Oxfordshire History Centre holds the historic records of Oxfordshire dating from 1150 to the present day, including archive, local studies and photographic collections.
The service manages Heritage Search, our online catalogue of Heritage resources, containing over one million records.
About the Role
Supporting the work of the council by:
- Working as part of a team of paid staff and volunteers to deliver and promote public access to the History service and the collections in its care.
- Being a role model within, across and outside the organisation, in line with council values and behaviours.
Managing History Service collections by:
- Ensuring that Oxfordshire History Service provides a comprehensive collection of material relating to Oxfordshire and its past, and that users of the service are assisted in their research.
- Leading on all conversation and preservation practice within the service and running the conservation studio to recognised national professional standards.
- Actively supporting engagement with the collections/service, including through the use of digital technology and social media.
Ensuring safe and effective operations by:
- Working with service and council colleagues to develop and implement continuous and innovative improvements, in alignment with core service and council priorities.
Key Responsibilities
- Play a key role in the management of the History Service’s collections - leading on the conservation and preservation of items/records in our care; and, more widely, supporting acquisition, development, rationalisation, digitisation, reprographics and storage.
- Advise staff on conservation and preservation matters, and other members of the department, the County Council, and external organisations on conservation and preservation matters.
- Supervise the work of the History Service Assistants and volunteers carrying out preservation work on the collections
- Contribute to maintaining professional skills and standards in the team and actively attend/support/deliver training and development opportunities – helping staff and volunteers to reach their full potential and add value to the service.
- Work with the Operations Manager to monitor and manage and advise on building management systems to support collections care to national standards; and to maintain effective recording systems.
- Play an active role in sustaining effective, safe and compliant day to day operations across the History Service; in particular, ensuring that the conservation studio, its equipment and task processes comply with health and safety regulations.
- Help maintain and enact Business Continuity/Emergency plans, and ensure suitable procedural guidance is in place for collections work.
- Assist in promoting the service through outreach and engagement activities as required, including through the use of digital technology and social media.
- Support the handling of written, e-mail, verbal and phone enquiries relating to the History service collections, as appropriate.
- Be responsible for opening and closing the site and supporting operational teams as and when required.
About You
The successful applicant will bring to the role professional knowledge of a range of conservation practices and treatments, and an enthusiasm for preserving historic documents. The postholder will need to be confident in advising on conservation and preservation matters and have a confident understanding of procedures and processes. These include monitoring storage conditions through specialist building management software, and emergency planning and response. The postholder will be happy to work independently, as the sole conservator, but with the support of the History Service team.
This post is suitable for applicants who have recently graduated with a qualification in archive conservation; the opportunity to be mentored by an experienced conservator is available.
How to Apply
For more information and to apply, please visit the Oxfordshire County Council Vacancies Site before the role deadline on Sunday 21 September 2025.