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Senior Collections & House Officer - Morpeth

Employer
The National Trust
Location
Morpeth, Northumberland
Salary
26,000 pa
Closing date
18 May 2022

Job Details

Senior Collections & House Officer - Morpeth

Summary

Care, conservation, and presentation of Cragside’s nationally significant collections is what this senior leadership role is all about. You will be responsible for:  
  • Care of the 21,000 collection objects, the fourth largest collection in the National Trust  
  • Management of opening the house to up to 1,200 visitors a day 
  • Line management a team of Collection Assistants and volunteers 
  • Bringing your exceptional heritage-sector experience to implement preventive conservation, delivery of our annual deep cleaning programme, and an excellent standard of interpretation and presentation.  
A dream role at one of the National Trust’s flagship properties, working with a dynamic team to shape how we protect and share Cragside’s unique and internationally significant history.  If this could be your next challenge, please outline in your application what you can bring to this extraordinary role and how you envision us assisting with the development of your career.   
Working week expected to be Sunday to Thursday.  We are looking to interview on 31st May 2022 at Cragside, and the process will include the opportunity to tour the house and view our collection. If you have any questions before the advert closes, please email me Clara Woolford at clara.woolford@nationaltrust.org.uk  We would consider offering support to help you relocate if required. 

What it's like to work here

Our highly experienced Collections and House Team thrive in our busy, operational environment, working collaboratively to improve our exceptional visitor offer year on year. Our exciting plans for developing our collection and interpretation are ambitious, and we are looking for someone who can play a key part in delivering them. We are a supportive and friendly team, who work hard but always find time to have a cup of tea and catch up. 
Set in the heart of the stunning Northumberland landscape, Cragside is a unique place to work. Here William Armstrong, the brilliant engineer and manufacturer, built a wonder of the Victorian age. Illuminated with hydro-electricity and powered by hydraulics, the impressive Arts and Crafts house is the place where modern living began. This collection is unique in its size and variety, from beautiful interiors to innovative engineering.  
Click here for more information about this location

What you'll be doing

This is a fantastic opportunity to help develop and care for one of the nation's most unique houses. Working in close collaboration with the existing Senior Collections and House Officer and with support from the Property Curator, you’ll be responsible for delivering all aspects of the visitor operation at the House, ensuring appropriate resources are in place to provide a safe and consistently exceptional service for our visitors. You will line manage a team of Collection Assistants and volunteers, to implement preventive conservation, environmental monitoring, and the delivery of our annual deep cleaning programme within the house to ensure an excellent level of care. You’ll be responsible for the implementation of new collections management procedures, working to sector standards to inform our understanding of the house and the collection, and to improve how we conserve, interpret, and present the property. You’ll develop imaginative ways of engaging our visitors with our fascinating history, and sharing our work to care for the collections.

Who we're looking for

  • Experienced people manager with excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the capability to both work collaboratively and lead a team Detailed knowledge of Accreditation standards and a track record of working with digital collections databases
  • Operational experience of collections management and preventative conservation in a historic environment
  • Experience of managing a busy visitor operation and working with the public in a high-pressure environment 
  • Good research skills and a passion for deepening our understanding of the collections 
  • Ability to contribute creative and practical ideas towards interpretation and the visitor experience within the House, with a focus on optimising the visitor experience 
  • Some experience of managing small, delegated budgets 
  • Detailed orientated, strong work ethic, and excellent organisational skills.

Please refer to the full job description for further details.

The package

The National Trust has the motto ‘For everyone, for ever’ at its heart. We’re working hard to create an inclusive culture, where everyone feels they belong. It’s important that our people reflect and represent the diversity of the communities and audiences we serve. We welcome and value difference, so when we say we’re for everyone, we want everyone to be welcome in our teams too.

Wherever you’re from, and whatever your background, we want to hear from you – and it doesn’t matter if you’re jam first, cream first, or even if you don’t like scones at all. Everyone is welcome.

Benefits for working at the National Trust include:

  • Flexible working whenever possible
  • Free parking at most locations
  • Free entry to our properties for you, a guest and your children (under 18)
  • Substantial pension scheme of up to 10% basic salary

Click here to find out more about the benefits we offer to support you.

Company

The National Trust is committed to promoting and preserving those places of natural beauty and historic interest for which it has the privilege to be responsible for the benefit of the nation, for everyone for ever.

The Trust is proud of what has been achieved over the last 126 years and is determined to maintain those high standards of conservation, stewardship and curatorial care for which it has been recognised throughout the world.

Its achievements have enabled the general public and the Trust’s members and visitors to enjoy and appreciate the countryside, coastline, gardens, historic buildings and collections, all of which encapsulate so much of the history of England, Wales and Northern Ireland. There is a duty to tell that history in a complete, balanced and accurate way, and without judgement.

The National Trust continues as a guardian of the past, and for the future, to uphold its duty to maintain and enhance what has been entrusted to its care.

Company info
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The National Trust

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