Top job! Museum Director
- Full time
- Circa £40,000
- Bo’ness Railway Station (home of the Museum) (Hybrid)
- Closing 30th April 2024
- Advertised from 15th April 2024
- Salary according to experience. Permanent. 40 hours per week, usually Monday to Friday, but occasional weekend working when the museum is open.
Role
Objectives
The Scottish Railway Preservation Society (SRPS) owns the Museum of Scottish Railways and the Bo’ness and Kinneil Railway and manages the core collection that has been Recognised as being of National Significance through the Scottish Government’s Recognition Scheme. Most of the collection is owned by the Scottish Railway Museum Collections Trust (SRMCT) and SRPS manages it on behalf of the owner. Visitors to the Bo’ness and Kinneil Railway can see parts of the collection and other rolling stock in operation on the railway and visit the Museum of Scottish Railways.
The post holder will work with our collection to enhance continually its presentation, documentation, storage and use of a searchable online collections database. There will also be a requirement to work closely with the Board and with a team of volunteers. The post will be supervised by an appropriate member of the Board of the SRPS.
Key Responsibilities
- To represent the interests of the Museum of Scottish Railways within the SRPS, including by attending meetings of the Board and other management committees.
- To manage the staffing, maintenance and running of the Museum.
- To manage the delivery of the customer experience in visiting the Museum.
- To lead and advise the team who maintain the collection.
- To ensure the Board is provided with informed recommendations on acquisitions, loans and disposals.
- To ensure the creation of a searchable collection database on our website.
- To facilitate public access to the collection, including through management of the museum’s social media accounts and website.
- To ensure compliance with the Museum Accreditation Scheme and with Scottish Government’s Recognition guidelines.
- To manage the interactions of the Museum, including interfacing with the Scottish Railway Museum Collections Trust, particularly with regard to ownership of vehicles.
- To represent the SRPS within national museum-supporting organisations.
- To identify opportunities to apply for grants which would enhance the Museum’s ability to operate or improve the customer experience and then direct the production of grant applications.
- To manage projects and contractors involved in developing the Museum’s infrastructure as it expands
- To develop library facilities on site at the Museum
- To proactively identify projects, and take forward ongoing projects
- To direct general curatorial duties
Qualifications and Experience
Essential
- Relevant experience of working with a museum collection, and with staff and volunteers
- Practical experience of running a successful team, and managing budgets
- Flexible, confident approach with the ability to work independently or as part of a team
- Demonstrable capacity to delegate
- Demonstrable capacity to commit to developing self and colleagues
- Excellent attention to detail
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills
- High standard of written and spoken English
- Confident IT skills with experience of collections management systems
- Familiarity with the use of collections management databases
Desirable
- Applicants should be educated to degree level or equivalent in a relevant subject
- Museum studies qualification
- Interest in Scottish Railway History
- Experience of working with Adlib
- Experience of project management
- Knowledge of preventative conservation
- Knowledge of the Scottish Museum-supporting environment, including of grant giving organisations, and potential for raising funds
Application notes
Closing date for this position is 30 April 2024 with interviews to be held in the week beginning 6 May 2024.
Applications should include a CV and covering letter with your reasons for applying.
Completed applications should be emailed to chairman@srps.org.uk (preferably) or sent to: Scottish Railway Preservation Society, 17-19 North Street, Bo’ness, West Lothian, EH51 0AQ
Should you require any further information please contact Yvonne MacDermid OBE, chairman@srps.org.uk.
Also, please advise if you need reasonable adjustments to attend the interview.
The Collection
The Museum of Scottish Railways is situated close to the SRPS station in Bo’ness and the publicly visible part of the Collection is housed in two large exhibition halls and one covered viewing shed all connected to the Station by a Visitor Trail from which visitors can see a large part of the site of the heritage railway. There is considerable interpretation in these buildings and this tries to tell the story of the impact railways had in Scotland’s history and their evolution from the 1830s to the present day.
The rest of the Collection is held in the archive facilities which comprise a twin industrial unit near the station and two containers situated close to the main Museum building.
The most visible part of the Collection is the array of vehicles, of which there are 183 accessioned locomotives, coaches, wagons and platform road vehicles, many of which are on display, along with a number in use on the working railway. Additionally, there are a number of vehicles owned by other organisations or individuals on display in the Museum.
The “Small Objects” part of the Collection has several hundred items on display but very many more which are kept in the archive facilities. Within this, there are currently around 50,000 photographs kept physically in the Archive Store with new donations arriving regularly. A team of volunteers decides what to accession and interprets and documents accordingly, as well as digitising them for potential sale of copies to enthusiasts.
Additionally, there are over 3,000 other accessioned items such as railway brochures, tickets, maps, plans, items of costume, railway signs, paintings and items of signalling equipment.
Lastly in the Collection are over 7,000 books representing a high proportion of railway books ever published on the subject of Scottish railways. These are housed in a library building in the Station car park and looked after by a volunteer librarian.
Museums Galleries Scotland (MGS) is the National Development Body for Scotland’s museums and galleries. We support a sector of 449 museums and galleries, through strategic investment, workforce development, advice and advocacy. 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 Senior Museum Development Manager to work with the Head of Museum Development to facilitate 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.
You will have significant knowledge and understanding of the Scottish museums sector and current issues facing it in order to articulate the needs of the sector and turn that into action. Key to this role is direct engagement with museums and galleries in Scotland to build an understanding of diverse development needs. You will build strategic relationships, initiate development programmes and identify funding opportunities, working collaboratively to deliver impactful programmes and projects.
You will also have experience of addressing barriers to inclusion and driving positive change, with an understanding of anti-racism and anti-oppression in order to lead MGS’s work to support museums to become more inclusive.
As part of MGS’ senior management team, you will build and nurture effective working relationships across the organisation. You will manage a team of staff within the wider Museum Development Team.
The successful candidate will manifest MGS’s core values: collaboration, integrity, passion for museums, and courageousness.
Chair
- Management Board
- Unpaid
- Meetings usually held virtually with one in-person meeting annually, usually in Edinburgh (Hybrid)
- Closing 23rd May 2024
Museums Galleries Scotland (MGS) is the National Development Body for Scotland’s museums and galleries. We support museums and galleries throughout Scotland , through strategic investment, workforce development, advice, and advocacy.
We are currently looking for a new Chair with substantial experience of charity governance and experience of working with the Scottish Government. The ideal candidate will act as a passionate advocate for Scotland’s museums and galleries and lead our Board in supporting MGS to effectively develop and champion Scotland’s museums and galleries sector. The role involves leading the Board in its responsibilities in setting the strategic direction of the organisation and ensuring it is financially and operationally robust. The Chair works closely with the CEO and supports her and MGS staff in applying its resources responsibly in pursuit of MGS’ objectives.
We would like to hear from candidates who have a track record of leadership, operating at board level in the public, or voluntary sectors. Candidates should have strong corporate governance experience, including charity governance, with an understanding of the Scottish political environment and experience engaging with government. Candidates should also have a commitment and appreciation of the importance of museums and galleries as integral institutions of Scotland’s cultural sector.
For further information on the role including more about MGS, key responsibilities and person specification please download the candidate information pack.
This post is unremunerated and reasonable expenses are reimbursed.
Initial three-year term with option to extend for a further three years.
Pitlochry Festival Theatre is Scotland’s largest building-based producing theatre company. It is a haven for artists, set in breath-taking Highland Perthshire surroundings. The range and scale of work we create here – in the only fully end-to-end production facility of its kind in Scotland, and delivered through an entrepreneurial business model – ensures that we play a unique role in the nation’s theatre sector.
It’s an exciting time to be joining the Theatre in this newly created role. As well as continuing to produce exceptional work and investing further in Scotland’s creative talent, we are also midway through a major capital development programme which will see us reduce our carbon footprint, improve accessibility, and ensure the long-term financial sustainability of the Theatre.
We are more than a venue; we’re a community, a creative hub, and a home for transformative experiences. This is an incredibly exciting time for the Theatre as we continue to develop our programmes and physical home, and control of our finances has never been more crucial. As part of a small core finance team, you will be responsible for bringing clarity to a complex business model and support the team in our mission to create life-changing experiences through the arts. Specifically, your duties will include but not be limited to:
- Production and review of monthly management accounts with detailed commentary and analysis – paying particular attention to key drivers of business performance
- Support the external audit process and the preparation of financial accounts
- Preparation of finance papers for the Board of Trustees and the Audit Committee
- Support the Director of Finance with a wide variety of strategic and commercial activities as well as the production of budgets, forecasts and re-forecasts
- Preparation of quarterly Board Packs
The role is offered on a full-time basis of 35 hours per week, ideally with 2-3 days per week being office based and comes with an attractive salary, 29 days holidays and a number of other benefits.
Ideal Candidate Profile:
In order to be successful, it is anticipated that you will be a fully qualified accountant with post-qualified experience gained in a constantly evolving, cash-focussed organisation. Irrespective of background, you will have a keen eye for detail and be able to offer commercial insight and analysis to support the decision making process.
Crucial to your success will be your ability to solve problems and demonstrate initiative whilst influencing a wide and varied stakeholder base. These will include but not be limited to others in the finance function, internal and external production and creative teams, external advisors, the Artistic Director, the CEO and the Board. Experience of Xero accounting software would be particularly attractive.
Commercial Facilities Manager
- Full time
- £30,000
- Dunfermline with regular travel to Edinburgh, East Lothian, Glasgow and Blairgowrie and other sites in the future (On site)
- Closing 31st May 2024
Lar Operations CIC (the CIC) is a community interest company which is part of the Lar Group, which is headed by a Scottish charity who buy and build homes in Scotland and rent them at an affordable mid market rent.
The CIC is responsible for letting, management and maintenance of Lar’s, portfolio of residential and commercial units and factoring of a number of private developments and we are recruiting for a new role of Facilities Manager to support us as we continue to grow, with our increasing portfolio of commercial properties consisting currently of a 14 office suite building in Dunfermline, a retail unit in Blairgowrie, and a three retail unit complex in East Lothian. This role is a new role to take on the responsibility for management and letting of commercial buildings, factoring and management and oversight of commercial cleaning services provided by CIC.
CIC is also the factor of a large private development in Edinburgh made up of 165 residential units and three commercial units where it also provides a daily stair cleaning service. In addition, the CIC manages a number of buildings developed by the Lar Group’s construction subsidiary, and provides a twice weekly turnover cleaning service to one short term let property leased out to Edinburgh Social and Healthcare Partnership. CIC is currently in the process of developing an approach to provision of hospitality and community facilities across two of Lar’s current development sites.
This is role involves working closely with the Managing Director, Asset Manager, Property Managers and members of the maintenance team in the provision of a high-quality service to our commercial clients.
This role will contribute to the creation of vibrant and well-looked-after communities for the Lar Tenants, many of whom chose to stay with Lar long term. Our tenants express high degrees of satisfaction with their homes, and Lar’s mission is to provide environments “where people can put down roots.” At our head office in Dunfermline, and our branch offices, you will find a diverse and highly skilled collaborative team, all invested in working towards the goal of providing excellent homes for our tenants. We think it is a very nice place to work.
A full Job Description and Person Specification is available for download below.
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