Rothschild Foundation Collection Conservation Assistant

Collection conservation cleaning, care and maintenance is carried out by the Stewards. As a member of this conservation cleaning team, the Conservation Assistant is responsible for the routine housekeeping care, cleaning and conservation of the Collection and its contents to National Trust principles. This primarily involves the cleaning and care of historic show rooms with a focus on the presentation of the Collection and also to assist with domestic cleaning of staff tea rooms and lavatories within the Collection.
From time to time the post holder will be asked to perform other duties or tasks as may be reasonably requested.

Cleaning and Presentation:

As part of the Conservation Cleaning Team you’ll be responsible for the care and presentation of the Collection:

• Routine day to day cleaning of the Collection and its contents.
• Make sure the Collection is presented to its optimum for daily opening to the visitor, including bulb changes, blind adjustments & rope barrier maintenance.
• Work in accordance with the methods laid down in the Manual of Housekeeping.
• Bring to the attention of the Stewarding team any signs of wear, damage or deterioration in the fabric or contents of the Collection.
• Participate in the deep cleaning programme during the summer and particularly during the winter. This will include cleaning high level areas off ladders and scaffold and include outdoor sculpture and other installations.
• Work in an environmentally friendly manner.
• Participate in practical conservation housekeeping training and ensure knowledge is always current with National Trust practice.

Conservation and Protection of Contents

Responsible for helping with the long-term care of the items on display and in store:

• Work with an awareness of the importance of environmental control (e.g. humidity) and the damaging effect of light on contents.
• To occasionally assist specialist conservators and staff from other sections as directed when they are working in the Collection.
• Help in the packing/unpacking of contents prior to/after conservation or building works
• Help as necessary with the preparation of the Collection for functions, events, photography, filming, and in the clearing up afterwards.
• Support the installation of displays and exhibitions as required, and work with the Curators as needed.

Safety and Security:

Ensure that Health and Safety procedures are followed when working.

• Observe all security practices.
• Follow procedures for lifting and moving objects, working at height and working in dusty environments .
• Report all accidents as required by the Health and Safety policy.
• Be aware of the risk of theft and the security measures put in place to prevent it – work around these carefully and report any suspected changes to the Stewarding team