Collections Assistant

We're looking for a Collections Assistant to help look after our collections to ensure their preservation and presentation of our visitors. You'll play a part to share your work by engaging with visitors, bringing to life the history of Hatchlands and sharing our approach to caring for it.

Contract: Fixed-term until 31 December 2024

Hours: 7.5 hours per week (either Tuesdays or Wednesdays to be discussed. There may be occasional weekend working.)

Interviews: 25 July 2024

Start date: Week commencing 2 September 2024

Reporting to the Collections & House Manager, you'll be part of a large team with slightly different working patterns. This means you'll be working with some members of the team more than others, but we love to share our ideas and experiences with each other, and we're always trying to think of new ways to engage our visitors.

Situated on the edge of the beautiful Surrey Hills and surrounded by charming villages, Hatchlands Park is just 45 minutes from central London. The Park was built in the 1750s for naval hero Admiral Edward Boscawen and his wife, since then it has housed wealthy families, a finishing school for girls and even a printing press. Hatchlands is now home to our tenant Alec Cobbe and his wonderful collections of paintings, fine furniture and keyboard instruments.

As a Collections Assistant, you'll be working with a great housekeeping team in an incredible place, helping with the day-to-day cleaning and care of the collections. No detail will go unnoticed, and you'll keep a keen eye on everything from the environmental conditions in a room, to signs of wear and tear. You'll keep accurate records too.

Although you'll often be behind the scenes, we'd love you to talk to visitors about the work you're doing, and the collections we have. You'll also be part of the wider team of employees and volunteers, helping to cover where necessary.

You'll be primarily based at Hatchlands Park, with some minor operational responsibilities at Clandon.

able to work as part of a team, but can also work on your own initiative
well organised and adaptable
customer focused with a positive attitude
willing to learn new skills
good manual dexterity and hand-to-eye skills and ability to work from ladders and tower scaffold