Museums Galleries Scotland is the National Development Body for the Scottish museums sector. We’re here to support more than 452 museums and galleries, whether through strategic investment, advice, advocacy, skills development or other means. We are a forward facing and inclusive organisation, committed to the ongoing development of a positive culture for our team.

We are looking for a Museum Development Manager to facilitate, promote and support development across the sector in line with Scotland’s Museums and Galleries Strategy. The strategy provides a framework for the sector and MGS to work to ensure the future relevance and resilience of the sector. It centres around three thematic strands of Connection, Resilience and Workforce.

We are excited to offer the opportunity of this post whose focus will be on Learning, Engagement and Wellbeing, linking to Education and Health & Wellbeing priority areas of the Connection strand. This role requires someone is knowledgeable and passionate about the role of museums in society and has a broad understanding of the wider education and health and wellbeing contexts in Scotland.

They will have the experience and knowledge to continue to build collaborative relationships, existing and new, and drive learning, engagement and wellbeing activities. You will actively champion MGS’s organisational behaviours both internally and externally.

The postholder will support the interconnected nature of the strands through working collaboratively with staff across the MGS team working specifically with colleagues in the Museum Development and Skills teams, bridging work and working across strands to support and advocate for the museums and galleries sector in Scotland.

The postholder will be proactive in supporting existing partnerships and relationships and developing new ones. Driving key strategic learning and engagement activities, the postholder will be collaborative, consultative and responsive to their approach in working with others.

The postholder will be knowledgeable and experienced in the museum and heritage sector, and able to collect, analyse and act upon relevant feedback, research and data.

It is anticipated that the postholder will hold a supervisory and supportive role within the organisation, relating to their work priorities, and although there are currently no line management responsibilities, leadership qualities would be expected when coordinating and working within specific projects and priorities.

Relationship building is a key part of the role, and developing links with stakeholders, e.g. Education Scotland, Public Health Scotland, Developing the Young Workforce, and other key partners, will be fundamental to successful and positive outcomes.

Founded in 1875, the Cockburn Association is Edinburgh’s Civic Trust. It is a registered Scottish Charity with stated objectives as:

• The maintenance and improvement of the amenity of the City of Edinburgh and its neighbourhood;
• The protection and preservation of the city’s landscape and historic & architectural heritage.

In practice, the Cockburn Association has evolved to take an interest in many other aspects of the city’s development and management in accordance with sustainability principles:

• Supporting the protection of the landscape setting of the city and significant open spaces that contribute to the city’s unique character
• Promoting the improvement of the aesthetic and functional quality of shared spaces such as public squares, parks, streets and footways
• Advocating for sustainable transport systems sensitive to different needs for accessibility and mobility
• Encouraging high quality contemporary design for buildings and the public realm.

Our VISION is: A thriving Edinburgh where our heritage is created, protected, and enjoyed by all

Our MISSION is: We galvanise civic action to inspire stewardship, ownership, access, and appreciation of Edinburgh’s built and natural heritage

Our VALUES are:

1. We are an independent organisation that acts with integrity to monitor change and provide well informed, evidence-based advice to secure long-term benefits for the city.
2. As a respected body, we advocate for positive change through constructive dialogue and critical challenge with the aim of delivering successful outcomes.
3. We work in partnership with others to pursue wider public interest, engaging with our members and Edinburgh’s communities so that inclusive and wider views are represented and heard.

Role Purpose:

Often the first point of contact for Members, partners and media, you’ll work with a range of stakeholders across the city, playing an integral role in one of the world’s oldest conservation charities. You’ll work with our small team of two, and our incredible volunteers to design and deliver a new audience engagement plan. You’ll support and grow our Membership through the delivery of events from our annual talks and tours to Edinburgh’s Doors Open Days (part of Scotland’s largest free heritage festival). You’ll embed our new CRM, manage budgets, and report progress to the Board, funders and wider stakeholders. There will be lots of opportunities to engage in research, embark on and strengthen partnerships, and work with communities across the city and beyond. Ideally, you’ll have a passion for Edinburgh and enjoy working flexibly and dynamically to meet our charity’s needs. It’s an exciting time to join the Association, as we embark on the delivery of our new Business Plan, take back the coordination of Edinburgh’s Doors Open Days, and work with international and local partners to build evidence for the city’s 2040 Plan. Join us and help ensure that Edinburgh is a thriving city where our heritage is created, protected, and enjoyed by all.

Museums Galleries Scotland is the National Development Body for the Scottish museums sector. We’re here to support more than 452 museums and galleries, whether through strategic investment, advice, advocacy, skills development or other means. We are a forward facing and inclusive organisation, committed to the ongoing development of a positive culture for our team.

This is an exciting time to join MGS as we embark on year two of Museum Futures, a programme created to accelerate collaboration, innovation, and organisational sustainability within the sector. It’s also the final year of Delivering Change, a collaborative programme to enable organisations to restructure based on anti-oppressive principles. Alongside this, we are working to strengthen and expand the impact of our advocacy work.

As Marketing and PR Officer, you will play a key role in delivering communications across these programmes, as well as a range of MGS projects.

A key support position within a busy Marketing and Communications team, you will contribute to and champion an integrated approach across the full marketing and communications mix. With a strong awareness of MGS and our key audiences, you will help implement relevant strategies, processes and activity that raise the profile of both Scotland’s museums and MGS, while also sharing best practice to support sector development.

The Marketing and PR Officer will be an experienced communicator with a positive, ’can-do’ attitude, who understands how to tailor activity to reach different audiences and is comfortable working with the media. Strong communication skills are essential, including the ability to give and receive constructive feedback.

The role also requires excellent organisational and administrative skills, with close attention to detail. The ability to multitask and demonstrate enthusiasm and initiative constitutes a natural part of the job.

We’re hiring: Doors Open Days Officer

This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to the development of The Scottish Civic Trust, a small charity with a national remit. Our organisation is experiencing a period of dynamic growth, and we are seeking a Doors Open Days Officer to support us as we continue our journey.

About us

The Scottish Civic Trust is the national voice for Scotland’s civic and local heritage groups. Founded in 1967 to help people connect to their built heritage and countryside, preserve the uniqueness of their locality and appreciate how this connects to the wider unique character of Scotland, we work to ensure that historic built heritage, its stories, and the wider historic environment is celebrated and preserved, working to ensure it is valued in modern life and planning decisions. We take a place-based approach to involving all of Scotland’s communities in celebrating our rich heritage while ensuring its relevance in the present day.

Doors Open Days is Scotland’s largest free festival that celebrates places and stories, new and old. Since the first events in 1990, nearly 1000 venues across the country take part every September. Doors Open Days is coordinated nationally by the Scottish Civic Trust and is part of European Heritage Days alongside Scottish Archaeology Month, coordinated by Archaeology Scotland.

About the role

The purpose of the role is to work with the Doors Open Days Manager to develop and sustain the National Doors Open Days Festival, supporting venues and volunteers to ensure the festival remains welcoming and accessible to all. The role will support all aspects of Doors Open Day, from planning, to supporting venues, to the promotion of events, and the evaluation process. Working directly with venues and Regional Coordinators, and alongside a network of heritage organisations, volunteer groups, and local authorities.

The Doors Open Days Officer role is £25,000 pro-rata to 21 hours per week (£15,000 p.a).

View the full job description and person specification below.