diff --git a/src/components/ui/PropertiesDrawer/PropertiesDrawer.tsx b/src/components/ui/PropertiesDrawer/PropertiesDrawer.tsx
index 4a98b61c..1e017e3a 100644
--- a/src/components/ui/PropertiesDrawer/PropertiesDrawer.tsx
+++ b/src/components/ui/PropertiesDrawer/PropertiesDrawer.tsx
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import {
 import toast from 'react-hot-toast';
 import { HiOutlineDocument, HiOutlineDuplicate, HiX } from 'react-icons/hi';
 import { HiOutlineFolder } from 'react-icons/hi2';
+import { useLocation } from 'react-router';
 
 import PermissionsTable from '@/components/ui/PropertiesDrawer/PermissionsTable';
 import OverviewTable from '@/components/ui/PropertiesDrawer/OverviewTable';
@@ -80,8 +81,10 @@ export default function PropertiesDrawer({
   setShowPermissionsDialog,
   setShowConvertFileDialog
 }: PropertiesDrawerProps): JSX.Element {
+  const location = useLocation();
   const [showDataLinkDialog, setShowDataLinkDialog] =
     React.useState<boolean>(false);
+  const [activeTab, setActiveTab] = React.useState<string>('overview');
 
   const { fileBrowserState } = useFileBrowserContext();
   const { pathPreference, areDataLinksAutomatic } = usePreferencesContext();
@@ -95,6 +98,13 @@ export default function PropertiesDrawer({
     handleDeleteDataLink
   } = useDataToolLinks(setShowDataLinkDialog);
 
+  // Set active tab to 'convert' when navigating from jobs page
+  React.useEffect(() => {
+    if (location.state?.openConvertTab) {
+      setActiveTab('convert');
+    }
+  }, [location.state]);
+
   const fullPath = getPreferredPathForDisplay(
     pathPreference,
     fileBrowserState.currentFileSharePath,
@@ -145,8 +155,9 @@ export default function PropertiesDrawer({
         {fileBrowserState.propertiesTarget ? (
           <Tabs
             className="flex flex-col flex-1 min-h-0 "
-            defaultValue="overview"
             key="file-properties-tabs"
+            onValueChange={setActiveTab}
+            value={activeTab}
           >
             <Tabs.List className="justify-start items-stretch shrink-0 min-w-fit w-full py-2 bg-surface dark:bg-surface-light">
               <Tabs.Trigger
diff --git a/src/components/ui/Table/jobsColumns.tsx b/src/components/ui/Table/jobsColumns.tsx
index eb803b14..0f789343 100644
--- a/src/components/ui/Table/jobsColumns.tsx
+++ b/src/components/ui/Table/jobsColumns.tsx
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import { Typography } from '@material-tailwind/react';
 import { type ColumnDef } from '@tanstack/react-table';
+import { useNavigate } from 'react-router';
 
 import { useZoneAndFspMapContext } from '@/contexts/ZonesAndFspMapContext';
 import { usePreferencesContext } from '@/contexts/PreferencesContext';
@@ -12,10 +13,13 @@ import {
 } from '@/utils';
 import { FileSharePath } from '@/shared.types';
 import { FgStyledLink } from '../widgets/FgLink';
+import toast from 'react-hot-toast';
 
 function FilePathCell({ item }: { readonly item: Ticket }) {
   const { zonesAndFileSharePathsMap } = useZoneAndFspMapContext();
-  const { pathPreference } = usePreferencesContext();
+  const { pathPreference, setLayoutWithPropertiesOpen } =
+    usePreferencesContext();
+  const navigate = useNavigate();
 
   const itemFsp = zonesAndFileSharePathsMap[
     makeMapKey('fsp', item.fsp_name)
@@ -26,9 +30,24 @@ function FilePathCell({ item }: { readonly item: Ticket }) {
     item.path
   );
 
+  const handleClick = async (e: React.MouseEvent<HTMLAnchorElement>) => {
+    e.preventDefault();
+    const result = await setLayoutWithPropertiesOpen();
+    if (!result.success) {
+      toast.error(`Error opening properties for file: ${result.error}`);
+      return;
+    }
+    navigate(makeBrowseLink(item.fsp_name, item.path), {
+      state: { openConvertTab: true }
+    });
+  };
+
   return (
     <div className="line-clamp-2 max-w-full">
-      <FgStyledLink to={makeBrowseLink(item.fsp_name, item.path)}>
+      <FgStyledLink
+        onClick={handleClick}
+        to={makeBrowseLink(item.fsp_name, item.path)}
+      >
         {displayPath}
       </FgStyledLink>
     </div>
diff --git a/src/components/ui/widgets/FgLink.tsx b/src/components/ui/widgets/FgLink.tsx
index 582e07d2..1b82fb91 100644
--- a/src/components/ui/widgets/FgLink.tsx
+++ b/src/components/ui/widgets/FgLink.tsx
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ type StyledLinkProps = {
   readonly target?: string;
   readonly rel?: string;
   readonly textSize?: 'default' | 'large' | 'small';
+  readonly onClick?: (e: React.MouseEvent<HTMLAnchorElement>) => void;
 };
 
 export function FgStyledLink({
@@ -17,7 +18,8 @@ export function FgStyledLink({
   className = '',
   target,
   rel,
-  textSize = 'default'
+  textSize = 'default',
+  onClick
 }: StyledLinkProps) {
   const baseClasses = 'text-primary-light hover:underline focus:underline';
   const textClasses = {
@@ -29,6 +31,7 @@ export function FgStyledLink({
   return (
     <Link
       className={`${baseClasses} ${textClasses[textSize]} ${className}`}
+      onClick={onClick}
       rel={rel}
       target={target}
       to={to}
diff --git a/src/constants/layoutConstants.ts b/src/constants/layoutConstants.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..963bc5ce
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/constants/layoutConstants.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+// Shared constants for layout management between PreferencesContext and useLayoutPrefs
+
+// Name is set by the autosaveId prop in PanelGroup
+export const LAYOUT_NAME = 'react-resizable-panels:layout';
+
+// Layout keys for the different panel combinations
+// Confusingly, the names are in alphabetical order, but the order of the sizes is set by the order prop
+// in the respective Panel components
+export const WITH_PROPERTIES_AND_SIDEBAR = 'main,properties,sidebar';
+export const ONLY_SIDEBAR = 'main,sidebar';
+export const ONLY_PROPERTIES = 'main,properties';
+
+export const DEFAULT_LAYOUT =
+  '{"main,properties,sidebar":{"expandToSizes":{},"layout":[24,50,26]}}';
+export const DEFAULT_LAYOUT_SMALL_SCREENS =
+  '{"main":{"expandToSizes":{},"layout":[100]}}';
diff --git a/src/contexts/PreferencesContext.tsx b/src/contexts/PreferencesContext.tsx
index cae71d1f..fe6bb30f 100644
--- a/src/contexts/PreferencesContext.tsx
+++ b/src/contexts/PreferencesContext.tsx
@@ -8,6 +8,11 @@ import { useFileBrowserContext } from './FileBrowserContext';
 import { sendFetchRequest, makeMapKey, HTTPError } from '@/utils';
 import { createSuccess, handleError, toHttpError } from '@/utils/errorHandling';
 import type { Result } from '@/shared.types';
+import {
+  LAYOUT_NAME,
+  WITH_PROPERTIES_AND_SIDEBAR,
+  ONLY_PROPERTIES
+} from '@/constants/layoutConstants';
 
 export type FolderFavorite = {
   type: 'folder';
@@ -53,6 +58,7 @@ type PreferencesContextType = {
   recentlyViewedFolders: FolderPreference[];
   layout: string;
   handleUpdateLayout: (layout: string) => Promise<void>;
+  setLayoutWithPropertiesOpen: () => Promise<Result<void>>;
   loadingRecentlyViewedFolders: boolean;
   isLayoutLoadedFromDB: boolean;
   handleContextMenuFavorite: () => Promise<Result<boolean>>;
@@ -223,6 +229,34 @@ export const PreferencesProvider = ({
     setLayout(layout);
   };
 
+  const setLayoutWithPropertiesOpen = async (): Promise<Result<void>> => {
+    try {
+      // Keep sidebar in new layout if it is currently present
+      const hasSidebar = layout.includes('sidebar');
+
+      const layoutKey = hasSidebar
+        ? WITH_PROPERTIES_AND_SIDEBAR
+        : ONLY_PROPERTIES;
+
+      const layoutSizes = hasSidebar ? [24, 50, 26] : [75, 25];
+
+      const newLayout = {
+        [LAYOUT_NAME]: {
+          [layoutKey]: {
+            expandToSizes: {},
+            layout: layoutSizes
+          }
+        }
+      };
+      const newLayoutString = JSON.stringify(newLayout);
+      await savePreferencesToBackend('layout', newLayoutString);
+      setLayout(newLayoutString);
+      return createSuccess(undefined);
+    } catch (error) {
+      return handleError(error);
+    }
+  };
+
   const handlePathPreferenceSubmit = React.useCallback(
     async (
       localPathPreference: ['linux_path'] | ['windows_path'] | ['mac_path']
@@ -750,6 +784,7 @@ export const PreferencesProvider = ({
         recentlyViewedFolders,
         layout,
         handleUpdateLayout,
+        setLayoutWithPropertiesOpen,
         loadingRecentlyViewedFolders,
         isLayoutLoadedFromDB,
         handleContextMenuFavorite
diff --git a/src/hooks/useLayoutPrefs.ts b/src/hooks/useLayoutPrefs.ts
index 2a6e5fe5..afe36a4d 100644
--- a/src/hooks/useLayoutPrefs.ts
+++ b/src/hooks/useLayoutPrefs.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,14 @@ import React from 'react';
 import { usePreferencesContext } from '@/contexts/PreferencesContext';
 import { useCentralServerHealthContext } from '@/contexts/CentralServerHealthContext';
 import logger from '@/logger';
+import {
+  LAYOUT_NAME,
+  WITH_PROPERTIES_AND_SIDEBAR,
+  ONLY_SIDEBAR,
+  ONLY_PROPERTIES,
+  DEFAULT_LAYOUT,
+  DEFAULT_LAYOUT_SMALL_SCREENS
+} from '@/constants/layoutConstants';
 /**
  * Custom hook that provides storage interface for react-resizable-panels
  * with debounced updates to reduce API calls when resizing panels
@@ -12,20 +20,6 @@ import logger from '@/logger';
 
 const DEBOUNCE_MS = 500;
 
-// Name is set by the autosaveId prop in PanelGroup
-const LAYOUT_NAME = 'react-resizable-panels:layout';
-// Confusingly, the names are in alphabetical order, but the order of the sizes is set by the order prop
-// in the respective Panel components
-const DEFAULT_LAYOUT =
-  '{"main,properties,sidebar":{"expandToSizes":{},"layout":[24,50,24]}}';
-const DEFAULT_LAYOUT_SMALL_SCREENS =
-  '{"main":{"expandToSizes":{},"layout":[100]}}';
-
-// Layout keys for the two possible panel combinations
-const WITH_PROPERTIES_AND_SIDEBAR = 'main,properties,sidebar';
-const ONLY_SIDEBAR = 'main,sidebar';
-const ONLY_PROPERTIES = 'main,properties';
-
 export default function useLayoutPrefs() {
   const [showPropertiesDrawer, setShowPropertiesDrawer] =
     React.useState<boolean>(false);