AIM – New Stories New Audiences Project Support Officer

Job Title: New Stories New Audiences Project Support Officer
Salary: £24,000
Hours: 20 days per round for three grant rounds
Closing date: 5:00 pm 17 May 2021

Introduction

The Association of Independent Museums is a thriving UK museum membership organisation with over 1000 museum members. We represent a wide range of the UK’s museum and heritage organisations, from some of the largest attractions in the country to small, grassroots heritage organisations across a huge range of subject areas and localities. AIM helps heritage organisations prosper. We believe that museums must grow to fulfil their purpose and demonstrate the relevance of heritage to everyone.

Funded by National Lottery Heritage Fund, AIM’s New Stories New Audiences scheme offers grants of up £15,000 to AIM’s smaller members to deliver projects that tell a new story that will attract a new audience for their organisation. We’ll support museums to work with new partners and try out something new.

We know that all museums need to increase and widen their audiences to enhance their sustainability and to widen participation to groups that they do not currently attract. We want New Stories New Audiences to inspire museums to stay relevant to their audiences and to increase their impact.

Project Support Officer

AIM wishes to recruit a Project Support Officer. This is an exciting opportunity to play a role in the implementation of a new fund which will invest in and support museums to widen and diversify their audiences.

The Project Support Officer will report to the Programmes Manager and work closely with the AIM Grants and Finance Officer. The role of the Project Support Officer is to:

  • Receive all initial enquiries and expressions of interest for the project and to assess and advise as necessary.
  • Identify potential applicants and encourage them to consider applying, ensuring that there is a good range and quantity of applications for each round.
  • Advise the Grant Award Panel on specific applications and provide background information where relevant and useful.
  • Provide feedback to unsuccessful applicants.
  • Negotiate any specific terms or conditions for the grants that are to be awarded.
  • Monitor progress of successful projects
  • Undertake site visits to some projects.
  • Organise and facilitate a “new stories” cohort event to share learning and evaluation
  • Liaise with other museum sector organisations about the project if necessary.

 

We are looking for a facilitator who:

  • Has good knowledge of the museums and heritage sector, in particular the type of organisations that make up AIM’s small museum category.
  • Has a good knowledge and understanding of current issues around understanding and reaching currently under-represented audiences, community engagement and co-creation and diversity and inclusion in the heritage sector.
  • Has a good understanding of the administration and management of grant funding
  • Is approachable, flexible, organised, and communicates clearly and regularly with other team members. Is supportive towards all applicants and potential applicants.
  • Has strong negotiation and problem solving skills.
  • Is approachable, flexible, organised, and communicates clearly and regularly with other team members. Is supportive towards all applicants and potential applicants.

 

Contract Management

We anticipate that this work will involve 20 days per round for three grant rounds. There is a total fee of £24,000 plus VAT and including any expenses. A payment schedule will be agreed on appointment.

The role is freelance and the contractor will need to be able to work from home and provide their own IT and office equipment.

AIM has a standard self-employed contractor agreement.

The contractors will report to the AIM Programmes Manager

How to apply for this role

Please supply a cv (no more than 3 pages) and brief covering letter (no more than 2 pages) highlighting why you are interested in this role and how you are equipped to carry it out.

Please provide 2 referees

Proposals should be sent to AIM Programmes Manager, Margaret Harrison Margaret@aim-museums.co.uk

Closing date 5pm Monday 17 May 2021.

Funded by National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Heritage Fund logo