Museum Development Advisor

We are seeking a motivated and collaborative individual to join our team as a Museum Development Advisor. This role offers an exciting opportunity to be part of a team that realises Museum Development North’s vision of enabling strong, agile museums to contribute to the distinctive life, cultures and identity of the North of England and be widely valued for their transformational impact within a dynamic and inclusive environment.

Museum Development North is a partnership between York Museums Trust, the Manchester Museums Partnership, Cumbria Museum Consortium and North East Museums (formerly Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums). Our team of experts provide advice, give support and create opportunities for museums to connect, collaborate and grow.

This post is hosted by Manchester Museum. Based within Museum Development North, you will be a first point of contact and provide support for regional museums in the North of England, working with colleagues to provide advice, broker relationships, networks and partnerships as well as acting as an advocate for museums.

You will be responsible for:

• Deliver objectives against a £750,000 per annum grant from Arts Council England
• Act as Advisor for up to 100 museums in specific localities and provide subject specialist organisational development advisory support online and in-person to any of the 350 Accredited museums in the North of England
• Co-lead or project manage area wide projects and programmes with average budgets of £5,000 per project per annum
• Provide specialist insight and support to area wide programmes, including training and grant schemes, and to contribute to Museum Development England network activity

We welcome candidates who bring diverse perspectives, experiences, and approaches to their work.

About You

We encourage applications from individuals with a wide range of backgrounds and experiences. You should demonstrate:

Essential Criteria

• Evidence of experience based competency in a museum and gallery setting and knowledge of national and regional museum issues equivalent to a level 7 qualification (e.g. master’s degree)
• Detailed practical knowledge of a museum specialist function and senior level experience of the overall functioning of a museum
• Of working in a museum sector organisation at a senior level
• Partnership working with multiple stakeholders from a wide variety of experience and backgrounds
• Ability to meet area (North of England) and national travel requirements subject to reasonable adjustment

Desirable Criteria

• Detailed expertise of a key museum industry specialism essential to the functioning of a sustainable museum
• Project Management in both individual and group situation
• Mentoring and coaching
• Detailed experience of the grant application process
• Ability to learn new software and good level of digital/ IT literacy including Enterprise MS365 and Copilot

We value transferable skills and real-world experience as much as formal qualifications.

Our benefits include:
Generous employer contribution pension
29 days annual leave plus bank holidays, along with Christmas closure
Ride to work and EV car scheme available

For more information, please see University of Manchester Benefits. You can also find information on our Flexible and Hybrid working here.

We are an open place of enquiry and challenge. We embrace and celebrate difference, diversity and debate, and we pride ourselves on being a place of education, learning and community where we are able, within the law, to question and test received wisdom, express new ideas and explore controversial or unpopular topics and opinions. Find out more from our Freedom of Speech Policy.

Enquiries about the role, shortlisting and interviews

Name: Michael Turnpenny

Email Address: michael.turnpenny@museumdevelopmentnorth.org.uk

General enquiries and administrative support

recruitmentservices.people@manchester.ac.uk

Technical and job portal support

https://jobseekersupport.jobtrain.co.uk/support/home

Applications close at midnight on the closing date.

Further particulars (with person specification) linked below.