Head of Exhibitions and Interpretation

At IWM, we’re driven by a shared purpose: helping people understand conflict and how it shapes the world we live in. Our collections are filled with powerful human stories that prompt reflection, challenge perspectives and deepen understanding of why conflict happens and how it shapes society. Our exhibitions and galleries provide powerful experiences that showcase these stories and collections.

You’ll join a passionate, collaborative and ambitious organisation that strives to engage and grow audiences through compelling storytelling, innovative interpretation and creative programming. Our people bring curiosity, professionalism and respect to everything they do, and you’ll be part of a team that works flexibly and enthusiastically to deliver meaningful experiences for millions of visitors.

This is a pivotal leadership role at an exciting time for IWM. As Head of Exhibitions and Interpretation, you’ll shape and deliver the temporary exhibition and gallery updates programme across all five IWM branches: London, North, Duxford, HMS Belfast and Churchill War Rooms. We have big ambitions to grow audiences over the coming years.

Your work will have museum wide impact: you’ll help shape how we tell stories, support our desire to grow audiences, champion innovative interpretive practice, and ensure our exhibitions remain relevant, audience focused and creatively ambitious. You’ll lead a talented team and play a central part in driving forward a culture of innovation, collaboration and high quality visitor engagement.

In this role, you will provide strategic, creative and operational leadership across the Exhibitions and Interpretation function. You will:

• Lead the development and delivery of high quality, impactful exhibitions and gallery updates across all IWM sites.
• Oversee interpretation across projects and ensure all work aligns with IWM’s interpretation principles and audience strategy.
• Line manage the Exhibitions and Interpretation Managers, supporting their professional development and ensuring consistent, high quality output.
• Guide project management processes, including schedules, reporting, risk management and cross project coordination.
• Shape exhibition concepts in collaboration with the Content & Narrative team, maintaining oversight as projects evolve.
• Lead on budget setting, monitoring and resource planning for the exhibitions programme.
• Champion audiences across all projects, embedding audience insight, testing and evaluation and providing best practice around access.
• Represent IWM internally and externally, contributing to sector conversations and promoting innovation in interpretation.

We’d love to hear from you if you have:

• Significant experience leading and project managing complex exhibitions or interpretive programmes in museums, heritage or cultural settings.
• Strong creative judgement, with experience developing storytelling approaches and engaging visitor experiences.
• Experience overseeing multi-project programmes, including scheduling, risk and content planning.
• Proven ability to manage and develop staff, and lead multidisciplinary teams.
• Experience managing contractors, consultants and project budgets.
• Excellent collaboration skills and experience working across large organisations and with external partners.
• Knowledge of audience development, audience research and evaluation.
• Understanding of procurement processes and health & safety in museum environments.

Desirable:

• Project Management qualification and/or experience with MS Project and or Planner.
• Knowledge of 20th and 21st century history.

You’ll work closely with colleagues across Curatorial, Design, Audience and Production teams and wider IWM departments to deliver a coherent, high quality programme. You’ll play a key role in the Exhibitions, Interpretation and Design Management Team, ensuring projects align with organisational priorities and support IWM’s strategic aims. The role is based in London and includes regular travel to other IWM branches.

Success in this role will look like:

• Clear leadership presence across all IWM branches and project teams.
• A forward looking, audience focused exhibitions programme underpinned by strong interpretive vision.
• Consistent, effective project management processes across all exhibition and interpretation work.
• Strengthened team capability, confidence and collaboration.
• Strong cross departmental relationships and effective partnership working.
• High quality, on time delivery of projects within agreed budgets.

For a full list of duties and the person specification which your application will be marked against, please view the Job Description.