Conservator London, UK Introduction The Zaha Hadid Foundation (ZHF) is seeking to appoint a Conservator to join its growing team. Reporting to the Head of Collections, the Conservator will primarily manage preventive conservation measures and any interventive conservation requirements at the Foundation, as well as support the Inventory Project and the developing loans and exhibitions programmes. They will support the Collections team to establish permanent storage facilities and to ensure that the collections are secure and appropriately cared for. They are expected to have a recognised professional degree qualification in conservation, a good working knowledge of preventive conservation, and practical experience of working with museum collections, and collections databases. Established by Dame Zaha Hadid (1950-2016), the Zaha Hadid Foundation is an independent, charitable cultural organisation dedicated to the legacy of the boundary breaking architect and her commitment to perpetual experimentation, in the here and now, across architecture and related disciplines. In addition to maintaining and activating Hadid’s archive, the Foundation mounts public programmes, supports education and emerging voices, and partners with a range of organisations, both from its base in London and around the world. The Foundation The Zaha Hadid Foundation will present the art and ideas of Zaha Hadid to local and global audiences. It will promote new ideas in architecture and design, and the interaction of the arts in contemporary society, engaging with diverse audiences and supporting new scholarship in areas which pertain to her work and legacy. Whilst firmly rooted in architecture and the life and work of Zaha Hadid, the Foundation will engage in a broad range of cultural activities. It will create exhibitions, from large-scale events for major international venues, to smaller and specialist displays. The Foundation will have its own exhibition spaces in which changing displays from the collection will provide London with ongoing access to Zaha Hadid’s work. The Foundation will also create exhibitions of all types that position Zaha in context, independently and through collaboration with other institutions. The Foundation will generate a wide range of activity, including conferences, colloquia, public lectures, film, online programmes, and publications. It will create a programme of fellowships and bursaries to advance new knowledge and innovative practice in relation to Zaha’s creative legacy. This might include practice in architecture, design, planning, museology, historical and theoretical studies. As ZHF is a young organisation at an early stage in its development, the Conservator will need to have an innovative, flexible and practical approach to problem solving. Crucially, the Conservator will have experience of working with museum collections and will be committed to caring for physical objects to a high professional standard in a way that can meet the organisations wider aims. They will be excited at the prospect of creating a new organisation with a progressive attitude to material culture. The Collection The Foundation’s collection comprises of over 15,000 works across a range of media, including architectural models, furniture, interior design, paintings, drawings, architectural plans and blue-prints, fashion design, and jewellery. Additionally, there is a considerable archive, consisting of works on paper and various types of ephemera. The Foundation also holds a collection of books which will form the basis of a research library. The Role As a young organisation with a small team, it is important that the postholder is flexible with regard to the tasks at hand, and able to work within a team environment that is sometimes pressured. Much of the role will be project-driven, supporting the coordination and delivery of projects will be a significant aspect of the postholder’s abilities. Reporting to and working with the Head of Collections, the Conservator will be centrally engaged in the creation of conservation policies and processes. Significant and immediate priorities will include maintaining Integrated Pest Management procedures, monitoring and advising on environmental controls, condition checking objects as part of the collections inventory, exhibition and loans programmes, and the development of systems and processes pertaining to the care and display of the collections. The postholder will participate in training that ensures that all ZHF staff are appropriately aware of preventive conservation procedures. They will also support the development and maintenance of the collections database, and with and support and facilitate the programme of loans and exhibitions. The Conservator will have a recognised professional conservation qualification to degree level, and experience of working with museum collection. This will include experience of preventive conservation and practical experience of interventive conservation, ideally having worked with a range of materials including works on paper, paintings, plastics and textile collections. They will be highly methodical and practical, and fully able to manage the preventive and interventive conservation work of the organisation, including advising on the establishment of object storage facilities and the suitability of borrowing partners. Duties Working with the Head of Collections, the postholder will: • Develop and maintain preventive conservation measures to ensure that the collection is cared for and protected to the highest international museum standards • Carry out, manage and advise on interventive conservation treatments • Assist in the establishment and maintenance of the Foundation’s storage facilities • Support the collections inventory and the development and maintenance of the collections database • Support the delivery of the loans and exhibitions programmes • Train and make ZHF staff aware of preventive conservation measures as required • Support the development of policies and procedures to enable the Foundation to gain full museum accreditation • With the Head of Collections, organise and manage contractors brought into ZHF for specific conservation projects Person Specification • Recognised professional conservation qualification to degree level • Knowledge of up-to-date principles and practice in preventive conservation • Practical experience of interventive conservation in a museum context • Experience of working with collections databases • Good interpersonal and communication skills • Ability to work collaboratively • Ability to manage a diverse workload • Commitment to equality and diversity in the context of the role Diversity and Inclusion Diversity and Inclusion is at the heart of the Zaha Hadid Foundation. As we grow, we will ensure that our principles and actions reflect this, and that we create a respectful, equitable and inclusive culture that supports all our employees regardless of age, disability and neurodiversity, ethnicity, gender identity and expression, religion and belief, sex and sexual orientation, and socioeconomic background. ZHF works to ensure that our recruitment processes are inclusive and accessible. We are committed to making adjustments wherever possible for disabled applicants. We are happy to discuss flexible working options for all our roles. Application procedure Applicants should apply in writing to the ZHF Director at mail@zhfoundation.com, by no later than midday (12:00pm) on Monday, 27th October 2025. We expect to hold interviews in the week commencing 3rd November 2025, arrangements to be confirmed. The following are requirements for the application process: • a current curriculum vitae • a supporting statement of no more than 2 pages. This should outline why you believe you are suitable for the post, and why you find the Zaha Hadid Foundation particularly interesting. You should address the criteria outlined in the person specification in your statement. • The names and contact details of 2 referees. Please indicate whether the referees can be contacted immediately, or whether you would prefer us to wait until an offer is being made. Salary The salary will be in the range £32,000 to £38,000