Senior Conservator-Restorer of Upholstery

About the role

It's carefully reviving pieces rich in history.

It's leading a skilled team to deliver exceptional results. And it's the satisfaction of preserving an irreplaceable collection for future generations. This is what makes a career with the Royal Household so different.

The range of furniture in the Royal Residencies is extensive and contains many unique pieces that display the skill of craftsmen from across the centuries. A lot of items are in regular use, and you'll lead our team of experts who ensure they are properly conserved, whilst also kept in good working order.

Joining our talented upholstery and soft furnishings team, you'll manage and deliver a wide range of traditionally upholstered furniture conservation and restoration projects.

Based at our workshops in Windsor, but also working across sites with items in situ, the rich diversity of conservation and restoration needs will stretch you and provide opportunities to utilise and further develop your specialist expertise and leadership skills.

Key Responsibilities

• You'll lead the delivery of varied traditional upholstery schemes, managing multiple projects and priorities while ensuring the highest industry standards of quality, comfort and craftsmanship are achieved every time.
• Drawing on your expertise, you'll evaluate the condition and appropriateness of existing upholstery schemes, formulate treatment proposals and agree approaches with colleagues and stakeholders.
• You'll work collaboratively across specialisms, balancing conservation and restoration projects with the busy activities of the working palaces.
• You'll take responsibility for the operational management of the upholstery workshop, maintaining specialist tools and equipment, monitoring health and safety compliance, overseeing stock and resources, and ensuring the workshop remains safe, efficient and well maintained.
• As a senior member of the team, you'll provide day-to-day leadership, supporting the development of colleagues, apprentices, interns and placements, while promoting best practice, professional standards and a culture of open communication.

Above all, you'll derive great satisfaction knowing that you're helping to preserve a collection that will be enjoyed by future generations.

About you

Essential Criteria

• Extensive experience in traditional upholstery conservation and restoration, you'll be confident leading complex projects and applying advanced craftsmanship, including historic upholstery techniques.
• Experience managing an upholstery workshop or leading a small team, with the ability to organise resources, prioritise workloads and deliver results through others.
• As a skilled practical problem solver, you can assess upholstered objects, develop treatment proposals and recommend innovative solutions that balance conservation, restoration and operational requirements.
• With meticulous attention to detail, you always achieve the highest standard of finish and are driven by excellence in everything you do.
• With excellent organisational and time management skills, you'll be able to manage multiple priorities, judge timescales and meet challenging deadlines. And with a flexible approach, you'll be able to respond effectively to changing circumstances.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, confident in liaising with a broad spectrum of colleagues, stakeholders and specialists in their field, whilst providing guidance, training and support to others.

Above all, your passion for your craft and commitment to professional development will inspire your team to deliver the highest level of care.

Benefits

Benefits

We know that to deliver our best work; we need to feel at our best. That's why at the Royal Household we offer a generous benefits package designed to support your wellbeing and life priorities.

• Enjoy 25 days annual leave, rising to 30 days (plus bank holidays) dependent on the length of time you have worked for us.
• Our excellent non-contributory pension plan (we'll contribute 15% and you can contribute more if you wish) is highly valued by our employees, as is complimentary lunch on-site to keep you fuelled throughout the day.
• We also offer a range of leave options to support your life priorities, such as parental pay and leave and volunteering days, as well as benefits to support your physical and mental wellbeing.
• Other perks include 20% off at our Royal Collection Trust Shops and complimentary admission tickets across all our locations, along with many more exclusive employee discounts.

Find out more about the full range of benefits available to our employees here.