Senior Conservator - Singapore - NHB National Heritage Board

NHB National Heritage Board

Verified Company

Singapore

3 weeks ago

Posted by:

Wei Jie

beBee Recruiter

Description

Senior Conservator (Inorganic Objects), Heritage Conservation Centre

The Heritage Conservation Centre (HCC) is excited to share the recent decision taken by the National Heritage Board (NHB) to broaden the scope of the National Collection of Singapore.

The National Collection currently includes socio-historical, cultural, ethnographic, modern, and contemporary artworks and artefacts, spanning a wide range of material types.

From 2023, design and archaeological collections will be added, with a major expansion of the maritime archaeological collection already planned.

Consequently, HCC is now recruiting to address the associated collection needs and build its adequate professional capability.

HCC is an institution of NHB and supports the collecting and display activities of 12 institutions under NHB and the Visual Arts Cluster.

HCC's main mission is to care for the National Collection of Singapore, facilitate its current and future access and promote its use while enhancing its cultural significance.

HCC is located in a purpose-built facility that serves as the centralised storage and conservation labs for the National Collection of Singapore.

Currently, the Conservation Services Department at HCC is made up of a team of 35 conservators and comprises 5 conservation specializations organised in sections: Objects, Paintings, Paper, Textiles, and Conservation Science.

The Objects Section constitutes the largest team and is set to grow further.

To maintain organisational agility and to address collection needs, the Objects Section will be re-organised into two sections in the near future: Organic Objects and Inorganic Objects.

The conservation of maritime archaeological material will come under the purview of the Inorganic Objects Section.

Key Responsibilities

Management and supervisory functions

Cofacilitate the smooth transition of the Objects Section into the Inorganic Objects Section.

This involves adapting existing work processes and developing new procedures and leading the upgrading and maintenance of the conservation lab with regards to treatment of inorganic materials.

It requires working in close collaboration with the team members from the Conservation Services.

Set the directions for the section, in alignment with the priorities defined at department and institution levels while overseeing the day-to-day operations of the section.

Manage section staffing, including the selection, oversight and evaluation of conservators and interns.
Supervise the section, mentoring and training of staff to reinforce constructive work behaviour and performance. This requires nurturing staff development while working in close collaboration with relevant divisions of the NHB to identify individual and sectional training needs, develop training roadmaps, initiate, plan and execute internal and external training opportunities to enable continuous improvement in skills and knowledge of conservators from the section.
Develop HCC's capabilities in the conservation of maritime archaeological objects.

This requires leading the team in developing competencies in maritime archaeological conservation, providing conservation support in documentation and storage of newly-acquired maritime archaeological material, and establishing a new lab space equipped for the conservation of maritime archaeological collections.

Establish and monitor yearly work plans and administer the budget allocated to the section, according to HCC and NHB procedures and in concertation with the other heads of section and the Chief Conservator.
Support Chief Conservator and contribute to manage HCC Conservation Services Department and facilitate crossdepartmental/museum/institution/divisional work while closely working with the other heads of sections and/or leaders of the relevant working groups.
Assist HCC Director and its senior managers to manage HCC, as and when required.
Represent HCC when collaborating and/or negotiating with other institutions while advancing its reputation as a leader on conservation matters, locally, regionally and internationally.

Conservation related functions

Oversee the collection care support and the conservation treatments undertaken by the section, provide advice on artefact/artwork treatment options, and oversee sampling, examination, and materials analyses undertaken by conservators in the team and other stakeholders.
Oversee that the establishment of conservation guidelines and standards of practice are adequately based on current ethics and principles and that their implementation are timely and adequately implemented to reach holistic approach to collections care and access within allocated resources.
Promote and supervise the outreach activity of the section while working in close collaboration with the other Conservation Services Managers and relevant stakeholders to consolidate the professional capability in conservation and collection care inside and outside of HCC and a