Assistant Conservator (Paper/ Textile), Hong Kong Palace Museum

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. 

(This is a fixed-term contract position of 2-year with possibility for renewal subject to organisational needs and individual performance.)

Reporting to Senior Conservator, the incumbent will participate in exhibition and collection related conservation work, such as conservation treatment, research, examining and documenting the artworks, writing conservation report. This person will assist with monitoring museum macro and micro environment and collection and loan storage. This person will also support to develop standardized conservation practice and formulate emergency plan, and work collaboratively with other departments for scholarly, educational and other projects.
 

You will be responsible for:

• contributing to the preservation of the HKPM collections by participating in a wide range of traditional conservation activities such as producing condition reports and treatment proposals which include thorough documentation, providing expert opinions on the condition of proposed acquisitions, acquisitions and works planned for loans and exhibitions. It will involve performing occasional courier duties;

• performing conservation treatments and producing reports according to ethical standards;

• working in a collaborative manner in preparation/production/installation/de-installation of special and thematic exhibitions;

• conducting environmental measurements, monitoring and ensuring preventive maintenance necessary for the paper/ textile-based collections;

• participating in the matting/framing programme of the paper/ textile-based collections using proper materials and techniques;

• collaborating in extended conservation/preservation efforts such as developing conservation guidelines and procedures for storage and display, best practices for conservation treatment, procedure and the proper care and handling of works on paper/ textile in the collections; 

• participating in advising and training staff in best practices for the care, handling, display, storage, packing and shipping of paper/ textile -based collections and collaborating to ensuring that all conservation related elements are considered to the highest possible standard;

• keeping current state-of-the-art conservation/preservation methods and techniques by reading relevant literature and attending presentations, seminars or training;

• conducting specialised research on the materials and techniques of artists represented in the collection and possibly investigating degradation processes, treatment options and efficacy of treatments, when time and circumstances permit;

• communicating on conservation topics, if possible reporting on research results through publications, presentations, and demonstrations at professional gatherings and learning programmes, in agreement with the supervisors;

• co-supervising conservation technicians, volunteers or interns as required; and

• performing any duties from time to time as reasonably as assigned by HKPM.

You should:

• possess a Master’s degree or a recognised professional qualification in conservation, preferably in paper conservation and/or textile conservation;

• have at least 1 year of practical postgraduate experience working on paper/ textile conservation preferably in an institutional/museum setting;

• have proven experience treating and documenting a wide range of works to a high standard with full consideration of practical and ethical issues;

• demonstrate general knowledge of current museum practices in storage, handling and environmental controls;

• be knowledgeable/interested in technical study of artworks, and demonstrate expertise in diverse conservation techniques and theories (familiarity and experience with Chinese traditional crafts and cultural materials would be an advantage);

• be an innovative and enthusiastic team player with strong project management skills, critical thinking and solid analytical, and problem-solving skills;

• be able to work independently under limited supervision and as part of a team, in a fast-paced and continuously challenging environment;

• be proficient in MS Windows and/or Apple OS platform, and museum collection management system; and

• have strong oral, written and interpersonal communication skills in English and in Chinese.

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

30-04-2026

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 confidence of all personal data in not less than the standards applicable to us. Applicants not being invited for 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 https://www.westk.hk or contact:

Fiona Yung /+852 22002549