Museum Manager – British Schools Museum

The British Schools Museum, Hitchin, is an independent charitable Museum and a wonderfully welcoming and inclusive place to work. Over 2023 we have welcomed 67 School trips (over 3000 children) for immersive historic lessons and history sessions, and over 4000 pre-school children into our stay-and play café.  We have organised events from a Children’s Literature Festival and holiday family craft sessions, to walking tours  of Hitchin and talks from local historians.

Our mission is to continue the legacy of the British Schools Museum by encouraging curiosity and bringing educational opportunities to everyone. We are looking for someone to take over the co-ordination of the day-to-day running of the Museum, organising volunteer rotas and events, but also to lead the Museum forward by completing grant applications and opening up new opportunities that could take the site in exciting new directions.

You will be working alongside the Board, the Curator (part-time) and the Assistant Curator (full-time) as well as the Finance Officer and café staff, but the Museum could not run without its 70+ volunteers who undertake roles from Victorian Teacher to maintenance and collections work and experience and enthusiasm for working with volunteers is important.

Key roles and responsibilities:

As the Manager of the Museum:

• Developing and implanting strategies to increase visitor numbers through exciting and innovative learning activities
• Developing inclusive programmes for schools
• Establish relationships with current non-visiting groups and encouraging their participation
• Ensuring an integrated approach to learning through exhibitions, activities, collection access, outreach work and community engagement
• Co-ordinating, managing and supporting the volunteers
• Over-sight of the key financial figures reported to the Board
• Reporting to the board and attending Board Meetings
• Using your initiative to identify and work towards new financial and community goals on behalf of the Museum
• Successfully delivering visitor and event services
• Manage regular opening
• You would be a key holder responsible for the security and maintenance of the site
• Supporting colleagues and volunteers in the development and delivery of events and activities.

Skills required:

• Management Experience
• Successful Grant Application experience
• Enthusiastic, self-motivated and self-responsible
• Whilst Museum/Heritage experience is not essential, it helps to have sympathy with the goals and idiosyncratic aspects of working on a heritage site.
• Strong communication skills, written and verbal, with team members and the public
• Good attention to detail, and the ability to multitask successfully
• Flexibility and the ability to adapt to quickly changing situations
• A sense of humour

Additional Information

• Salary: £28,840 (Pro Rata)
• Normal working pattern: 2-3 working days (9am-5pm) per week with some weekends, and occasional evenings and bank holidays for which time in lieu will be granted
• Annual Leave allowance is 24 days per annum plus public holidays (Pro-Rata)
• The successful candidate will be on probation for 6 months.
• Candidate will be signed up to the Museum’s standard Pension Plan

What’s next?

Please contact Lesley Saunders (Chairman of the Board of Trustees) by 28 January 2024 with a C.V. and Cover Letter on  [email protected]

British Schools Museum
41/42 Queen Street
Hitchin Herts SG4 9TS