Executive Director Governance & Resources in London

The Executive Director will play a critical role in shaping the organisation’s success. They combine strategic thinking, leadership, and operational expertise to drive outcomes that deliver the IWM vision & purpose and achieve the organisation’s mission.

The role of Executive Director, Governance & Resources will lead our governance and resources strategy and the teams focused on ensuring this is a well‑run organisation that champions contemporary methodologies, systems and processes to meet IWM’s people, legal and statutory obligations. Through world class delivery of governance and support services, the role holder will create a client/supplier model where support services partner with other directorates to enable them to meet the strategic goals. The role holder will lead a team of over 130 professionals, be accountable to the Executive Team and Trustees for ensuring IWM fulfils all its obligations and achieves its vision and purpose.

This job description is not all-encompassing. Over time the emphasis of the job may change without changing the general character of the job. Your duties may be reviewed from time to time and revised and updated in consultation with you to reflect appropriate changes.

The Departments in the Directorate include:

• Finance
• Procurement & Legal counsel
• IT & AV
• Masterplanning
• Governance
• Fundraising & development
• Estate & Environmental sustainability
• People & Culture (For matters related to Remuneration Committee, Nomination Committee, executive leadership, organisation design and structure, Director People & Culture reports direct to DG)

Responsibilities & Key Duties

Strategic Vision and Leadership:

• Develop and implement strategies to promote the IWM's vision and purpose.
• Collaborate with the Executive Leadership Team (ELT) and Trustees to set strategic goals and objectives.
• Lead the organisation by providing visionary leadership.

Operational Management:

• Oversee day-to-day activities, ensuring efficient operations.
• Improve performance across all departments setting ambitious goals and ensuring objectives align to the corporate plan.
• Develop and maintain organisational culture.
• Work with internal functions using a client/supplier methodology to generate solutions and work alongside functions.
• Develop and promote a ‘no silo’ mentality across all work locations and functions and provide advice and support to directors and managers to enable them to work without barriers.
• Ensure IWM uses benchmarking to compare its offerings to industry leading examples inside and outside the museum and heritage sector to ensure IWM remains an example for other organisations to aspire to.
• Develop governance practices and interventions to ensure value to the organisation by providing good guardrails, reporting accountability and liaison with Trustees to demonstrate IWM fulfils its regulatory and fiduciary responsibilities.

Financial Management:

• Lead the financial reporting and accountabilities with DCMS.
• Liaise with Internal and External auditors to ensure the best outcomes for IWM.
• Ensure cost management and budget activities are understood at an executive level; provide a strategic understanding of the financial sustainability of IWM and enable constructive and effective decision making to aid leadership managing operations and planning for the future.
• Lead the management of budgets, financial planning, and resource allocation.
• Lead the effective monitoring of financial management performance and the timetable of review and reporting for Executives and Trustees.
• Make data-driven decisions to ensure IWM acts using objective criteria.

Stakeholder Relations:

• Build and maintain relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including Trustees, regulatory bodies, cultural partners, philanthropic investors, and community members to ensure IWM remains relevant to all audiences through its audience engagement.
• Represent the organisation externally with regulators and other significant bodies.
• Support Trustees in their management of risks and mitigations.

Team Leadership:

• Provide guidance and coaching to subordinate managers.
• Develop management mechanisms supporting two-way relationships based on trust and professional ethics.
• Expect high standards from all team members.
• Foster an effective team of leaders and grow future talent.

Strategic Planning:

• Implement strategic plans for organisational development.
• Ensure alignment with long-term goals through alignment of local objectives to the corporate plan.
• Develop a strategic plan for the directorate.

You can read about IWM and the work we do on our website.