Imperial War Museums
Preservation Technician
Get notified of more jobs like this · No spam, ever
How your CV stacks up
Upload your CV to see how well it fits this job role
?%
What It's Like to Work Here
At IWM, we're driven by a shared purpose: helping people understand the impact of conflict and the experiences of those affected by it. Our collections are among the most significant of their kind and play a vital role in preserving and sharing these stories with audiences today and in the future. You'll join a collaborative team of specialists who are passionate about collections care, preservation excellence and making history accessible through exhibitions, research and public engagement.
Why This Role Matters
The Preservation Technician plays an important role in protecting and caring for IWM's collections across multiple sites. Through preventive conservation activities, environmental monitoring and collections care, you'll help ensure that historic objects remain safe, accessible and suitable for display, storage, research and learning.
Your work will directly support exhibitions, filming projects, loans, storage initiatives and public access programmes. By helping prevent deterioration, managing risks and maintaining high preservation standards, you'll contribute to safeguarding nationally significant collections for future generations.
What You'll Be Doing
- Deliver conservation cleaning and preventive conservation activities for collections on display and in storage.
- Monitor environmental conditions, support Integrated Pest Management programmes and identify preservation risks.
- Handle, pack, move and care for collection objects safely and in line with professional standards.
- Support exhibitions, displays, filming projects, gallery maintenance and other operational activities involving collections.
- Operate and maintain specialist preservation equipment and keep accurate records and documentation.
- Help prepare for and respond to collections emergencies, contributing to the protection of collection assets.
- Work closely with colleagues across Collections, Conservation, Exhibitions and Project teams to deliver high-quality preservation support.
- Support volunteers, students, interns and contractors, and contribute to preservation training and knowledge sharing.
Reasons to use Rodeo
Start with a chat, not a search bar
Grad scheme, placement, apprenticeship? Not sure what you want yet — that's fine. Your agent talks it through with you and turns "I have no idea" into a shortlist.
It searches the market for you
Every day your agent scans the market matching roles against what actually matters to you, not just keywords on a CV.
Only hits
No noise. No "maybe this fits." Just roles with a clear explanation of why they're right — and where to focus when applying.
What We're Looking For
We'd Love To Hear From You If You Have
- Experience working with museum collections, museum housekeeping, preservation and/or conservation activities.
- Experience handling museum objects safely and confidently.
- Strong attention to detail, good manual dexterity and a methodical approach to problem-solving.
- An understanding of health and safety requirements in a practical working environment.
- Experience using environmental monitoring equipment, systems or collections management systems.
- The ability to work at height, including from ladders and access platforms up to 15 metres (training provided).
- Excellent teamwork skills and the ability to work collaboratively across different departments.
- An interest in museum, heritage or collections-based work.
Get help with your application
Your very own career expert that helps elevate your application to the next level.
How You'll Work
You'll work closely with colleagues across Preservation, Conservation, Collections, Exhibitions and Project Delivery teams to help protect and care for IWM's collections. The role offers a varied mix of hands-on collections work, environmental monitoring and operational support, with opportunities to contribute to exhibitions, collections projects and public-facing activities. You'll also work alongside volunteers, contractors and other specialists, sharing knowledge and supporting best practice in collections care.
What Success Looks Like (First 6-12 Months)
- Build strong working relationships across Preservation, Conservation, Collections and Exhibitions teams.
- Independently deliver conservation cleaning, environmental monitoring and preservation programmes to agreed standards.
- Contribute effectively to Integrated Pest Management activities and preservation risk management.
- Provide reliable preservation support for exhibitions, displays, filming activities and collections movements.
- Maintain accurate records, documentation and reporting relating to preservation activities.
- Contribute to collections care improvements, operational efficiency and the long-term protection of IWM's collections.
For a full list of duties and the person specification (which your application will be marked against) please view the Job Description.
“It took my CV and asked me questions relevant to understanding what kind of jobs to suggest for me. Suggestions were almost perfect. Jobs were exactly what I’ve been looking for.”
Jessica, London
Location