The Role
The Bowes Museum seeks a new Head of Marketing Engagement and Audiences to lead the development, planning and delivery of our audience and stakeholder engagement strategy.
To be successful in this role, you will bring a combination of expertise in visitor experience research and development, brand awareness, and mar/comms campaign development and delivery. You will be an experienced project manager who can combine strategic thinking and leadership skills. You will also have strong staff management skills and be able to contribute effectively to the broader leadership and direction of the museum.
The post holder will lead and manage the marketing engagement and audience development function of the Bowes Museum Charitable Trust and Bowes Museum Enterprises Ltd. The Bowes Museum is a charitable trust and an Arts Council National Portfolio Organisation, with income from visitors, a growing membership scheme, growing commercial operations, donations, and grants.
As an experienced communicator, you will be passionate about engaging audiences in cultural experiences through vibrant and relevant content. You’ll be experienced in creating and maintaining lasting customer relationships through multiple channels and in the online and onsite visitor experience. You will bring a collaborative approach to internal and external partnerships and work proactively to support colleagues in understanding audience motivations and improving the visitor journey. Your role will include budget planning and management, and you will ensure our resources are used effectively and efficiently. Planning well ahead to ensure maximum reach and impact is vital, as is a proactive approach to gathering and analysing audience research to support planning and provide insights to colleagues and the Senior Leadership Team.
Role Purpose
• To lead the museum’s Marketing Engagement and Audience Development function, ensuring the museum connects and communicates proactively and effectively with new and existing audiences and stakeholders and maintaining a superb visitor experience from beginning to end, increasing our Net Promoter Score.
• To plan and deliver proactive public relations and media campaigns that build the profile of the Bowes Museum in the north of England, nationally and internationally.
• To grow audience engagement and membership take-up through engaging and cohesive programmes and effective marketing strategies that help meet and exceed visitor numbers, customer loyalty, commercial growth and fundraising targets.
• To undertake rigorous and relevant audience research, data collection and evaluation and generate insight and evaluation reports and presentations that inform marketing automation and targeted communications, programme planning, product development, visitor experience and business strategy.
• To represent the museum in the culture and tourism sector and build positive relationships with partners, stakeholders, customers, and suppliers.
The Person
You will be enthusiastic, highly organised, systematic, and accurate. You will communicate well with colleagues and our external stakeholders, partners, and suppliers. You will be proactive in problem-solving in a dynamic museum environment. As a confident and visible leader, you will enjoy building effective working relationships with a broad range of people and advocating for the museum’s values and behaviours. As someone used to juggling multiple elements, you will be flexible and adaptable in your approach and passionate about maximising audience and stakeholder engagement and supporting the resilience and sustainability of the Bowes Museum.