Volunteer Support and Recruitment Officer – Milton Keynes Museum

Introduction

In its 50^th year of public opening, the Museum is looking forward to being able to add the stories of ancient and New Milton Keynes to what it does already. It will then truly become “The City Museum”, and fulfil one of its own and one of Milton Keynes Council’s ambitions – the reason why, on its own 50^th Anniversary, it invested £5 million in two new buildings.

The Museum was started by people who lived in the area before the New City was built. They collected artefacts to preserve their heritage and tell the story of rural North Buckinghamshire, how it was affected by the major route to the north and the industries it brought.

The Museum is immersive and interactive – a ‘please touch’, rather than a ‘don’t touch’ place; a ‘let’s talk’, rather than a ‘read what you can’ venue. We know that there is so much more to do and we will need to continue to develop and change but it is not our aim to be like every other museum.

Almost all the work of developing and running the Museum has been undertaken by volunteers and we hope that will remain the case in the future. It is estimated that volunteers contribute between a quarter and half a million pounds worth of their time annually – a huge contribution unlikely to be matched by any local authority support.

The Museum aims to retain volunteers at the heart of its operation as they provide an important link to the community and contribute over £0.3m of work annually. The Museum relies on the time, skills and energy donated by volunteers to maintain high quality visitor experience. The volunteers work in teams with the team leaders forming the management group that meets formally every two weeks.

About the Role

We are seeking to recruit an enthusiastic and organised person with a strong background in working with volunteers and experience in recruitment and training. This role requires a keen understanding of the unique role of volunteers at Milton Keynes Museum and a well-developed ability to engage, motivate and manage this key group of people. The post would suit an experienced person who can work well with an established volunteer structure, while also having the expertise and confidence to introduce new approaches and ideas.

The Volunteer Support Officer will produce a recruitment strategy, including priorities for implementation. The Officer will undertake targeted recruitment, oversee a relevant induction and training programme and provide ongoing development and support.

The Volunteer Support and Recruitment Officer would work alongside the team leaders to ensure the smooth running of each area of the Museum.

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How to Apply

If you are interested in this role, we would love to hear from you.

You are asked to provide a CV which evidences your relevant skills and experience and a covering letter which clearly explains why you feel you would be suitable for the opportunity and your ambition for the role. You can email your CV and cover letter to [email protected].

Please put in the email subject line MKM VSRO Application (Your Full Name)  as a reference.

The closing date for applications is 21 July 2023. Interviews will be held week commencing 7 August 2023.

Many volunteers work weekends only, so this role requires flexibility to spread 37.5 working hours across weekdays, evenings and weekends to ensure all volunteers are supported and to assist with Museum security from time to time. Work schedules and lieu time will be agreed in advance with line manager and Museum Director.