Pilgrim Trust Intern

About the role

This paid internship is funded by the Pilgrim Trust. It offers an exciting and invaluable opportunity to develop your evaluation and practical conservation skills along with gaining experience of working in a gallery environment. This role may suit someone who has recently completed, or is in the final year of, a degree or postgraduate qualification in object conservation.

You will be curious, meticulous and keen to develop your practical skills. You will gain valuable experience of working with a significant and varied collection, while making a direct contribution to its future care, interpretation and display.

Your main focus will be to condition assess, treat and repackage an important group of around 70 works held on long-term loan. The collection consists of naturalia, artworks, and ethnographic objects assembled by the Surrealist artist Roland Penrose (1900–1984). The collection exemplifies Surrealist collecting practices and has long complemented the National Galleries Scotland’s renowned Surrealist holdings. This project will help support safe, long-term care, future interpretation, and display of the collection for our audiences.

Based on site in the Conservation Department, you will be a member of our enthusiastic and dedicated team. Working under the supervision of a consultant accredited Artefact Conservator who will be on site one day a week, you will have the opportunity to work across a varied range of materials and conservation challenges. Additionally, you will work alongside the Lead Sculpture Conservator and Paper Conservator (Archive). You will assess the condition of objects, identify material properties, create treatment priorities, undertake practical treatments, and design and make packaging for safe storage.

You will use a range of conservation skills and techniques, including microscopy, multispectral imaging and other laboratory-based methods, while working closely with colleagues across the Conservation team and the wider organisation. You’ll also have the opportunity to develop your experience of conservation documentation, collections research, treatment planning and the practical care of objects in a gallery environment.

The difference you’ll make
Reporting to the Lead Sculpture Conservator and the Consultant Objects Conservator, your responsibilities will include:
•The use of microscopy, imaging and other laboratory testing methods to identify materials where possible.
•Liaising with our Senior Archivist to access any background information around the pieces which will help inform care.
•Completing a condition survey of the objects with support from the Project Supervisor, Lead Sculpture Conservator and Paper Conservator (Archive).
•Writing treatment proposals and identifying treatment priorities after consultation and research.
•Carrying out priority treatments.
•Designing packing and rehousing the collection for safe storage.
•Being an active member of the conservation community keeping abreast of developments across the sector.

Who we are looking for
To succeed in this role, you’ll need the following range of knowledge, skills, and experience:
•Experience of practical conservation on a wide range of materials.
•Educated to degree or postgraduate level in conservation, or currently in the final year of a relevant conservation qualification.
•Sound understanding of materials – their use, identification and ageing characteristics.
•Familiarity with basic analytical techniques used for identification purposes (both organic and inorganic materials).
•Excellent IT skills, including MS Office and familiarity with the principles of database management and operation.
•Excellent organisational skills, especially the ability to prioritise your workload, within the time boundaries of a short-term contract.
•Meticulous attention to detail and task focussed.
•Excellent ability and experience in conservation record keeping.
•The ability to work independently under own initiative, within a line-management framework, whilst also working as part of a larger project team with shared collaborative goals.
•Excellent communication skills with a diplomatic and problem-solving approach.
•Good understanding of health and safety requirements and safe ways of working.

It would also be great if you have:
•Experience using a Collections Database.
•Particular interest / expertise in organic materials.
•Experience of packaging artworks.

Please apply directly via our careers portal. Applications via email will not be accepted.

The closing date for applications is 12 noon on Monday, 24 August 2026.

Interviews will likely be held on or around 07 September 2026. If you are invited to attend an interview, you will be asked to submit a portfolio of up to 4 relevant projects (either digitally or in hard copy).

Museum Website: https://www.nationalgalleries.org/careers