Details
1103258
University of Edinburgh
01/12/2025
Other - See Job
9-15 hours per week
Not Applicable
Pay
£14.30
£2.59
Description
Role
The University of Edinburgh is currently offering a part-time opportunity for two students to join the Conservation and Collections Management Team as Collections Care Interns. The Conservation and Collections Management Team sit within the Heritage Collections Department, providing high-quality collection care and management service across all University-owned rare/unique collections. Within this role, you will support the team with a range of collection care activities to maintain the preservation of, and ongoing access to, cultural heritage assets across the University campus.
This is an exciting opportunity for you to gain technical skills and experience within the cultural heritage sector, which can increase your chances of future employment within the sector and/or provide evidence for entry to a subsequent postgraduate programme. Our previous Collections Care Assistant said, "Starting this position knowing little about different roles within the heritage sector, the diverse range of tasks I have been able to undertake has allowed me to develop a newfound focus on pursuing a career within preventive conservation".
You can expect to start work on the 1st December 2025 and work until the 31st July 2026, whilst working between 9-15 hours per week in the Centre for Research Collections, Main Library. During this position, you will be paid £14.30 per hour, plus £2.59 per hour holiday pay. Payment is one month in arrears, meaning your first payment date (should this position start when expected) will be the 28th January 2026.
Duties and responsibilities
The role will assist with a range of collections activities, including:
- Collection care activities, such as surface cleaning, re-housing, boxing etc;
- Collections management activity, such as barcoding collections, managing storerooms, and record keeping;
- Preventive conservation activity, such as pest management and housekeeping;
- Documenting collections;
- Creating content for social media and outreach activity.
Skills and experience
Essential Criteria:
- A current University of Edinburgh student (this post is designated for UoE student employment; therefore, you must be a matriculated student for the duration of your employment). You also must not hold the position of ‘Resident Assistant’;
- Based in the UK for the duration of the work, able to work on campus during shifts (we cannot accommodate individuals working overseas due to tax and legal implications), and able to attend a Right to Work Check in person if needed;
- Demonstrable enthusiasm for cultural heritage and commitment to enhancing knowledge and developing skills in collections care, collections management and conservation/preservation;
- Experienced in carrying out practical tasks that require precision and good manual dexterity – please note that practical skills will be tested at interview;
- Ability to organise and deliver work within agreed timescales to a high level of accuracy;
- Proven ability to adapt to changing tasks and work environment, whilst working both independently and within a team;
- Capable of fulfilling the physical demands of the role, such as working at height and moving heavy objects.
- Awareness of cultural heritage issues and a basic understanding of cultural heritage object handling;
- Commitment to pursuing a career in the cultural heritage sector.
Location
Centre for Research Collections, Main Library, 30 George Square, EH8 9LJ
Benefits
- Being part of a welcoming community of over 150 ISG Student Workers with opportunities to network, whilst working in a supportive and nurturing environment with a strong emphasis on work/life balance;
- Pay rate and holiday entitlement equivalent to that of UE04 permanent staff, access to NEST pension scheme if applicable;
- As a staff member, you can join the University's Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion groups (Staff Networks). For more information, please click the following link: University of Edinburgh's Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Groups;
- Access to a range of excellent staff training content and resources from the Digital Skills Team.
Additional information
To apply for this role, please upload a CV and covering letter, clearly stating how you meet the criteria for the role. Please ensure you've read the top bullet points in the criteria: you must be a University of Edinburgh Student, and you must not hold the position of 'Resident Assistant' (Res Life) during your employment. If you encounter any issues when applying, please e-mail unitemps@ed.ac.uk well in advance of the deadline, as we will only respond within office hours (9-5, Monday to Friday). Applications received after the deadline will not be considered.
We recommend reading our short Application Tips Document for guidance on creating a strong cover letter and CV.
Interviews will take place in person on 13th November. As mentioned above, there will be a short practical test as part of the interview, with further details to be shared upon invitation.
The University of Edinburgh is committed to providing a positive employment experience for all students. To support students in combining work with studies, we strongly advise you do not exceed the University’s recommended number of working hours per week:
- 15 hours for undergraduate students (up to 35 hours during vacation).
- 15 hours for postgraduate taught students (all year round).
- 9 hours for postgraduate research students (all year round).
PLEASE NOTE: This advert may close early if sufficient applications are received prior to the closing date which is 23:59pm on the 26th October 2025. Apply for job