Be part of Black Country Living Museum
Our Museum is a unique place, both for our dedicated staff and our many visitors.
As an educational charity, our mission is clear, but equally clear is the importance we place
on our staff; without whose knowledge, experience and passion we wouldn’t be the success
we are.
That’s why we only recruit the best staff who, regardless of the position they are applying
for, are able to embody our ethos based around mutually-supportive team work, customer
focus, knowledge-sharing, taking responsibility, respect for others, finding innovative
approaches and going the extra mile.
These notes are designed to provide you with information on our Museum and guidance on
completing the application form, to ensure you have the best possible chance of being shortlisted for interview.
Please read the notes carefully before completing the application form.
Whichever role you are applying for, you can be sure that your contribution will make a real
difference to the experience of our visitors and the success of our fantastic museum.
We look forward to receiving your application.
Andrew Lovett,
Director & Chief Executive
(Revised 03/02/2015)
Guidance Notes for Applicants
Living Museum – A Little of Our History (So Far
What we’re all about
Established in 1975 on a 26 acre site two miles from the town centre of Dudley, the Museum
exists to allow the visiting public to enjoy and better understand the magnificent history,
cultures, life-styles, traditions, industry and achievements of the Black Country region, and
the impact these have had, not only in Britain, but worldwide.
We have carefully preserved selected historic aspects of the local built environment, usually
involving the careful reconstruction of buildings brick by brick. The result has been the
creation of an extraordinary living village of houses, shops and workshops, complete with
chapel, school and pub - a fairground - and 1920s cinema set in an authentic industrial
landscape of coal mines, canal arm and lime kilns. The Museum also operates a tram way
and trolley bus route.
The site is brought to life through our team of enthusiastic and knowledgeable costumed
demonstrators, guides and volunteers, who welcome over 250,000 visitors each year from
all over the world.
Major Partners Museum
In 2014, a ‘Midlands Museum Consortium’, led by Black Country Living Museum, received
confirmation of three years’ investment funding from Arts Council England (ACE). We join a
list of only 21 Major Partners Museums across England to receive this investment.
The investment will focus on improved exhibitions, greater fundraising capacity, enhanced
promotion, workforce training, as well as providing new volunteering opportunities and
supporting apprenticeships.
Designated Collections
In addition to our wonderfully reconstructed Black Country village, we hold an impressive
collection of over sixty thousand notable items ranging from locally made pots and pans to
motor vehicles and motorcycles.
In 2012, the Museum joined the museums’ premier league, when it was awarded
Designation by Arts Council England (ACE). In the words of ACE, Designation is a mark of
distinction; an accolade, celebrating unique collections of national and international
importance, and a vital component of England’s cultural identity.
Designated collections are iconic, authentic and of the finest quality; resourced with
sophisticated expert management, and set in aspirational and creative organisations. Since
its introduction in 1997 the mark of distinction has been awarded to only a select few.
Designation recognises the strength of our entire collection and is an endorsement of how
we are developing our own distinctive style of engaging people – our visitors – creatively in
history.
(Revised 03/02/2015)
Mission & Strategic Objectives
Our staff live in the Museum to welcome you into the inspiring stories of real people, their
streets and homes, work and daily lives, so you too can see, taste, feel, smell, hear and join
in 300 years of Black Country history.
Strategic Objectives:
1. Develop Our Distinctiveness and Brand
2. Safeguard, Enrich and Use Our Collections
3. Transform the Visitor Journey
4. Increase Visitor Attendance
5. Achieve National and International Impact
6. Grow and Diversify Our Income
(Revised 03/02/2015)
The Application Form
We use a competency based approach to short-listing and interviewing candidates. It is
therefore essential that you review the job profile, and in particular the person specification,
which lists the key competencies required for the role you are applying for. It is important
that each of these requirements are addressed in your application form, in order for you to
best meet the short-listing criteria.
Top Tips:
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Review the job profile and application form before you begin to complete the form.
Ensure that you are clear about what information you are being asked to provide.

Make sure that your application is specific to the job you are applying for and
addresses the key requirements of the role. A standard application form, which
doesn’t specifically address the essential competencies, will limit your chances of
being short-listed for interview.

If possible visit us before making your application or attending interview. If you are
short-listed for interview, you can visit the Museum free of charge. We would also
encourage you to visit our website at www.bclm.com.
Interviews and other selection methods
If you are short-listed for interview, we will provide you with full details of what the
selection process will involve.
The purpose of the interview is to identify the best candidate for the job by using
predominantly competency based questions, based on the job profile, to assess how your
experiences, skills and knowledge match up to the requirements of the role. You should
therefore re-familiarise yourself with the job profile prior to attending interview.
The interview panel will usually be two or three people, one of whom will be the line
manager for the vacancy. The length of the interview will depend on the level of the post
but in most cases it will last for between 30 and 60 minutes.
At the end of the interview, you will be given time to ask questions about the role and
Museum. It is advisable to have a few questions prepared as the more you know about the
role and the Museum, the easier it is for you to assess whether the role is right for you.
In addition to the interview, we may also use other methods to help select the best
candidate for the job.
Common selection methods we use include:
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work related tests i.e. to examine your IT, organisational, written or numerical skills;
presentations;
psychometric tests;
personality profiles.
(Revised 03/02/2015)
What we can offer you
Along with a competitive salary and great working environment, we offer our permanent
and fixed-term staff the following benefits:

Generous annual leave allowance of up to 25 days per annum;

Occupational Pension Scheme, whereby the Museum will match your contribution,
up to a maximum of 6%;
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Enhanced maternity/paternity/adoption pay, dependent on length of service;
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Enhanced sickness pay, dependent on length of service;
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Voluntary Health Cash Plan;
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Cycle to Work Scheme;
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Subsidised food and drink at the Museum’s outlets;
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Free entry to the Museum for family and friends;
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Free entry to numerous other local attractions;
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An environment which encourages development, empowerment and personal
growth.
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Equal
Opportunities statement
We welcome job applications from all sections of the community and will only consider
applicants on the basis of their relevant experience, qualifications, skills and abilities.
The information you provide in the Equal Opportunities Questionnaire is purely for statistical
monitoring purposes and will be treated in the strictest confidence. Your completed form
will not be seen by those responsible for short-listing and will not, therefore, form part of
the selection process.
If you have a disability and require any adjustment to be made to either the application or
interview process, in order for you to participate, please contact the HR Manager to discuss.
Data Protections Act 1998
All information provided in relation to your application will be securely held in accordance
with the Data Protection Act 1998. If you are unsuccessful in securing the job you applied
for, your data will be retained for 12 months. By signing and submitting your application
form and recruitment monitoring questionnaire, you are giving your consent to your data
being stored and processed for the purposes of the recruitment process.
If at first you don’t succeed……
The Museum is a popular choice for applicants and competition for jobs is often high. If you
are not successful first time round, please do consider trying us again. Good luck.
(Revised 03/02/2015)