“Strawberry Hill House and Garden is the home of Gothic – inspiring the imagination through timeless stories of art, literature, architecture and landscape for today and future generations.”
Strawberry Hill House & Garden was uniquely created by Horace Walpole in the eighteenth century, and has been extensively restored and reopened in 2010 as the unique, beguiling and renowned Historic House Museum of today. The Board of Trustees is seeking an Interim Director to join the organisation at a critical time in its continuing development. Working closely with the Board, and a team of inhouse staff and dedicated volunteers, an experienced individual will ensure the delivery of current programmes of public and private events and fundraising activity, while helping shape a long-term strategy to enable Strawberry Hill House and Garden to meet its charitable purposes, managing all aspects of fundraising and financial viability.
In seeking an Interim Director, the Board seeks candidates with strong strategic business skills, enthusiasm and entrepreneurial insight who can help to realise the potential of Strawberry Hill House & Garden, and secure its sustainability as a heritage visitor destination. They will be good managers of staff and volunteers with the ability to motivate, lead and inspire. They will have a collaborative and open management style demonstrating strong communication skills. They will be responsible for ensuring robust day to day management of the house and gardens, working alongside the Curator to ensure that Strawberry Hill House remains a vibrant centre of excellence, attracting an array of diverse visitors whilst fulfilling its educational mission.
The Trust places the highest importance on diversity, inclusiveness and trust in all aspects of its work. The Trustees and the executive team strive to share their passion for the House and its contents, welcoming the widest possible audience and bringing enthusiasm, creativity and innovation to everything they do, working wherever possible with partners and collaborators who share their values.
Essential experience and attributes:
- Proven leadership skills
- Financial management acumen, and a strong track record of commercial success.
- Significant fundraising experience across all channels, and an understanding of the fundraising climate for cultural/heritage organisations
- Experience of working alongside, and negotiating with, external stakeholders
- Excellent communication skills
- Understanding and experience of charity governance, risk management, health & safety and safeguarding best practice.
- An eye for detail and excellence.
Desirable experience and attributes:
- An understanding of the museum/heritage world
- IT literate with an awareness of the importance of co-ordinated IT systems in data-gathering and operational analysis
- Marketing.
Currently operated on a four-day a week basis, with some evening and weekend working.
Application process:
Click here for the full job description (opens in a new tab)In making an application, you are asked to submit:
- A comprehensive curriculum vitae (3 pages maximum) giving details of relevant achievements in recent posts;
- A (maximum two page) supporting statement that summarises your interest in this post and provides evidence of your ability to match the criteria outlined in this brief;
CLOSING DATE FOR APPLICATIONS: Friday 16 May 2025 (by close of business)
Interviews are scheduled for: Thursday 22 May 2025.
We would prefer to receive applications electronically and they should be sent to:
We will endeavour to respond to all applications in a timely manner, please bear with us if this takes a little longer than we would like, we thank you for your interest in the Strawberry Hill Trust.