Partnerships & Volunteer Coordinator – Food Museum

The Partnerships & Volunteer Coordinator will produce and implement a strategy to help us to put diversity and inclusion at the heart of the museum’s collecting, interpretation and public programme, and to deliver and support in the delivery of projects and initiatives which help grow audiences and volunteering. They will represent the museum, build partnerships and share and promote the museum’s work.

We are looking for someone who is committed to the museum’s mission and has a wide-ranging interest in people and enthusiasm for food. We’re looking for someone who will set up and drive partnerships with a range of others (organisations, individuals, groups) so you need to have strong collaborative and organisation skills to keep projects on track. The job also involves creating and leading a team of volunteers so you need to be comfortable with being hands-on and motivating others.

The Kitchen Project

The role is funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund as part of The Kitchen Project. The museum has been awarded a stage 1 pass. Over the next 18 months, we will appoint an architectural team and develop plans and partnerships in order to submit a stage 2 application for further support in early 2025.

The project will ultimately deliver 5 years of exciting and engaging collaborative programmes of activities and exhibitions, including creating new opportunities for volunteering. It will transform the presentation of a group of buildings at the centre of the museum’s large 84-acre site. This will include re-erecting the medieval timber-framed ‘Edgar’s Farmhouse’, representation of a historic Victorian factory space, two Second World War huts and works to the stunning Grade II* Medieval Barn. The museum aims to create an interactive display of historical kitchens with food from different eras. Over the next year, the museum will be developing a ‘School Dinners’ exhibition and activity programme in collaboration with others. There will be opportunities for schools and a small number of 16-18 year-olds to get involved, via a Young Curators scheme which will be launched in spring.

Main duties:

1. Own The Kitchen Project activity plan and its implementation. Lead on development and delivery of programmes to grow and diversify audiences, working to deliver the targets identified in The Kitchen Project application.
2. Build internal and external teams to deliver activities. Project manage programmes, budget and quality. Work closely across the Learning and Collections teams to programme activities. Evaluate the work we create and use data to inform decision-making.
3. Build partnerships and relationships outside the museum. Act as an ambassador for the museum, producing online and offline content. Build relationships and partnerships with identified target audiences and look for opportunities to work with them to deliver events, activities and exhibitions and help the museum to be a more open and welcoming place.
4. Recruit and manage volunteers, working creatively to provide opportunities to engage others with the work of the museum.
5. Support the delivery of museum events, learning, marketing and fundraising.

To apply

Please click here for the full job description and application form>>

Please complete an application form and a recruitment monitoring form and email them to jobs@foodmuseum.org.uk – both can be downloaded at the link above.

The closing date for receipt of applications is Thursday 7 December 2023 at midnight.

Interviews will take place on Thursday 14 December.