House and Collections

Are you a people person with a passion for history and conservation? Help us welcome, delight and inspire visitors in the places we care for as part of our Collections Management and Care team here at the National Trust.

We’ve been looking after countryside, coastlines, historic sites and green spaces since 1895. Now, we welcome millions of visitors each and every year. We protect and care for over 300 properties and more than 1 million items. Our aim is to lead the way in everything we do, whether it’s delivering memorable experiences to our visitors, creating exceptional presentations for our exhibits, or simply the way in which we care for and manage the collections in our care.

We want everyone to be able to experience something new with us. So, we’re not a ‘look but don’t touch’ museum – we say look, touch, smell, listen, ask questions, and explore as we strive to make sure nature, beauty and history can be enjoyed by everyone, for ever. That’s why we’re looking for people to join us who are not only enthusiastic about history and heritage, but who can use their passion to bring to life the stories and memories of the collections and houses in our care.

Typical roles

There are plenty of varied and exciting opportunities to get hands on with historic collections, either as part of our Collections and House teams, or working in our National Collections Management and Care team, where we manage our loans, acquisitions, and the collections system.

Collections and House Manager

In this role, you’ll lead both the Collections and House team and all our volunteers as they welcome visitors and provide memorable experiences. You’ll also manage all the property’s collections and oversee the care they receive. It’s a varied role, with both operational and strategic responsibilities, and will see you working closely and collaboratively with curators, conservators, and our visitor experience and engagement teams. You’ll also work with our National Culture and Experience Directorate to develop programmes and experiences for a wide variety of audiences.

Collections and House Officer

This is a busy, hands-on role – either at a single property, or across our portfolio of places. This position will see you supervise the day-to-day opening, and ensure presentation standards are maintained while delivering excellent visitor experiences. You’ll also manage collections assistants, volunteers, and interns, and make sure we’re constantly delivering great collections management and care.

Collections Assistant

If you’re looking to build your collections management and care skills, this is a great place to start. Here, you’ll undertake day-to-day care and management of collections, and make sure our exceptional presentation standards are met. You’ll share your experience with visitors, demonstrating our approach to caring for the places we manage, and helping to bring their respective histories to life through engaging stories.

The things we do for you

We want you to learn, discover and develop your career. And we’ll do everything we can to offer you the training, support and development that you need to achieve your goals. This could, for example, include helping you to study for a professional qualification appropriate to your career, trying something new or moving into a different business area. We’ll work with you to plan your development in a way that’s right for your needs.

Investing in you

Induction. Your learning in the Trust starts with your induction. Whatever role you're here to do we'll explain what to expect, show you where to go and make sure you understand your new environment before you get going.

Personal career progression development programme. One size doesn’t fit all when it comes to development. Tailored to you our ‘Grow Your Own Career’ approach is in place to help you identify where you see your career heading, and the best ways to get there.

Learning resources. We all learn in different ways and respond to different styles. It’s what works for you, whether that’s on-the-job training, flexible e-learning or one-to-one support. And in an organisation of our size and diversity, there’s plenty of room to develop and places to go.

Future Engage and Deliver leadership programme. If you’re in a management role we’ll support you to become a better leader through our ‘Future Engage and Deliver’ leadership programme. The programme is designed to make sure you’re well-equipped with the skills and confidence to lead your teams to deliver our plans.

Professional subscriptions. If you need to hold a qualification for your role, from either a legal or professional point of view, we’ll cover the cost of your membership fee. We’ll need to see that it’s part of your continuous professional development, though.

Employee volunteering. Volunteers are the lifeblood of the National Trust and many other charities. That's why we'll give you every opportunity to get involved with some volunteering outside the Trust. It's also a brilliant way to try new things, learn new skills and meet new people. So we'll give you up to five paid days per year to do your bit.

Secondments. Secondments are an excellent way for you to gain and practise new skills in real life situations, preparing you for a potential next career move. They usually last from three to 12 months – ideal for temporary or project roles.

House and Collections people

Karen

Collections and House Manager

It’s amazing to spend my working life surrounded by truly awe-inspiring objects and spaces. The opportunity to work with – and alongside – expert colleagues and partners, and to lead the Collections and House team in the care and curation of our growing portfolio of historic places is a genuine privilege.
Victoria

Collections and House Officer

No two days are the same! On any given day I could be welcoming visitors, caring for our collections, supervising a film crew, working with our expert curators and conservators, or something else entirely. One of the best parts is the opportunity to get ‘hands on’ with the collections. Whenever I find a piece that sparks my curiosity, it’s fascinating to be able to then find out what it is, what it was used for, who might have used it, and then share all those details with our visitors. If you love history, conservation, and meeting new people, this is the perfect role for you.
Phoebe

Collections Information Officer

It goes without saying that this role definitely keeps me on my toes. From helping properties to taking care of our Collections System behind the scenes, there are countless opportunities to learn more about each of the items we care for, and also the dedicated teams who care for them.
Alison

Registrar

This is a really varied, busy role; one where you’ll work with a wide range of people both within the Trust, and externally. One day, I might be overseeing the return of a masterpiece artwork from an exhibition, and the next day I’ll be preparing a loan agreement. Being able to help people see and enjoy our collections is a hugely satisfying and very rewarding process to be a part of.
Barry

Collections System Support Manager

I love working with our teams and giving them all the support they need to flourish and succeed. Looking after the collections system involves providing user support and training, as well as liaising with developers and analysing data. By creating and managing our collections information, we’re able to help people discover our collections both digitally, through our online database, and in-person at one of our places.