
You will oversee the redevelopment of the department leaflet, including content writing, sourcing images, and working with designers and printers.
You will work with colleagues to help select objects for digital documentation and publication on our SketchFab page. This will include packing and transporting collections to and from the Engine Shed in Stirling, where our Digital Documentation Studio is based.
You will have the opportunity to shadow other colleagues in the department, providing assistance in a variety of programmes including collections inventory and documentation, collections care and preventive conservation, and our loans programme. There may also be the opportunity to shadow colleagues in other departments across the organisation.
Person specification
Knowledge, skills and experience
You will be required to demonstrate that you meet the requirements and qualifications below as part of the selection process.
Essential requirements:
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with experience of communicating with different audiences (groups and people)
A good level of computer literacy, including the use of email and Microsoft packages
Good team-working skills, and the ability to create good working relationships with colleagues across the organisation
Good planning & organisation skills, and the ability to work on a range of projects, managing time effectively
A demonstrable interest in history and heritage, and a desire to pursue a career in this area
A willingness to travel to our sites if required (some of our properties are in remote areas but, provided there is a willingness to travel via public transport when required, having a driving license is not essential)
Desirable requirements:
Interest in gaining expertise in computer applications relevant to the role, such as Microsoft Excel, Google Analytics, Adobe Creative Suite, Vernon Collection Management System
Some experience in creating successful online written and visual content and an interest in applying this to a museum/heritage context
Confidence in your ability to speak in public
An understanding of and interest in Climate Change and sustainable practices (see HES Climate Action Plan for details)
Qualifications & Professional Memberships:
This training position would suit someone with a strong interest in a career in the museum/heritage sector. It is designed to provide practical experience to an individual with limited or no previous experience in this area and would particularly benefit someone who does not hold a museum studies postgraduate qualification.
Benefits
- Learning and development tailored to your role
- An environment with flexible working options
- A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
- A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%
Things you need to know
Selection process details
How to apply for this post
You can apply on-line by visiting our website at https://applications.historicenvironment.scot/.
Guidance on completing the application can be found in the ‘Guidance notes for applicants’ document, also available at the above website, which we recommend that you read, in conjunction with this Job Description.
Your application must arrive by the advertised closing date. Please note that when applying online, we will only be able to see your application once you fully submit it.
If you are unable to complete an online application form, please email recruit@hes.scot, quoting the job title and recruitment reference, and we will arrange for an application form to be sent to you.
Please note that, as we operate an electronic recruitment system, we will contact you via the email address that you provide in your application to inform you of the outcome of your application.
For further information about the post, please contact Lynsey Haworth, Collections Access Manager via email on lynsey.haworth@hes.scot
We welcome all applicants from under-represented groups within HES. We know from our equality monitoring that we need to increase our diversity in terms of ethnicity and disability. We also want to address occupational areas where the ratio is disproportionately in favour of women or men. We ask all applicants to complete the Equality Monitoring section of the recruitment paperwork to help us pursue a diverse and inclusive workforce. In support of our Gaelic language plan we welcome applications from Gaelic speakers.
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Historic Environment Scotland
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This job is broadly open to the following groups:
- UK nationals
- nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
- nationals of the Republic of Ireland
- nationals from the EU, EEA or Switzerland with settled or pre-settled status or who apply for either status by the deadline of the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
- relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals working in the Civil Service
- relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals who have built up the right to work in the Civil Service
- certain family members of the relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals
Working for the Civil Service
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).
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