Historic Building Conservation jobs

27/09/2026

Preservation Assistant - Royal Berkshire Archives

2.5 Days per week - 18.5 Hours per week - Part Time – Permanent

Do you have excellent attention to detail, good practical skills, and a passion for preserving history? We're looking for a dedicated Preservation Assistant to join the team at Royal Berkshire Archives and help care for Berkshire's unique and priceless documentary heritage.

We seek the best talent from the widest pool of people as diversity and inclusion is the key to our success. Reading Borough Council is a Disability Confident Employer and is committed to the recruitment and continued employment of people with disabilities.

We support hybrid working, it’s important to us that working arrangements are designed to enable our employees to excel and within this role you’ll have the opportunity to work in a way that suits your lifestyle.

About The Role:
Royal Berkshire Archives holds around seven miles of historic records, including nationally significant collections relating to Broadmoor Hospital, Reading Prison and the Thames Conservancy.

As a Preservation Assistant, you'll play a vital role in ensuring these irreplaceable collections are protected and accessible for future generations.

Working alongside the Senior Conservator, you’ll contribute to the day-to-day care and preservation of our collections.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Carrying out basic book and paper treatments, including cleaning, removing metal fasteners, sewing and encapsulation.
• Cleaning, packaging and re-boxing archival material and constructing appropriate storage containers.
• Maintaining accurate records of conservation and treatment work.
• Monitoring environmental conditions across our eight repositories.
• Helping to keep repository shelves and floors clean and well maintained.
• Retrieving archive material in response to requests from staff and members of the public.
• Mounting materials for display in the public reading room.

As you develop in the role, there may also be opportunities to support accessioning, basic paper and book conservation, exhibitions and events, online promotional content and digitisation of collections.

About You:
We're looking for someone who is:

• Highly organised, methodical and detail-focused.
• Skilled in practical craft-based work requiring manual dexterity and precision.
• Comfortable carrying out repetitive tasks to a high standard.
• Able to maintain accurate records and follow procedures.
• Confident using Microsoft 365 applications for data entry.
• A positive team player who can also work independently with minimal supervision.
• Physically able to lift archive boxes and books and work from ladders when required.

Previous experience of activities such as bookbinding, needlework, embroidery, model-making, joinery or other crafts involving delicate materials would be particularly beneficial.

You’ll be part of a team that relies on each individual to play their part to the best of their ability. As well as the colleagues that you work closely with every day, you’ll also be part of Team Reading, playing your personal part in making Reading a successful and vibrant place.

Our vision is to ensure that Reading realises its potential as a great place to live, work and play, and that everyone shares the benefits of this success. Our values and behaviours guide how we will achieve this:
Work Together as one team - work collaboratively, with each other and with our partners, and demonstrate the Team Reading values in everything we do
Drive Efficiency - show initiative, be adaptable to change and put forward ideas to help improve delivery and efficiency. Take responsibility for our own learning and development and for reaching our potential.
Be Ambitious - be demanding of our own performance – striving to be even better – and be prepared to engage with and challenge leaders in a constructive and positive way.
Make a Difference to Reading - maintain the highest levels of customer service and be flexible and willing to provide the services needed at the time they are needed.

Our offer:
We offer a supportive environment to grow and develop your career with the opportunity to put your ideas across. Innovation and ambition are strongly encouraged, and you’ll get a great feel for that working in our friendly and collaborative environment.

A competitive salary alongside a range of benefits including:

• Generous holiday entitlement - 25 days holiday each year plus bank holidays - rising to 30 days after 5 years and 33 days after 10 years' service, with the option to buy additional leave
• A wide range of flexible working opportunities
• Modern working environment at the Royal Berkshire Archives, 9 Coley Avenue, Reading in the heart of Reading
• Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
• Life Assurance - three times your annual salary (for members of the LGPS)
• On-site day nursery (Kennet Day nursery) rated outstanding by Ofsted
• Season Ticket Loan - a loan to help with the cost of your rail or bus journey, to and from work
• Lease car salary sacrifice scheme allowing you to lease a brand new, greener car for three years. The monthly fee includes insurance, servicing and road tax

For more information on this position please contact Sue Hourigan, Senior Conservator at Sue.Hourigan@reading.gov.uk

Closing Date: Sunday 27th September 2026
Interview Date: To be confirmed
Interview Setup: In person at the Royal Berkshire Archives, 9 Coley Avenue, Reading, RG1 6AF
The interview will consist of a tour of the building, a practical test and in person interview.

Preservation Assistant - Royal Berkshire Archives

Preservation Assistant - Royal Berkshire Archives