Conservator, HKPM

The Hong Kong Palace Museum (HKPM) is a dedicated museum that showcases the exquisite artefacts from Palace Museum’s collections and collaborates with other museums in research, exhibitions, education and public programmes. The museum comprises 7 800 square metres of gallery space for standing and special exhibitions on Palace Museum’s collections of paintings, calligraphy, antiquities and historical objects, as well as thematic displays on world cultures and civilisations.

(Candidate with less experience will be considered for the post of Associate Conservator.)

You will be responsible for:

• performing conservation work, including examination, conservation assessment, research, treatment, and documentation of objects as well as preparation of objects for exhibition, and ensuring gallery and storage environment is well maintained all the time for the objects;
• handling exhibition related conservation work, such as condition report and courier trip; advising on climate control, packing materials and methods, display duration and methods, mount-making, framing and matting, and issues related to display cases;
• conducting research, contributing to the field of conservation and scientific research;
• co-organising workshops, symposia and other scholarly projects;
• contributing to the public conservation education project in collaboration with the museum’s learning and engagement team;
• assisting in developing, maintaining, and regularly reviewing guidelines, policies, standards, and procedures for the conservation and care of the museum’s collections as well as incoming and outgoing loans; collaborating with relevant teams to develop and implement emergency plans and disaster preparedness protocols;
• maintaining conservation studio in the museum building, including the research and procurement of special equipment for conservation;
• assisting in co-developing conservation budget and monitor expenditures;
• working collaboratively with curators, registrars, exhibition managers, designers, security and safety officers, facility managers, and external stakeholders to ensure the proper care of the museum’s collection, loans, and the safety of the museum environment;
• providing advice and necessary training to other HKPM staff; developing collaborative relationships with the teams within HKPM, the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority, and outside service providers and users;
• performing other duties as assigned by supervisor when deemed necessary.

You should:

• possess a master’s degree in conservation or conservation science or similar training programmes from a recognized college or university, or equivalent credentials such as certificates from a recognized conservation training programme;
• have at least 5 years of verifiable museum conservation experience (or equivalent) beyond the degree of certificate;
• possess a broad range of expert knowledge of and hands-on experience with the techniques, materials, and equipment used in the conservation and scientific research of museum and art objects. Conservation experience with Chinese art or archaeological materials is preferred;
• have knowledge of the procedures and best practices relating to the examination and preventative and remedial conservation of museum art objects; the environmental and handling requirements for storage, exhibition and travel of objects;
• have extensive experience with exhibition related conservation matters;
• have a proven track record of professional accomplishments in the field of conservation and scientific research that may include publication, conference papers, and research projects;
• experience of acting as a trainer, or experience with public conservation education is a plus;
• have a good understanding of museum collection management and associated software, such as Collection Management System, The Museum System (TMS), is a plus;
• be a strong team-player with excellent organizational, and diplomatic/negotiation skills, meticulous attention to details and accuracy, as well as the ability to work under pressure to meet deadlines and manage multiple complex projects concurrently;
• have a local and international network in the field of conservation and scientific research. Experience with Hong Kong and/or Mainland Chinese, or International institutions and collections is a plus;
• possess good communication skills and proficiency in English. Proficiency in Cantonese and/or Putonghua is a plus.

For interested parties, please submit your application with detailed CV on or before the following date. Applicants are encouraged to submit their applications as soon as possible. The review of applications will continue until the post is filled.

Data collected will only be used for job application processing. Your data may be accessed by our appointed recruitment consultants who have agreed to keep the confidence of all personal data in not less than the standards applicable to us. Applicants not being invited for an interview within 4 weeks from the submission date may assume their applications unsuccessful.

All related information will be kept up to 24 months and all personal data will be destroyed afterwards.

For more information, please visit or contact: Kazaf Lau /+852 22000236.

About West Kowloon Cultural District Authority

The West Kowloon Cultural District Authority welcomes exceptional talent with a passion to realise the vision and mission of making the West Kowloon Cultural District a prime local and international destination for arts, culture and entertainment.