Are you a museum conservator? Perhaps you just finished a contract, or maybe you will be graduating from your conservation program soon, or maybe you are just considering switching jobs. You know that finding museum conservator jobs can be a challenge. You have learned that generic job board sites such as Linkedin and Indeed are probably not the best place to seek museum conservation jobs. Maybe you’re tired of getting email alerts about environmental conservation and debt collection specialist positions.
But fear not! There are plenty of specialized resources to help you in your job search and progress in your career as a conservator. In this post, we’ll explore some of the top resources to help you find your next museum conservator job. So, without further ado, let’s dive in!
1) AIC’s Conservation Job Board
The American Institute for Conservation (AIC)’s Career Center is an excellent resource for finding museum conservator jobs in the United States and, occasionally, beyond. The job board features listings for various roles, including conservators, collections care specialists, conservation technicians, and even museum directors – and salary postings are mandatory.
Additionally, the AIC website offers valuable information on professional development, interviewing tips, networking opportunities, resume review, and conferences, making it a must-visit destination for anyone in the field looking for a job.
2) Global Museum Jobs
Global Museum is a comprehensive online museum resource, offering news, articles, and job listings relevant to the museum and cultural heritage sector. The Global Museum Jobs section is updated regularly, featuring job opportunities from around the world. While not exclusively focused on conservation positions, their listings cover a wide range of roles in the museum sector, so it’s definitely worth checking for museum conservator jobs. Note that salaries are not always posted here.
As a bonus though, the website also offers resources such as articles, interviews, and news that can help you stay informed about the latest trends and challenges in the field.
3) IIC’s Conservation Job Listings
The International Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (IIC) is a global organization dedicated to the conservation and preservation of cultural heritage based as a charity in the UK. The IIC’s Conservation Job Listings is another excellent resource for finding museum conservator jobs worldwide. The job board, which includes salary figures, features listings for conservator positions, internships, post-doctoral positions, and fellowships in various cultural institutions.
In addition to job listings, the IIC offers a range of resources, such as publications, conferences, and professional development opportunities, to support conservators in their careers.
4) National Council on Public History Job Listings
The National Council on Public History (NCPH) is an organization that promotes the study, teaching, and practice of public history in the United States. Their Job Listings section offers a variety of job opportunities in the public history field, including museum conservator jobs – which you can filter for! While the NCPH job listings may not exclusively focus on conservation, the site’s specialization in public history makes it a valuable resource for conservators looking to work in museums, historic sites, and other cultural institutions.
5) Canadian Museums Association
The Canadian Museums Association (CMA) Job board is available even if you’re not a CMA member. As the name implies, these jobs are all in Canada. The postings are laid out in a friendly, table form which lists the job title, organization, location, job type (permanent, contract, full-time, etc.) and the deadline for applications.
All postings include salary information in Canadian dollars. This site is not specific for museum conservator jobs, but it’s still a great mix of jobs in museum settings which you could try to get your foot in the door.
6) Museum Studies at Leicester job board
You may not have heard of this job board if you are outside the UK, but the Museum Studies program at the University of Leicester boasts “The UK’s most extensive free vacancy listing source for museums and galleries.” They include positions for volunteers and trustees as well as other jobs in museums related to visitor experience, management, curatorship, education and conservation, among others. Our favorite position we saw was a “Birthday Party Coordinator” at the National Army Museum in London.
7) Art frankly
Art frankly will require you to open a free account before you can browse through their job board. They state they serve “all facets of the arts industry – whether you are an artist, curator, researcher, gallerist, student, handler, or are simply curious to learn more about the intricacies of the art world”. We have looked through their job board and while there are limited museum conservator jobs posted, it is also occasionally possible to find some collections management positions – and since it’s free to browse, why not check it out?
8) The National Museum Directors’ Council job board(UK)
According to their website, “The National Museum Directors’ Council represents the leaders of the UK’s national collections and major regional museums.” In other words, this is the part of the internet your potential (UK) bosses are using. The job board here has its very own tab on the website, and you will be able to find all kinds of museum jobs, which of course include conservation positions. They even include intern positions!
If you are in the UK or looking to relocate, it’s a great website to check for upcoming opportunities.
Bonus
Did you know that the Canadian Association of Professional Conservators (CAPC) and Canadian Association for Conservation of Cultural Property (CAC-ACCR) have jointly developed a useful hiring resource? They have descriptions for 8 different types of conservation or preservation positions in an institution with recommended descriptions, responsibilities, and expected educational milestones. Even if you are not doing the hiring, this is the perfect resource to help you see what kind of qualifications employers might be looking for so you can prepare yourself for the next job hunt. We would like to thank Fiona Graham from Graham Conservation for this tip!
Conclusion
Finding museum conservator jobs may seem daunting, but with the specialized resources listed above, you can streamline your job search and find the perfect opportunity. The list presented above is, by no means, exhaustive, and we highly recommend browsing through the websites of the national and regional organizations in your area as many of them will have a locally-relevant job board you can use.
While there are some museums that do post their museum conservator jobs (and other jobs too) on the large job sites such as Linkedin or Indeed, you will be much more likely to find something relevant in the smaller websites associated with your professional organizations.
Don’t forget that, sometimes, jobs are either not advertised or are offered to specific people after an unsuccessful public contest. There is always a possibility a position will be hired based on connections and networking – so regardless of how many job boards you use, don’t forget to build relationships with your peers and colleagues too – and let them know when you’re searching.
We wish you good luck and happy success on your search for a new museum conservator job!
If you have any questions about environmental monitoring, integrated pest management, or just want to talk about preventative conservation, please reach out to us! Don’t forget to check out our blog or join our community of collections care professionals where you can discuss museum jobs, connect with other conservators or even take a course to get familiar with the Conserv platform.
