Job Description

Job title: Community Events Officer

Grade:Starting at Band 3, point 5, £18,079

Term:Initially offered as a fixed term contract until 31st December 2020.

Responsible to: Head of Engagement

Responsible for:Staff/volunteers/work placements as allocated

Key internal relationships:Historic Events Officer, Engagement Teams, Learning Team, Collections Team, Remaking Beamish Project Team and visitors

Key external relationships:Partners in regional, national and international museums, schools and community groups.

Purpose:The Community Events Officer will build genuine, sustainable community participation with Beamish, embedding it into the museum’s events and festivals programme to help reach more people and enhance the scale and sustainability of our programme. The post holder will plan and deliver community involvement in innovative and engaging ways, working closely with the Historic Events Officer and Engagement Team, as well as partners in other museums, to help Beamish represent the stories of diverse communities for our visitors.

Duties and Responsibilities of the Post:

  • Work as a member of the Engagement Team to deliver the vision of Beamish’s Business Plan – ‘putting the visitor first’, developing and delivering opportunities for communities to participate at events and festivals with a commitment to delivering a world class experience for our visitors in a living, working Open Air Museum.
  • Work with the Historic Events Officer and Engagement Team to continue to develop, plan and deliver dynamic and inspiring events and festivals which increases community participation in museum events and broadens access, working at Beamish and in partner museums as appropriate.
  • Develop interesting and meaningful opportunities for sustainable community participation in the museum’s existing events and festivals programme.
  • Evaluate all community events against planned aims and objectives reporting on a regular basis to the Head of Engagement and others as required. Including the co-production of a yearly review of the Museums events and Festival programme, with the Historic Events Officer.
  • Monitor and record spending on all events, ensuring strict budgetary controls are maintained.
  • Ensure health and safety and quality systems are in place to facilitate the smooth and timely delivery of events and activities, eg thorough risk assessments.
  • Attend events, talks, exhibitions and workshops to help publicise Beamish and develop opportunities for engagement.
  • Continue to build and nurture relationships with community and special interest groups, schools, heritage organisations and museums across the region to promote community involvement in Beamish events and festivals, and the wider museum sector as appropriate.
  • Work with the Engagement and Events Team to plan, support and deliver community participation in events at Beamishand within the community.
  • Work with the Learning Co-ordinators to develop and deliver community participation in events at Beamish and museums and heritage venues across the North East region, working with partners as appropriate.
  • Work closely with the Historic Events Officer to support Beamish events and festivals through the involvement of community members.
  • Use social media and the Peoples Collection to develop links and promote opportunities for involvement in community events.
  • Work with the Health and Wellbeing Team to develop engagement with older people and their participation in events at museums.
  • Work with Volunteer Co-ordinators tosupport and promote skills development and volunteering opportunities in all community participation projects.
  • Work closely with teams throughout the Museum to support events and deliver family learning activities.
  • Work flexibly to respond to the needs of both the Museum and Community.
  • Provide assistance to other departments and museums as necessary to ensure the smooth running of projects, events and activities.
  • Be prepared to work outside normal office working hours to meet the needs of community groups and schools and to deliver community engagement projects.
  • Maintain and continue to develop good working relationships with staff, partners, volunteers and funders.
  • Carry out the duties of the post in accordance with the Museum’s Equal Opportunity Policy, Code of Conduct and Health and Safety legislation and regulations. This will include developing and monitoring risk assessments for all Community Participation Team activities and managing control measures in place to reduce risk.
  • Ensure compliance with standing orders, financial regulations, audit and management procedures.
  • The Community Events Officer will from time to time be expected to carry out a range of other duties commensurate with the grade and falling within the scope of the post, as requested by management.

This post is subject to the Scheme and Conditions of Service of the National Joint Council for Local Authority Services.

Lindsay Curry, Head of Engagement

August 2017

Person Specification

Community Events Officer

Essential Criteria / Means of Assessment
Skills
Knowledge / An understanding of and commitment to Beamish and its core purpose/mission.
Awareness of delivering community engagement within a heritage setting.
Ability to develop community events which meet both the needs of the community and Museum objectives.
Ability to think creatively to devise and deliver events which inspire community members to participate in activities at the Museum and within the community.
Excellent communication skills – able to communicate positively and effectively with people of all ages including staff, volunteers, community groups and visitors.
Outstanding interpersonal skills and an ability to build relationships with people of all ages and backgrounds.
Team player, able to work in partnership with people from diverse backgrounds and across departments within the museum.
Well organised, able to plan and deliver events within set parameters and Beamish’s Health and Safety Policy, including preparing risk assessments
Ability to work with an attention to detail and a commitment to the highest possible quality standards / Interview/Application form
Interview/Application form
Interview/Application form
Interview/Application form
Interview/Application form
Interview/Application form
Interview/Application form
Interview/Application form
Interview/Application form
Qualifications
Training / Relevant degree or equivalent experience.
ICT skills including use of e-mail; internet; MS Word, MS Excel / Application form Certificates/Interview
Application form
Experience / Some experience working with diverse community groups and organisations.
Some experience planning and delivering events / Interview/Application form
Interview/Application form
Other requirements / An enthusiastic, imaginative, positive approach
Flexible approach to hours and prepared to work weekends, bank holidays and evenings as required
Ability to drive projects forward and to a conclusion
Ability to work flexibly and responsively
Must be able to meet the travel requirements of the post / Interview
Interview
Interview
Interview
Interview

Note to applicants:

You must show in your application how you specifically meet these requirements.

Lindsay Curry, Head of Engagement

August 2017

1