The National Trust for Scotland’s curators are storytellers. The team co-ordinates research, helps to disseminate stories and supports property and central teams with the knowledge, tools and training that they need to share the histories of our places with our visitors and supporters in engaging ways.

The Curator North East provides curatorial support for the National Trust for Scotland’s North East region, excluding Fyvie Castle which is the responsibility of the Project Curator – Reimagining Fyvie Castle. They ensure that the cultural heritage of the properties in the region is well researched, understood and interpreted for the public. They have particular curatorial responsibility for the object collections and interiors at the region’s properties, but will also work with landscapes, gardens and intangible cultural heritage (ICH), facilitating cross-disciplinary research and ensuing integrated interpretation across all aspects of properties.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND ACCOUNTABILITIES

• Undertake curatorial duties for a defined region or sub-regional cluster of properties, supporting regional and property teams to ensure collections, interiors, gardens and landscape elements are well researched, understood, and interpreted for the public. This will include:
  • Training and development of colleagues
  • Researching collections, interiors, people and places
  • Interpreting our properties and their stories in creative and relevant ways, informed by audience feedback and evaluation
  • Ensuring collections information is accurate and recorded in a manner consistent with policy and best practice.
• Support the development of and ensure work is consistent with policy and guidance on curatorial work, especially research, interpretation, and management of collections, with particular reference to the Curatorial Vison and Strategy.
• Support the development of Masterplan Projects at properties within the region, ensuring strategic direction is informed by strong understanding of cultural heritage and assets.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS, EXPERIENCE & KNOWLEDGE

Qualifications and Experience

Essential

• Undergraduate degree in a relevant subject (e.g. art/architectural history, Scottish history, social history) or suitable equivalent experience.
• Experience of working with historic collections and period interiors and/or cultural landscapes
• Demonstrable experience of a wide range of curatorial and collections management responsibilities in a museum/gallery or heritage environment.
• Experience of building effective working relationships in complex, changing work environment and matrix-management structures.
• Competent object recognition and analytical skills, with proven ability and willingness to curate a wide range of object types.
• Sound understanding of SPECTRUM documentation standards and the requirements for Museum Accreditation.
• Experience of research from primary sources, producing and sharing research outputs.
• Experience of object cataloguing and use of collections management databases.
• Demonstrable experience of planning audience-focused exhibitions and displays.
• Demonstrable experience of creating and enabling audience-focused interpretive and visitor experience solutions.

Desirable

• A post graduate qualification in relevant subject (e.g. history, heritage interpretation, museum studies)
• Specialist knowledge expertise and a track record of publications in a relevant subject
• Experience of effective leadership in a dynamic environment
• Experience of developing and managing collaborative research projects
• A strong understanding of how to use evaluation and visitor research to inform exhibitions and interpretive developments.

JOB PURPOSE

This role has two purposes:

1. To support the fulfilment of the Membership Strategy, drive and lead a membership engagement and recruitment re-focus across the region as a whole, providing support at an individual property level.

2. In support of the Membership Strategy, feed a from-the-ground perspective into current and future campaigns, initiatives and offers to optimise their success.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND ACCOUNTABILITIES

At a property/regional level:

1. In fulfilment of the Membership Strategy, drive and lead a membership re-focus across the region as a whole. Supporting individual properties with specific action plans.

2. Understand the challenges and opportunities for membership engagement and recruitment for the region and at each property, and use this knowledge to give context to driving the pragmatic operationalisation of Membership Strategy campaigns and initiatives through bespoke property membership recruitment plans – including:

• implementation activities supporting campaigns and initiatives
• development and delivery of staff training (employee and volunteer)
• agreeing milestones for achieving agreed targets

3. Actively seek opportunities to challenge current property thinking and delivery of membership engagement and recruitment, and help the property “do things differently” if this will have a positive impact.

4. Support the Membership Marketing Manager with the roll-out of campaigns – including developing collateral to support properties achieve membership recruitment targets, local media messaging etc.

5. At a regional-level, contribute a membership perspective to cross-regional/cross-functional projects – for example in collections & conservation-in-action, events & formal learning, functions, food & beverage, gardens, holidays, nature conservation, retail, new systems and processes

6. Across the region, drive income generation in year and drive conversation of visitors to members from 2.5% towards 9%, through developing tools and practice to support and sustain income growth beyond the fixed-term period.

At a central Membership function level

7. Using insight and performance data, review target achievement, test new approaches, monitor results, evaluate effectiveness, and identify opportunities for continuous improvements – and, as appropriate, feed these back into central the Membership team to influence future approaches, campaigns, and initiatives for roll-out to other regions/properties.

8. Contribute to projects that improve the member journey at our places, including: online and in-person sign-up processes, data collection, membership administration, digital cards, and EPOS till related service improvements.

9. Build a network of peer membership organisations as a forum for exchanging initiatives, information, best practice etc.

The current duties of this job do not require a criminal records (Disclosure Scotland) check to be carried out.

JOB PURPOSE

The post‑holder will support the Head of Health & Safety in delivering a comprehensive range of health and safety services across the Highland and Islands region. They will act as the primary point of contact for property management teams within their allocated property portfolio.

A core requirement of the role is to build strong, effective working relationships with management teams at their allocated properties, including the Regional Director, Business Manager and Operations Managers. The post‑holder is expected to respond promptly to requests for support and to be a dependable, readily accessible health & safety professional. They will form a key part of the planning and decision‑making process within their portfolio.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND ACCOUNTABILITIES

Health & Safety System Monitoring

• Contribute proactively to the Trust’s health & safety agenda by supporting the development, implementation and communication of policies, guidance, and relevant information.

Health & Safety Performance

• Conduct audits to test compliance and identify opportunities for continuous improvement.
• Develop and monitor agreed improvement plans with properties/functions.
• Produce clear, high‑quality audit reports and summaries to inform management of property/function-level performance.

Accident and Incident Investigation

• Carry out thorough investigations into accidents and near misses to identify root causes and recommend measures to prevent recurrence.
• Prepare statistical analyses to identify trends and propose appropriate risk‑mitigation actions.

Identifying Emerging Risks

• Maintain awareness of emerging health & safety risks within the allocated portfolio and consider any wider implications for the Trust.
• Monitor potential risks arising from incidents, legislation changes, enforcement activity, or relevant court cases.

Property Support

• Serve as the first point of contact for specialist health & safety advice within the portfolio.
• Escalate matters of concern to the Head of Health & Safety and relevant regional management when necessary.
• Provide practical, timely, and proportionate advice to property teams.
• Work with Operations Managers and property management to agree improvement areas based on audits, investigations, or policy/legislative updates.
• Collaborate with colleagues across the People Directorate to ensure consistency of approach and the effective use of resources.

Attendance at Meetings

• Attend regional management and property-level meetings as appropriate to report on performance, promote improvement initiatives, and advise on the implications of Trust policies and procedures.

Training and Development

• Identify health & safety training needs and work with the H&S team and People—Training & Organisational Development to meet requirements efficiently.
• Deliver training within the scope of personal competence.
• Evaluate training effectiveness to ensure learning is embedded and performance improvements are sustained.

Risk Management

• Provide relevant data (audit findings, accident/near miss statistics) for the Operational Leadership Group and regional meetings.
• Contribute to the Operational Risk Register where required.
• Support the Head of Health & Safety in proposing appropriate risk‑management measures.