Furniture Conservator

It’s conserving exceptional royal furniture that has shaped centuries of history.

The Royal Collection contains a world-renowned collection of English and European furniture and your expertise will ensure it remains in good condition according to our programme of conservation priorities.

You will be joining a team of talented specialist conservators and will report to the Senior Conservator of Furniture based at our dedicated workshops in London.

Key Responsibilities:

• To conserve and restore furniture to the highest possible standard, delivering agreed treatments to deadline and producing exceptional finishes that honour original craftsmanship.
• To assess condition, develop and recommend treatment proposals, and discuss these with the Senior Furniture Conservator for approval by the Surveyor of The King’s Works of Art.
• To work with conservation colleagues to ensure the appropriate care and conservation of the furniture collection.
• To ensure accurate and up-to-date records of all conservation treatment documentation is maintained on the Collections Management System.
• To maintain high standards of workshop practice, including responsibility for the care, maintenance, and safe use of tools and equipment, ensuring compliance with Health & Safety requirements.
• To assist, where requested with the display of furniture within the Royal Palaces and The King’s Galleries and occasionally for loan to other institutions.

Essential Criteria:

• You will demonstrate an understanding of the key styles, traditions and techniques of English and European furniture, particularly of the seventeenth to nineteenth centuries.
• You will bring significant hands-on experience in the conservation and restoration of furniture, confidently delivering complex treatments to a high standard, particularly in historic finishes.
• With a strong practical approach, you’ll survey and assess conservation projects, proposing innovative, ethical treatment solutions that meet both practical and curatorial requirements, underpinned by a sound understanding of conservation science and current best practice.
• You will demonstrate excellent manual skill and craftsmanship, applying traditional materials and techniques with precision and care.
• Highly organised and self-motivated, you’ll manage and prioritise a varied workload to meet multiple deadlines, working both independently and collaboratively as part of a multi-disciplinary team.
• A confident and effective communicator, you’ll build strong working relationships with colleagues, stakeholders, and external specialists.
• Detail-focused and committed to excellence, you’ll uphold the highest standards in all areas of your work, supported by a good working knowledge of Microsoft Office applications and collections management databases.

Benefits:

We know that to deliver our best work; we need to feel at our best. That’s why at the Royal Household we offer a generous benefits package designed to support your wellbeing and life priorities.

• Enjoy 25 days annual leave, rising to 30 days (plus bank holidays) dependent on the length of time you have worked for us.
• Our excellent non-contributory pension plan (we’ll contribute 15% and you can contribute more if you wish) is highly valued by our employees, as is complimentary lunch on-site to keep you fuelled throughout the day.
• We also offer a range of leave options to support your life priorities, such as parental pay and leave and volunteering days, as well as benefits to support your physical and mental wellbeing.
• Other perks include 20% off at our Royal Collection Trust Shops and complimentary admission tickets across all our locations, along with many more exclusive employee discounts.

Find out more about the full range of benefits available to our employees here.