Museum and Collections Manager

Museum & Collections Manager (Maternity Cover), Hastings Museum & Art Gallery

“A local museum with a global collection that inspires people and connects communities”

This is a temporary maternity cover post with a chance to gain great experience in an award winning museum. You will be joining the team at an exciting time as we build on our work over the last few years as a community museum and a National Portfolio Organisation. Since 2018 we have developed strong working relationships with home educating families, LGBTQ+ people and refugee groups. We are also building relationships with people living in local social housing areas, D/deaf/disabled and neurodiverse communities and artists of colour.

As Museum & Collections Manager you will be integral to the success and development of the museum as we continue to embed inclusivity and community involvement at the heart of how we work. You will lead a small team who are passionate about encouraging participation and dialogue with the local community, stakeholder groups and volunteers. Your previous experience of leading teams and developing high quality events, managing collections, exhibitions and displays, learning sessions or community and access programmes will be central to making a success of this role.

As Museum & Collections Manager, you will work with colleagues to develop and deliver sustainable and engaging programmes and ensure our collections are managed to accreditation standards in order to achieve our strategic aims.

About the museum 

The award-winning Hastings Museum & Art Gallery is a family-friendly museum with amazingly diverse collections; there really is something for everyone! The museum was established over 130 years ago and has always offered people the opportunity to explore art, culture and history from around the world. Today, we are a socially engaged organisation focused on community engagement, particularly with groups from disadvantaged areas, minorities and vulnerable groups, as well as having a strong emphasis on promoting health, well-being, education and lifelong learning.

Hastings

Over the last decade Hastings has undergone an economic and cultural renaissance. The area’s reputation as a cultural centre continues to strengthen with flagship projects such as the RIBA award-wining Pier, Turner-nominated Project Art Works, Hastings Contemporary and the iconic De La Warr Pavilion in Bexhill stimulating new cultural economic activity. The town is full of life with plenty of things to do in the evening and at weekends, from the arcades on the seafront to bars and cafes in the old town and town centre sitting alongside a full calendar of festivals, arts and cultural events. Hastings is easily accessible by road, rail and bus – with good transport links to London and along the South Coast to places like Brighton.

Hastings Borough Council

The council’s vision is for Hastings to be “…a happy, welcoming place with a vibrant, unique culture where everyone has their needs met and is supported and encouraged to live their best lives.”

We are working to achieve this alongside the other council services, from regenerating the town centre and improving the cleanliness of our streets and beaches to increasing cultural opportunities and strengthening the local economy. We are all driven by a belief in fairness, a desire to tackle economic and social deprivation, and a recognition of the value of cultural diversity in the town.

Interested in applying?

Our main priority for this role is to find a person with the right experience, values and attitude that match our own. If you would like to have an informal chat about applying, please call 01424 451151 or email our Museum & Collections Manager (alice.roberts-pratt@hastings.gov.uk).

Appy by: Friday 31st January 2025, 17:00pm

Shortlisting and Interviews: Shortlisting and interviews will take place from week commencing 10th February 2025. Interviews may be in person or via MS Teams. Ideally, we are looking for someone to start from mid-March 2025.