Chief Executive – Thackray Museum

Are you ready to lead a museum that saves lives as well as changing them?

The Thackray Museum of Medicine is the UK’s largest independent medical museum. Opened in Leeds in 1997, the museum houses a unique and internationally significant collection of medical history. Having recently completed a four-million-pound redevelopment, visitors can now explore 11 new galleries housing a rich collection of over 50,000 objects and some 23,000 written works covering all aspects of the history of medicine. The museum has been instrumental in championing everything from Early Years STEM learning, through GCSE History of Medicine to postgraduate research. We are a unique part of Leeds City Region’s cultural and heritage offer, providing a destination for visitors, enhancing local amenities and providing added economic value.

Having been short-listed for the Arts Fund Museum of the Year in 2021, with a brand that is fast gathering recognition among the public, media, and stakeholders, now is a fantastic opportunity to lead the museum into the future as our new CEO. Reporting to the Board of Trustees, we are now seeking an exceptional candidate to join us as our CEO and lead the Museum in its next chapter. We are seeking a leader who will lead and inspire our staff and volunteers and who can continue to step outside the constraints of a small independent museum and position its unique brand in a way that tells compelling stories, captures public imagination, and drives funding and commercial opportunities.

The ideal candidate will have a deep commitment to inclusive practice and the networking instincts and passion for creative collaboration to imbue it into all aspects of the museum’s work. You will have a balance of creative and strategic mindsets, experience of successfully engaging diverse audiences, and a deep commitment to the values and ethos of the Museum. You may well not be a subject-matter expert but you will have a passionate understanding of how medicine and healthcare touches people’s lives, and how a cultural organisation can become an asset for the local community to grow resilience, wellbeing, and become a better place to live. In addition to this, candidates should bring an international outlook and an understanding of public cultural organisations, both within the UK and globally.

The Museum is passionate about the enormous benefits of a diverse organisation. We actively encourage people from a variety of backgrounds with different experiences, skills, and stories to join us and influence and develop our working practice.

Charity People is acting as an employment agency advisor to Thackray Museum of Medicine on this appointment.

For further information about the role, including details about how to apply, please visit https://thackraymuseum.co.uk/chief-executive-officer-recruitment-information.

Applications should be received by noon on Monday 19 September 2022