Preventive Conservator

About the role

The Worcester Art Museum is seeking a Preventive Conservator to play a central role in shaping how the Museum cares for its collection, both today and long term. Working across Conservation, Collections Management, Curatorial, Facilities, and other museum partners, this role will advance a proactive, systems-based approach to collections care that prioritizes preservation needs in balance with operational realities, financial stewardship, and sustainability goals.

Responsibilities

• Lead environmental monitoring efforts and work closely with Facilities staff and external contractors to understand building conditions and inform priorities for HVAC and building management systems.
• Collaborate with Collections Management to revise and implement the Museum’s collections emergency preparedness planning and lead integrated pest management efforts.
• Support exhibitions, loans, accessions, and storage initiatives by contributing to condition assessments, providing recommendations for housing, crating, and transport, and collaborating with colleagues to establish and apply environmental guidelines for works in storage, on display, and on loan.
• Coordinate collections maintenance activities and identify appropriate materials and methods for storage and exhibition.
• Contribute conservation expertise to Museum events and capital projects; support training, mentorship, and internal knowledge-sharing; and may participate in public-facing outreach related to collections care.

Requirements

• A master’s degree in Conservation from a recognized training program, with training and professional experience grounded in preventive conservation theory and practice.
• Demonstrated experience applying preventive conservation principles within a museum or comparable institutional setting, such as environmental monitoring, integrated pest management, emergency preparedness, collections maintenance, or housing and storage planning.
• The ability to think and work systems-wide—understanding collections care as long-term, incremental work shaped by environmental conditions, institutional constraints, and evolving standards in the field.
• Strong collaborative and communication skills, with the ability to build trust, translate technical concepts for diverse audiences, and influence practice across departments without relying on formal authority.
• Sound professional judgment and organizational skills, including the ability to work independently while contributing to the development of new programs, standards, and workflows, and to balance preservation priorities with financial stewardship and sustainability considerations informed by preservation science.

Qualifications

Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis. At this time, the Worcester Art Museum is unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment visa.

Benefits

This position has an anticipated hiring range of $60,000–$75,000, based on experience and qualifications. Standard salary ranges for comparable levels are: Assistant conservator, $60,000–$66,000; Associate conservator, $66,000–$72,000; and Full conservator, $72,000–$78,000 annually.

Pay

Salary range: $60,000–$75,000, based on experience and qualifications.

Schedule

Full-Time, Exempt; 37.5 hours per week.