Role: PROJECT DIRECTOR To develop and deliver the Benton End House & Gardens Project
Location: Benton End House, Hadleigh, Suffolk (The successful candidate should live locally, or be relocating to Suffolk)
Salary: £65,000 per annum
Contract Type: Fixed Term Contract – 3 years (commencing March 2025, or sooner if possible)
Role Type: Full-Time, however 4 days per week will be considered for the right candidate. This is a Hadleigh-based project with national reach. Occasional evening and weekend working may be required.
Introduction
The Garden Museum is excited to present an extraordinary opportunity for a driven and dynamic Project Director to lead the transformation of Benton End – the iconic home of artist-gardener Cedric Morris - into a centre for creativity and freedom in the arts, horticulture, and learning, set in the beautiful Suffolk countryside.
This position would suit an experienced professional from the cultural sector, with experience of delivering National Lottery Heritage Fund projects, and managing arts venues, museums, or heritage sites.
Project Context
Benton End is a Tudor House acquired by the artists Cedric Morris and Arthur Lett-Haines in 1939 to become their home, and the home of East Anglian School of Painting and Drawing. At Morris’s death in 1982, it became a private home until it was purchased by The Pinchbeck Charitable Trust in 2018 to re-open Benton End as a place of learning and a celebration of Morris’s legacy.
The Project Director will be an employee of the Garden Museum but lead their own small but growing team in Hadleigh, which is currently comprised of the Manager, Head Gardener, and Horticultural Trainee.
Role, responsibilities and deliverables
General: The Project Director will;
* Develop and deliver a National Lottery Heritage Fund project through the R1 and R2 phases.
* Work with the Head Gardener and design consultant to deliver the design for the walled garden.
* Establish a group of volunteers based inside the house.
* Develop the learning programme initiated in 2023 in partnership with community groups.
* Pilot an artistic programme to begin a series of ‘pop up’ exhibitions.
* Establish a regional network comprising partner Museums and HEIs.
* Recruit and lead a team of staff and consultants appropriate to the NLHF process.
Skills and experience required
Our ideal candidate would be a seasoned museum or heritage professional who has delivered a significant NLHF project from inception to delivery. They would have proven skills and experience in the following areas;
* Excellent team leadership: the Project Director will lead an internal team of staff and external team of project consultants.
* Experience of managing Heritage Fund projects: including coordinating successful applications.
* Project Management: strong project management skills essential.
* Community Focus: The Project Director will need to be committed to community engagement.
* Artistic Vision: The Project Director will develop an artistic vision for Benton End.
* Business Planning: Oversight of a business plan promoting income generation.
Application Process
Please send a CV and covering letter by email outlining your skills and experience in relation to the job description. Please ensure you mark the subject box: BENTON END PROJECT DIRECTOR and include details of two referees in your application.
Closing date for applications: Midnight on Friday, 29th November 2024.
We regret that we are unable to respond to all applicants, you will only hear from us if we wish to invite you to interview.
Equal Opportunities
We aim to be an inclusive organisation where everyone is treated with respect and dignity, and where there is equal opportunity for all.
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