Public Programme and Collections Manager – Watford Museum

About Watford Borough Council

Watford is an urban borough in South West Hertfordshire; The borough has excellent transport links with mainline rail connections to London. Watford is the centre of a sub region serving around 500,000 people living within a 20 minute travelling time catchment. As part of the London commuter belt Watford is strongly influenced by London which brings the benefits of a buoyant economy.

At a glance

• £1.4bn local investment happening – mix of public and private funding
• 5 major development and regeneration projects happening
• 3500 registered businesses
• Higher than average working age population
• Skilled workforce
• Affordable local housing market
• Home to many major international head offices.

What we are looking for

A motivated and inspiring individual to lead the reimagining of Watford Museums service and its move to our Town Hall as part of our Town Hall Quarter regeneration project and deliver on our new activity plan and business plan. Our museum will take on the ethos of a civic museum engaging our community and bringing Watford’s rich history to life with an array of partners. Our stage 2 National Heritage Lottery funding bid is pending with a plan to re-open in our new home in Spring 2026. You will help us build the team, and lead on the move to the Town Hall while rolling out our business plan and activity plan that has been shaped with our community.

Our Town Hall Quarter programme aims to revitalise Watford Museum as part of a wider flagship scheme to regenerate Watford town centre. But this project is about much more than physical regeneration: we aim to transform our Town Hall into the beating heart of our community, with a modern museum and community spaces at its core. Our bold, ambitious plan creates a cultural space to tell our stories, connect our communities and inspire our journeys ahead. Exhibits will combine treasures dating back to the Bronze Age, with stories of the Windrush Generation and present-day icons. It’s about creating a space not just for storytelling, but one that sparks conversation and connection, with additional spaces for work and leisure. With the Watford Museum in its new home, we’re reimagining what regeneration can really mean for communities, to breathe renewed energy and a sense of pride and purpose into the heart of our town, for everyone.

Salary: Band 8. £43,391 – £47,452 per annum.

Ref: PPACM/08/24

Click here for the full details and to make an application>>

We would love to hear from candidates inspired by this unique opportunity with the ambition, desire and experience to take our museum service and our organisational values forwards.

Closing Date: 5pm Thursday 12 September

A basic Disclosure check or DBS enhanced check (as applicable) will be carried out for this post.

At Watford Borough Council we consider equality issues alongside other factors when making decisions as an employer of choice. We are committed to ensuring that we have effective policies, strategies, procedures, and processes and that we encourage behaviour which promotes equality, encourages diversity, and contributes to an inclusive organisational culture.