An exciting new post has become available at Lyme Regis Museum, a small but prestigious institution located within metres of the Jurassic Coast, England's only Natural World Heritage Site.
This post will provide a challenging but exciting and highly rewarding opportunity for an early-career museum professional to play a key role in shaping the future of an important small museum in a prestigious location.
Commitment, creativity, flexibility and problem solving as well as a willingness to learn new skills are more important than experience in every area of work.
A current CV and an accompanying letter explaining your suitability for the position and why you would like to be considered should be sent to David Tucker (director@lymeregismuseum.co.uk) by 27th July 2015.
Please address the criteria in the below Job description.
Note: This is a two year post and will only proceed should the museum receive a Stage 2 pass from the Heritage Lottery Fund SW in September 2015.
Purpose & aims of post
Lyme Regis Museum has recently submitted a Round 2 submission to the Heritage Lottery fund for £798,000. Should this submission prove successful, the museum expects to build the Mary Anning Wing, a £1.5 million extension to the museum, which will open in June 2017.
This post (which is dependent on the Mary Anning Wing initiative progressing) has come into existence following the retirement of the museum's part-time administration and finance manager. The trustees of the museum have decided to extend this part time role into a full time role, combining the museum's administration functions with supporting the museum through a period of great change. It will provide a challenging opportunity for an early-career museum professional to contribute to an important capital build, gallery redisplays and significant organisational change of a much-loved and very popular museum built, on the site of Mary Anning's home at the birthplace of the science of palaeontology.
The post-holder will work with David Tucker, the museum's director and a small team which includes a part time learning officer, part time geologist and weekend duty managers. Lyme Regis Museum receives over 25,000 visitors a year and is supported by a large team of volunteers and very experienced trustees. The museum is currently working with a project manager, architect and designer to move the Mary Anning Wing Project forward.
The post-holder will be someone with ambition and drive, able to make a full contribution to the Mary Anning Wing Project and develop the skills necessary to support their further career. Applications are welcome from any suitably qualified candidate, irrespective of subject specialism.
Please see 'Essential Skills' below for more details:
Duties
To support the work of the Director of Lyme Regis Museum by overseeing the museum's administration functions and contribute the development of the Mary Anning Wing.
Operational Duties
- Overseeing the museum's day to day financial procedures through the museum's SAGE accounting system
- To become an authorised signatory and coordinate the museum's banking, invoicing and payments regime.
- Supporting the museum's Learning Officer through the administration of all learning visits
- Administer the museum's popular Fossil Walks programme
- Support the work of the museum's part-time retail manager and contribute to the museum's retail team
- To support the Director in a wide range of operational functions
- Assisting in the development & realisation of the Museum's business plan
- To work with the Director and other colleagues ensuring the museum is staffed and safe for the public
- To work with the museum's many Front of House volunteers, creating rotas and ensuring the museum is staffed
- To operate the museum's Gift Aid programme
- To develop a comprehensive understanding of the museum's till and booking systems
- To organise and contribute to the museum's outreach 'Fossil Polishing Programme'
- To work with the museum's volunteer webmaster in coordinating relevant information through the museum's website
- When appropriate making written and verbal presentations to the trustees of Lyme Regis Museum
- Assisting the Director in the preparation and maintenance of the annual budget.
Researching and advising on potential new developments to maximise the Museum's commercial effectiveness.
- Deputising for the Director when required
Training will be provided where necessary.
Project Duties
- Support the Director and work with the gallery designer, learning officer and museum geologist with the creation of the museum's new geology gallery.
- Support the operation of the Museum's Programme Advisory Board, which coordinates and advises on the Mary Anning Wing Project
- To work with and coordinate museum staff and volunteers with the temporary closure and partial evacuation of the museum
- To work with the Director in ensuring the protection of all items of the collection
- To contribute to the redisplay of the museum's geology and literary galleries
- To contribute to the reorganisation of the museum's shop and organisational processes in advance of the museum re-opening in June 2017
- To contribute to the creation of the museum's new website and to contribute to the delivery of the museum's extended marketing functions
- To work with the museum's HLF funded Activity Plan Coordinator and Learning Officer in the delivery of a wide range of activities with diverse audiences
This list in not exhaustive and may be amended as the Mary Anning Wing Project develops.
Responsible to: Director of the Museum.
Responsible for:
- Volunteers
- Cleaner
- Other contract staff where appropriate as the Mary Anning Wing Project proceeds.
Key working relationships
The post holder will work closely with the Museum's other staff, as well as a range of external audiences, relevant support groups, agencies and visitors.
This group includes (but not exclusively) the following:
- The museum's Learning Officer, Geologist, Weekend Duty Managers and Cleaner
- The Museum's Trustees
- The Museum's Programme Advisory Board
- Project Manager, Architect, Gallery Designer and other members of the Mary Anning Wing delivery team
- Visitors - individual and groups
- The Friends of the Museum
- Local Authority representatives
- Members of other museums and archives
- Donors and sponsors
- The media
- Participants in the Museum's events programme
- Relevant freelance, contract staff and advisors
- The museum's many Front of House volunteers, and also the volunteer research team leader, volunteer web manager and collections care and documentation volunteers
Essential Skills, Qualifications & Attributes
The post-holder will be ambitious, hardworking, flexible and committed to the Mary Anning Wing Project.
They should possess:
- A good degree
- A post-graduate qualification in museum studies
- An understanding of the leadership, management and administrative needs of smaller museums and cultural institutions
- High standards of literacy and numeracy
- The ability to prioritise
- Well-developed interpersonal skills.
- Ability to work as part of a team.
- Personal authority.
- Well-developed communication skills.
- Exemplary time-keeping.
- Diligence, attention to detail.
- Loyalty and resilience
Desirable Interests:
- An enthusiasm for palaeontology, literature and social and maritime history.