Appointment of CMP Chief Executive IW
1
Appointment of Chief Executive of Cornwall Museums Partnership
£44,000 pro rata (O.8 FTE)
Cornwall Museums Partnership works on behalf the museum sector in Cornwall. Founded in 2012 as an
informal partnership, it will have a turnover of £1.7 m in 2015/16 and has recently established itself as a
Charitable Incorporated Organisation (C.I.O). The partnership is seeking to appoint its first Chief Executive.
We are looking for an ambitious and entrepreneurial Chief Executive to work together with new staff team and
a committed board to lead the next phase in the life of Cornwall Museums Partnership, particularly in:




Driving forward strategy and business development
Balancing the charity’s current programme commitments, its future ambitions and its financial
sustainability
Developing new networks, partnerships and opportunities for the charity
Deriving best value from the Board of Trustees
Application
Please fill in the application form and Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form and send to:
Ernie Shepherd, South West Lakes Trust, Lidn Park, Quarry Crescent, Pennygillam Industrial Estate, Launceston,
Cornwall PL15 7PF or email eshepherd@swlakestrust.org.uk
by Noon 20 March 2015. Interviews will be in the week commencing 6 April 2015
Background to Cornwall Museums Partnership
Cornwall Museums Partnership was initially formed as an unincorporated association of the larger museums in
Cornwall to deliver and co-ordinate the partnership activity required to implement the aims of the Museum
Strategy (available as a download). The collective development of the strategy, funded by Cornwall Council,
involved all museums in Cornwall and created a culture of shared purpose. The strategy set out how to sustain
a thriving museum sector and its aims and objectives reflect the key characteristics of Cornwall’s Museum
sector: i.e. a large number of small, diverse and independent museums, the absence of a ‘lead’ museum
service and very limited Local Authority funding.
Since its inception the partnership has gone from strength to strength:
 securing funding from the Arts Council England’s Renaissance Strategic Support Fund programme in
2012/13, 2013/14 and 2014/15 for a range of projects designed to increase the resilience of the
sector
 being one of only nine partnerships in the UK to be awarded substantial funds (£250k) from the
Heritage Lottery Funds Catalyst Umbrella programme to support the development of fundraising
expertise throughout the sector
 being one of only 21 organisations in England to become a member of Arts Council England’s Major
Partner Museum programme with a three year award of £1.5m towards total project costs of £3m
 in April 2015 the partnership will be taking over the management of the Museum Development
Officer post, which is jointly funded by Cornwall Council and Arts Council England
Appointment of CMP Chief Executive IW
The Museum Partnership is currently clarifying its governance and strengthening its legal status by becoming a
Charitable Incorporated Organisation – foundation model. See
www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/390171/FoundationModelConstituti
on.pdf
The Board of the Cornwall Museums Partnership consists of the following nominated trustees from the
following member organisations:
Richard Doughty
Chief Executive of National Maritime Museum Cornwall
Ian Wall
Chief Executive of Royal Cornwall Museum
Louise Connell
Director of Penlee House Gallery and Museum
Colin Valance
Heritage and Operations Director Wheal Martyn Museum
Henrietta Boex
Director of Falmouth Art Gallery
Julia Twomlow
Director of the Leach Pottery
These trustees will be joined by an independent chairperson and two further trustees nominated by the
smaller, volunteer led museums in Cornwall.
The Purpose and Ethos of the Cornwall Museums Partnership
The Cornwall Museum Partnership exists to coordinate the delivery of collective programmes of work required
to implement the aims of the Museums Strategy for all museums in Cornwall. It aims to support the
development of best practice throughout the sector and to develop its profile and reputation. It is a flexible,
nimble and highly adaptable organisation which responds to the needs of the sector and on their behalf seeks
to secure substantial resources for partnership working.
The Cornwall Museum Partnership works on the principle that every organisation has a strength from which
others can learn and benefit. The structure is not hierarchical and does not rely on a single lead organisation
and no organisation is wholly reliant on another – thus sharing and reducing risk. The ethos of the partnership
is based on a culture of mutual trust, maintaining the freedom of individual museums whilst at the same time
being highly suited to delivering a range of collaborative ventures.
The board and staff of the Cornwall Museum Partnership identifies collective needs and potential resources to
support clusters of activity. Each project connects together museums with similar requirements with other
organisations, helping them to address the needs of their audiences and become increasingly embedded in
their respective communities – whether local or international. Within projects, museums can operate as both
commissioners and suppliers, and work together to deliver joint programmes of activity. To date this has
included joint marketing, fundraising, collections development, learning programmes, advocacy and online
retail.
Resources
In 2015/16 the partnership will be responsible for co-ordinating the delivery of projects with a budget of
around £1.17m
In April 2015 the staff complement will be
 Chief Executive (0.8 fte)
 Finance Director (0.5 fte)
 Catalyst Co-ordinator (0.6 fte)
 Catalyst Administrator (full time)
 Museum Development Officer 1.0 (full time)
2
Appointment of CMP Chief Executive IW





Major Partnership Museum - Project Manager (0.5 fte)
Major Partnership Museum - Community Development and Learning Co-ordinator (full time)
Major Partnerships Museum - Festival Co-ordinator (0.5 fte)
Major Museums Partnership Evaluator (0.5 fte)
Major Museums Partnership Administrator/apprentice (full time)
In future years the size of budget and staff team will fluctuate according to the projects which the CIO is
responsible for managing.
Current Projects
HLF Umbrella Catalyst
The partnership was successful in attracting £240k of funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund to support
improvements in fundraising across the sector in Cornwall. A copy of the original successful bid is available as
a download.
Major Partnership Museums
The partnership has been awarded Major Partnership Museums Status with £1.5million of Arts Council
England Funds for 2015 - 2018 being matched by £1.2m of investment from the partners, Cornwall Council and
further fundraising. The programme consists of a number of strands and initiatives and a copy of the Activity
Plan and Smart Targets together with the budget are available as downloads
Raising Steam
A first round bid for a major project (Raising Steam) to support interpretation activities on industrial heritage
sites (budget of £700k) is currently with Heritage Lottery Fund. A copy of the current bid is available as a
download.
Museum Development Officer
Cornwall Museum Partnership is managing the Museum Development Officer for Cornwall. A new officer is
starting in the post In March and a new contract and workplan for post will be agreed with Cornwall Council
and the South West Museums Development Programme in the near future. More information on the
programme can be found at www.southwestmuseums.org.uk/
3
Appointment of CMP Chief Executive IW
Job Description for Chief Executive of Cornwall Museums Partnership
JOB TITLE:
Chief Executive Officer of Cornwall Museums Partnership
ACCOUNTABLE TO:
The Board of Trustees of the Cornwall Museum Partnership Charitable
Incorporated Organisation
SALARY
£44,000 (0.8 fte) + 4% pension + travel allowance of 0.45p per mile.
HOURS
32 hours per week. The Chief Executive will be required to work
occasionally at weekends and to attend evening meetings. They will be
required to work away from Cornwall to attend conferences and other
meetings
LEAVE
30 days per year + statutory bank holidays. (pro rata for 0.8 fte)
THE ROLE
The role is divided into eight key areas with responsibilities as follows:
Strategy
 In consultation with the board, team and key stakeholders, articulate a clear and compelling vision
and strategy for the Cornwall Museum Partnership
 Work with board and staff team and partners to develop a business plan to deliver the strategy
 Champion, where required, new ways of working to keep the charity innovating and supporting the
resilience of the sector, helping it to reach a wide range of beneficiaries
 Champion the principles of equality and diversity within the organisation and its networks and
partners
 Promote the Cornwall Museum Strategy vision, values and approach across the museum sector
 Ensure that the right balance is struck between the strategic needs of the partnership and the
strategic needs of individual museums
Business development and networks
 Act as a key spokesperson/public representative for the Cornwall Museum Partnership and its work
with the sector
 Actively seek new and relevant networks to develop the museum sector’s programme and reach
 Lead the development of new areas of activity for the sector
Programme Delivery
 Working closely with the staff team and partners, have a strategic overview of the funded
programmes and the work of the partners including:
o developing resilience
o improving fundraising
o increasing reach
o developing a Heritage Festival
o supporting learning and participation activity
o increasing innovative use of new technologies and digital engagement
o partnership work with arts organisations
o embedding museums firmly at the centre of their communities
o ensuring cross-organisation co-ordination on complex projects or new areas of work
o supporting recruitment and retention of volunteers
4
Appointment of CMP Chief Executive IW



Ensure all service delivery by the Cornwall Museums Partnership is informed by the vision, values and
strategic approach of Cornwall Museums Strategy
Ensure that partner museums understand their responsibilities on initiatives being delivered as part of
the partnership activity and deliver their outputs and achieve their expected outcomes
Ensure that partner museums have the required resources to deliver their required outputs and
outcomes
Fundraising and income development
 Create a development strategy which supports the Cornwall Museums Partnership’s role in
supporting the delivery of the Cornwall Museums Strategy
 Act as one of the partnership’s primary fundraisers across all fundraising sectors - from strategic
funding bids to statutory funders and trusts, to asking for donations from individuals and corporate
supporters
Communications
 Together with freelance marketing support and the Marketing sub-group, maintain and develop the
Cornwall Museum Partnership’s brand and positioning
 Act as a strong advocate and spokesperson for the charity
 Manage the relationships with all stakeholders and funders including Cornwall Council, Heritage
Lottery Fund, and Arts Council England
 Work in collaboration with strategic partners and all organisations within, and connected to, the
museum sector
 Ensure the development of best practice and that lessons learnt by the partnership are disseminated
widely
Finance
 Working closely with the finance manager, oversee financial planning and major financial decisions.
 Ensure that financial sustainability and quality of delivery for partners is built into the organisation’s
decision-making
 Ensure the board has sufficient and timely information to make adequate financial decisions
Governance
 Set the tone for relationships with board members and facilitate board and executive relationships so
that the charity can derive as much value as possible from the board
 Work closely with the Chair of the board to ensure that governance is of the highest standards
 Ensure that the Board of Trustees are provided with regular reports and all the information they
require to make strategic decisions
 Ensure robust reporting mechanisms are established to all funders
Management
 Provide strategic and strong leadership to all staff with the Cornwall Museums Partnership CIO team
and ensure that objectives are translated into meaningful and realistic personal objectives for these
staff
 Set high performance standards and ensure that staff are managed effectively and appropriately in
line with best practice in performance management policies and procedures
 Ensure research, monitoring, evaluation and other data is timely and accurate
5
Appointment of CMP Chief Executive IW

Ensure compliance with Health and Safety and other relevant legislation across the work of the
Cornwall Museum Partnership CIO and that the charity has in place all relevant policies and
procedures
This job description is not an exhaustive list of duties and you will also be required to carry out any other duties
which may reasonably be required of you in accordance with the needs of the Cornwall Museum Partnership.
You will also be required to be flexible and adaptable with respect to your role.
PERSON SPECIFICATION
Essential Qualities
 A proven leader who can command respect and inspire others in a range of different situations from
the very local to national/international contexts
 An ability to identify and act on new opportunities and directions effectively, practically and in a
sustainable way
 Excellent communication, negotiation and presentational skills, comfortable in an ambassadorial role
and appearing in a wide range of public forums
 Excellent interpersonal, facilitation and team skills, used to working with a wide range of people from
diverse backgrounds and committed to a learning culture both within the organisation and in its
programme relationships
 Able to manage change effectively and creatively: respond to complex and changing situations by use
of creative problem solving and bring new thinking, delivery mechanisms and solutions
 Thinks broadly and strategically. Supports and drives organisational changes
Essential Approach
 Committed to an integrated approach to museum development which blends, exhibition
programming, education, community engagement and audience development
 Committed to delivering quality with a knowledge of and passion for museums
 Committed to the potential of digital activity in museums to engage people in new ways and reach a
wider range of people.
 Committed to working in genuine partnership
Essential Experience
 At least five years’ experience of working in complex and diverse organisations at a senior level
 Experience of driving innovation and implementing best practice
 Experience of building networks
 Experience of managing complex budgets
 An experienced, confident, and successful fundraiser
 Experience of Voluntary and Public sector working
 Proven track record of successfully project managing significant change / multi agency programmes in
complex environments
 Experience of planning and resource management
Desirable Experience
 Experience of senior management post within museum sector
 Experience of senior management post in partnership-based organisation
 Post graduate qualifications in museum or heritage work or business management
6