Head of Culture in Conisbrough

Office Location: Wentworth Woodhouse, Wentworth, Rotherham, South Yorkshire

Length of Contract: Permanent

Hours of Work: 37.5 per week x 50 weeks

Responsible to: CEO

Role Purpose:

Wentworth Woodhouse Preservation Trust (WWPT) was formed in 2014 with the specific mission to save Grade I Listed Wentworth Woodhouse for the benefit of the nation. Since taking ownership of the site in 2017, the Trust has focused on providing opportunities for those who need them most and developing a rich, varied, and exciting cultural offer at Wentworth, attracting a national and ultimately international audience to South Yorkshire.

In 2023, the Wentworth Woodhouse Cultural Strategy was launched, outlining plans for the development of the cultural offer to 2028. This strategy is bold, exciting, innovative, and ambitious, changing perceptions of Rotherham and launching Wentworth Woodhouse onto the national and international stage.

This senior leadership role will drive all aspects of our cultural offer including visitor engagement, exhibitions, cultural event programming, and digital and film production. The role requires determined, pioneering leadership, dynamic thinking, and a passion for developing and implementing world-class programming while managing busy and diverse activities across the site. A broad national perspective is needed to ensure our potential and ambitions continue to be realised. Equality and diversity will be at the forefront of your strategic thinking, and your track record will demonstrate your ability to understand the complexities of delivering outstanding projects to national audiences.

Working as part of the senior leadership team, you will be required to plan and implement your departmental work around the needs of several other operational departments and play a leading role in the organisation's wider strategic thinking.

Main Duties:

• Work with the CEO and other members of the Senior Leadership Team to achieve the charity's strategic objectives, contributing to the annual business plan, attending regular team meetings, and providing support to the CEO on strategic and operational planning.
• Oversee and be responsible for all aspects of development and delivery of the cultural offer at Wentworth Woodhouse as set out in the Cultural Strategy, including collections management, exhibitions and cultural programming, community engagement activity, tours, and interpretation.
• Be accountable for collections, both owned and loaned, ensuring adherence to best practices in collections management and preventative conservation.
• Lead on disaster planning in relation to cultural assets and manage conservation projects as required.
• Work closely with the senior leadership team to ensure our heritage story, including the restoration programme, is at the heart of our cultural offer.
• Line manage the Learning Manager to develop a learning and skills training strategy aligned with Wentworth Woodhouse’s mission, audience development goals, and wider organisational objectives.
• Curate a high-quality, diverse, and multi-disciplinary programme of events, exhibitions, films, and heritage activity to be presented in-person and online.
• Build and maintain strong working relationships with funders, artists, managers, and key stakeholders.
• Act as the Wentworth Woodhouse key point of contact for the Cultural Partnership Board, Rotherham Creative Health, the SY Creative Health Board, and the Flux Consortium.
• Produce regular verbal and written reports on engagement, activity delivery, impact, and the development of new programmes.
• Manage, support, coach, and appraise the Culture Team.
• Support the recruitment, training, induction, and supervision of volunteers and freelancers.
• Monitor performance against budgets, targets, and Key Performance Indicators.
• Work with the CEO to apply for and acquire new funding streams to support cultural delivery and report on grant-funded programmes as they are delivered.
• Ensure that events are financially sustainable and create good value for community groups.
• Work with the finance team to ensure robust budget setting and management, with income and expenditure accurately recorded, taking overall accountability for Culture finances.
• Evaluate cultural event and activity delivery to ensure client satisfaction, maximise future opportunities, and encourage repeat business.
• Ensure resources across Culture are effectively targeted.

Person Specification:

RELEVANT EXPERIENCE:

• Extensive relevant experience within a similar role.
• Successful delivery of ACE and/or other publicly funded projects.
• Senior management experience.
• Experience of working with artists, performers, events companies, and suppliers.
• Experience of working with volunteers.
• Experience of working successfully with multiple partners and agencies within projects.
• Experience of using Microsoft Office and ability to acquire knowledge of new applications as required.
• Professional qualification in the arts, event management, curatorial or similar.

JOB RELATED SKILLS:

• Strong leadership skills with the ability to manage relationships and motivate others at all levels.
• Good planning, organisational, and budget management skills.
• Ability to work independently and within a team.
• Full driving licence.

PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES:

• Good communication skills both written and oral.
• A flexible and positive approach.
• A ‘can do’ attitude.
• Committed to the core values of the trust including equality and diversity.

WORK CIRCUMSTANCE:

• Able to work flexible hours, including evenings, weekends, and Bank Holidays at times.
• Awareness of the implications of social media in a workplace.