Vacancy for a part time Project Manager
Cornwall Museums Partnership’s Major Partnership Museum Programme
Cornwall Museums 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 museums, 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 on request.
We are looking for an experienced and efficient project manager to work part-time (0.5 FTE) as part
of a small team which is responsible for managing the Major Partner Museum programme approved
by the Arts Council, from 2015-March 2018. Key areas of responsibility for the project manager will
be;
 Managing the overall programme delivery plan ensuring all milestones are met
 Co-ordinating production of reports to the Board and funders
 Internal communications including co-ordinating project steering groups and board
meetings
 Managing associated information on the Cornwall Museums Partnership website and social
media
The post holder will liaise with and support a wide range of museums across Cornwall to ensure that
they deliver agreed milestones and outputs of the Partnership’s Activity Plan.
Salary is £28k pro rata + pension and travel allowance.
Application
If you are interested in the applying for the post, please fill in the application form and send to
Emmie Kell CEO Cornwall Museums Partnership emmie@cornwallmuseumspartnership.org.uk or
call 07967 749887 for more details. The deadline for applications is 5pm on Friday 7th August.
Interviews will be held in Cornwall on 20th August.
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. 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:
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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 July 2015 the partnership took over the management of the Museum Development
Officer post, which is jointly funded by Cornwall Council and Arts Council England
The Cornwall Museum Partnership has recently become a charity. The Board of the Cornwall
Museums Partnership consists of the following nominated trustees:
Ferrers Vyvyan
Chairperson
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 SW Lakes Trust
Henrietta Boex
Director of Falmouth Art Gallery
Julia Twomlow
Director of the Leach Pottery
These trustees will also be joined by further trustees nominated by the smaller, museums in
Cornwall, represented by Cornwall Museums Group (the name of the county museum group
network meetings).
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.
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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. The project manager will play a key role in ensuring that the Partnership’s
programme of activities is delivered effectively across a range of museums in Cornwall.
Job Title:
Project Manager for Major Partnership Museum Programme
Based at:
Studio 116, Krowji, west Park, Redruth, Cornwall, TR15 3AJ
Salary
£28,000 (pro rata) + 4% pension and essential travel allowance
We will also consider applications from freelancers – please provide a fee
breakdown indicating your day rate.
Hours
18.5 hours per week – flexible working to include occasional evening and
weekend work.
Leave
25 days leave + statutory bank holidays (pro rata)
Responsible to:
Chief Executive of Cornwall Museums Partnership
Job Purpose:
To co-ordinate the delivery of a multi- stranded programme of activity
across Cornwall’s museum sector, ensuring that the planning, budgeting,
management, monitoring, reporting, publicity and evaluation on all projects
is optimised.
Term:
Initial contract until March 2018
Overview
We are looking for a motivated self-starter with great communication skills. You will have an eye for
detail and an awareness of best practice in our sector. You will be a skilled negotiator who is able to
support a wide range of organisations (including those run by volunteers) to improve standards so
that they are best placed to thrive in the long term. You will have experience of working with
museums, heritage or cultural sector organisations and experience of working with a wide range of
organisations alongside a proven track record in project management. A working knowledge of Agile
project management would be advantageous.
Job Description
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Produce a detailed project delivery plan, and monitor progress to ensure all milestones
are met
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Coordinate the implementation of all projects including timetabling and ensuring good
communication between different project areas
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Work with partnership staff and core staff to ensure regular reports on activities and
progress towards project outputs are produced for Board of Trustees and for funders
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Co-ordinate Project Steering Groups, ensuring reports and information are available as
required, minutes of meetings are recorded and disseminated and actions are followed
up
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Liaise with Finance to ensure that funding is allocated appropriately, providing regular
reports.
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Ensure Cornwall Museum Partnership adheres to all applicable rules, regulations,
legislation and procedures e.g. Health and Safety, Data Protection and has in place all
appropriate policies and monitoring procedures.
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Introduce an organisation-wide computerised management system
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Advise the Chief Executive on the need to take action to address issues related to the
scheduling, staff and financial resources to ensure smooth project implementation
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Co-ordinate the drafting of narrative and financial reports to funders, in coordination
with project teams.
Contribute to the preparation of grant applications, tenders, and funding bids
Promote the services and reputation of the Cornwall Museum Partnership by active and
positive internal and external communication including website development, coordinating social media and supporting Press and PR opportunities.
In carrying out these tasks the post holder work closely with the Chief Executive, core staff team and
partner staff and freelancers involved in delivery of projects.
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 project.
You will also be required to be flexible and adaptable with respect to your role.
Person Specification
Essential Experience
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At least three years’ experience of planning and delivering projects including the ability to
manage and track multiple projects, often with competing deadlines
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Experience of preparing and writing reports on project progress
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Experience of building and maintaining good relationships with project partners, and other
stakeholders
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Experience of programme monitoring
Essential qualities
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A commitment to the values of the Cornwall Museum Partnership
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Willingness to travel and work some unsociable hours
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The ability to work unaided with limited supervision and as part of a team and be a highly
organised, motivated individual
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An understanding of and commitment to equal opportunities and diversity.
Essential Skills
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Experience of heritage / cultural activities
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Excellent verbal and written communication skills
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Good numeracy and budgeting skills
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IT competent and confident
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Excellent negotiation, diplomacy and interpersonal skills
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The ability to prioritise, work under pressure and deliver against set targets to agreed
deadline
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Good time management skills and experience of planning and prioritising heavy workloads
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Good interpersonal and ‘brokerage’ skills such as negotiation, persuasion, flexibility and
problem solving
Other Essentials
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Full valid driving license and access to a vehicle for business use
Desirable
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Demonstrable skills in project budgeting and financial reporting
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Understanding of fundraising processes and knowledge of managing a grant funded project
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Experience of working in a voluntary sector organisation
PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS IS A RE-ADVERTISEMENT AND PREVIOUS APPLICANTS NEED NOT APPLY
Cornwall Museums Partnership is funded by Arts Council England, Cornwall Council and Heritage
Lottery Fund
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