ABOUT PLOWDEN & SMITH | CAREERS | Three Vacancies: Decorative Arts Conservator Fixed Term, Head of Client Services, Office Administrator

Take your career in the fine art restoration sector to the next level with Plowden & Smith

Founded in London in 1966, Plowden & Smith is the UK’s largest fine, decorative and contemporary art and object conservation company. Operating out of new purpose-built premises in Mitcham, our team of experienced, skilled restorers work on an extensive range of materials. All treatments are guided by contemporary ethical considerations and underpinned by industry-recognised standards of best practice. Plowden & Smith is committed to supporting employees with their continued professional development and training.

We advertise current vacancies on our website, listed below, however we are always interested in hearing from talented professionals at all stages of their careers. Please send CVs to info@plowden-smith.com. We will be in touch should a suitable vacancy arise.

Why work for Plowden & Smith?

  • Work with some of the world’s most rare, beautiful and interesting artworks and artefacts, as well as national and international collections
  • Work in a stimulating, creative environment
  • Free entry to museums and exhibitions being held in the UK and around the world
  • Opportunities throughout the year to attend preview nights and private view events
  • Personal Continued Professional Development fund
  • Child Care Voucher Scheme
  • Cycle to Work Scheme
  • Hybrid Working

 

About Plowden & Smith

Founded in London in 1966, Plowden & Smith is a leading fine art and furniture conservation and restoration company.

In December 2018 we moved to purpose-built premises in Mitcham where our team of experienced and skilled conservators and restorers work on an extensive range of materials. All our object treatments are informed by science, guided by contemporary ethical considerations and underpinned by industry-recognised standards of best practice. Staff are committed to continued professional development and training.

Decorative Arts Conservator

We are seeking a Decorative Arts Conservator. The conservator will work with Conservation Management and Client Services to ensure delivery of quality conservation treatments within agreed estimates.

We are regularly required to work on objects that are gilded, composed of mixed materials, and created using non-traditional art materials. An excellent knowledge of materials and their properties is a pre-requisite for this position. A high level of water and oil gilding aptitude is also necessary.

The Decorative Arts Conservator will undertake examination and assessment of 2D and 3D objects and must be proficient in producing accurate written and photographic documentation, and generating condition reports to a high standard.

Position: Permanent fixed-term (1 year), Full time – Parental Cover
Working hours: Normally Mon to Friday 9am – 5pm (Part-time or compressed hours may be considered for this role)
Salary: £31, 000 – £33, 475 depending on experience

Key Responsibilities

  • Producing estimates, condition assessments, treatment proposals and methodologies and treatment reports.
  • Complete high quality conservation treatments, on time. Treatments can include cleaning, stabilisation, consolidation, repair and reintegration.
  • Water gilding – surface preparation, bole preparation, gilding, burnishing and toning.
  • Oil gilding: preparation of surfaces, gilding, toning, and finishing.
  • Keeping stock of studio materials and pre-empting upcoming project requirements and ensuring these are ordered on time with the Conservation Assistant.
  • Liaising with the Conservation Manager and Client Services to ensure the smooth running of your personal workload.
  • Work on site as well as in the workshop. This may include major galleries, museums, private homes, heritage sites and storage facilities.
  • Provide practical conservation advice and guidance to other conservators, client services and clients.
  • Work with other departments in the company on collaborative jobs.

About You

  • A qualified conservator with a minimum of two years post qualification experience in conservation of Decorative Arts/Objects.

  • Experience working in private practice is desirable as you will be required to work under your own initiative and effectively manage your workflow to meet deadlines in a commercial environment.

  • Reports are a vital part of this role, and a clear and concise writing style is essential.

  • Treatments are carried out both in the studio and in-situ willingness to do so is required.

  • You will be a personable and effective team worker with good communication skills.

  • You will be confident in making decisions with objects whilst maintaining exceptional ethical standards in your approach to all tasks.

  • Robust chemistry for conservation knowledge.

  • We handle large and oversized work frequently, managing studio space and safe handling with the team is vital to the role.

  • IT: Good working knowledge of Word and Excel and file sharing services. 

How to Apply

Please send your CV, portfolio and covering letter of no more than 250 words to emily.harris@plowden-smith.com and include ‘Decorative Arts Conservator’ in the subject line. The closing date for applications is Friday 25 July 2025.

Interviews to take place WC 4 and 11 August 2025. Please send applications in ASAP if interested. Role to commence in September.

Please note that you must have the right to live and work in the UK. We cannot support any individual in applying for a visa.

Administrator

We are looking to recruit a full-time Administrator. The state-of-the-art studios and offices are an inspiring environment where no two days are the same. You’ll need to bring great organisational skills, be detail driven and work efficiently in a fast-paced environment. Communication skills are indispensable for effective interactions with conservators, office staff, suppliers, clients, and other stakeholders. Knowledge of art history and the art industry is advantageous but not strictly essential.

Initial conversations will take place remotely. Selected candidates will then be invited to interview at our office. As part of this stage, they will also be asked to complete a short-written task using word and excel.

Position: Full-time position, on-site
Salary: Dependant on experience (please note this is a junior position)

Administrator Key Responsibilities

Front of House

  • Be the first point of contact for general telephone enquiries, emails to our info inbox and visitors to the studio.
  • Responsible for producing collection/delivery notes and distributing post.
  • Ensure the client services areas are neat and tidy.

Administration

  • Manage the purchase of supplies in line with conservator/treatment needs.
  • Administrate/process the documentation for artworks coming in/out of the studio.
  • Ensure paperwork, location records and identification tags are up to date for artworks.
  • Administrate the twice weekly collection and delivery van run.
  • Keep on top of long-term storage administration and provide a monthly report to the Head of Client Services.
  • Provide administrative support to the Studio Manager, the Client Services & Operations team.
  • Support the weekly Operations meeting by supplying documents and data to support this session.

Skills & Requirements

The role would ideally suit someone who has previously worked as an auction house or gallery administrator, or has front of house experience within a gallery, fine art shipper, auction house or insurance sector, although other experience will be considered.

The desired candidate would have: 

  • Great telephone skills 
  • Exceptional organisational skills.
  • Ability to multitask and pay attention to detail.
  • A strong communicator, who is efficient and thrives in a fast-paced environment.
  • Discretion and professionalism. 
  • Client-centric approach. 
  • Experience of Airtable would be advantageous.
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How to Apply

We’d love to hear from you if you’re interested in this position. Please send a CV and brief cover letter explaining why you’re right for the role to: kate.goad@plowden-smith.com

The job holder will report to the Head of Client services and Head of Operations. 
Start date: As soon as possible. 

No agencies, please. Must have the right to live and work in the UK.  

Applications are reviewed on an ongoing basis. However please note we do amend or withdraw our jobs and reserve the right to do so at any time, including prior to any advertised closing date. So, if you are interested in this role, we encourage you to apply as soon as possible.