Job Description

Job title: Remaking Beamish Engagement Development Officer

Grade: Band 3, Point 5 £18,079

Term: Fixed term until 31st December 2020

Responsible to: Head of Engagement

Key internal relationships: RB Team (Collections, Development, Learning, Community Engagement), Event Officers, Volunteer Co-ordinators, Costume Team, People Development and Museum visitors

Key external relationships: Community and special interest groups, community heritage organisations, museums and heritage organisations, record offices, libraries and research centres.

Purpose: Research, create and enable immersive, multi sensory engagement within the new 1950s and 1820s areas ensuring that visitors understand a coherent story of the north east through time and receive a world class experience at Beamish.

Duties & responsibilities of the post:

·  Work as a member of the Engagement and Participation Team to ‘put the visitor first’, developing immersive, hands on, multi sensory engagement opportunities for our visitors with a commitment to delivering a world class experience in a living, working Open Air Museum

·  Help the Engagement and Participation Team to deliver the vision of the HLF Remaking Beamish Project, placing visitors and community members at the centre of all our engagement, ensuring local people help shape the project through the delivery phase.

·  Under the guidance of the Head of Engagement take day to day responsibility to produce a set of working Engagement Plans for all new buildings, which outline the stories and activities to be told as well as practical issues to ensure each space works operationally.

·  In collaboration with other RB project officers, design and implement a flexible process for the creation of Engagement Plans which includes input from our visitors, our local communities and colleagues and which ensures that diverse voices are heard.

·  Work closely with the RB Learning Co-ordinator to ensure that both family learning and formal learning activities support the overall story and engagement of the buildings and areas and themes.

·  Work closely with RB Community Participation Officers to support events, exhibitions and workshops both at the Museum and across the North East to consult with the public, enabling them to have a say and give diverse opportunities to participate as well as plan how spaces might be used by community groups going forward.

·  Collect oral histories and stories from groups and individuals and ensure the summarising and storage process is carried out effectively, in collaboration with the Collections team, to ensure they can inform our Engagement Planning.

·  Work with the Events Officers and other colleagues to trial new engagement activity within events and enable visitors to participate in decision making through the Remaking Beamish process.

·  Work with the Events Officers and colleagues to develop opportunities for new events ensuring they support the overall story and engagement of the buildings and areas.

·  Work with the Volunteer and Access Co-ordinator to ensure that access needs of our visitors are taken into account in engagement planning, consulting with the Access Panel as required.

·  Liaise with the Volunteer Team to identify opportunities for volunteering through the Remaking Beamish process as well as identify areas for volunteering in new buildings / areas.

·  Plan and deliver training for staff and volunteers in stories and activities linked to new exhibits.

·  Work closely with the Collections Team to identify key objects and the stories that can be told through them, as well as identifying stories we want to tell and the objects needed to tell those stories.

·  Work closely with the Design Team to ensure the layouts and interiors are planned in such a way that enable the stories and activities to be told in the most engaging and immersive way for our visitors.

·  Work closely with the Head of Engagement and other colleagues as applicable to plan staffing, daily operating procedures, standard operating procedures, hygiene assessments, risk assessments including fire risk assessments, within the briefs provided by senior managers.

·  In liaison with the Head of Engagement outline a recruitment and training plan for each building and carry out engagement training for staff and volunteers.

·  Use historical knowledge and expertise to produce research documents as required, and produce historic information and guidance on activities for staff and volunteers to use in the areas.

·  Research activity led engagement opportunities and plan the most effective way to implement them.

·  Work with colleagues to ensure consistent communication and cross area working to ensure the visitor is always placed first in any planning and activities.

·  Record participation figures and prepare internal and external reports and case studies as and when required for the HLF funded ‘Remaking Beamish Project’

·  Keep up to date with current research, training and development in the field of heritage engagement, identifying opportunities through discussion with the Head of Engagement and People Development Officer, and incorporating learning into practice at the Museum.

General responsibilities

·  Lead by example, working alongside colleagues in costume as required including special events at the Museum and at community venues.

·  Carry out duties of the post in accordance with the Museum’s Equal Opportunities Policy, Code of Conduct, and Health and Safety legislation and regulations. This will include developing and monitoring risk assessments for activities and managing control measures in place to reduce risk.

·  Ensure compliance with standing orders, financial regulations, audit and management procedures.

·  Assist in ensuring best value for all materials, services and suppliers according to the Museum’s financial procedures.

·  Work flexibly to respond to the needs of the museum

·  The Remaking Beamish Engagement Development 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

May 2017

Person Specification

Remaking Beamish Engagement Development Officer

Criteria / Essential / Means of Assessment
Skills / knowledge / An understanding of and commitment to Beamish and its core purpose/mission.
Proven hands on project team working skills
Excellent communication skills – able to communicate positively and effectively with staff, volunteers, community groups and visitors.
Excellent Customer Care skills.
Team player, able to work in partnership with people across departments in the development of our engagement for Remaking Beamish.
Ability to produce sound research – both historical and in the development of immersive engagement activities.
Able to work with an attention to detail and a commitment to the highest possible quality standards.
Confident in co-ordinating and chairing meetings and speaking in public
Able to work on own initiative
Effective time management skills
Able to maintain excellent written records and robust budgetary controls / 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
Interview / application form
Interview / application form
Qualifications / Training / Relevant degree or equivalent experience of research and project work in a heritage environment
ICT skills including use of e-mail; internet; MS Word, MS Excel / Application form
Certificates/
Interview
Application form
Experience / Proven experience working with volunteers and/or placements, in a museum environment
Proven experience of managing staff and volunteers and placements / Interview/Application form
Interview/Application form
Other requirements / An enthusiastic, ‘can do’ approach
Flexible approach to hours and prepared to work weekends, bank holidays and evenings as required
Must be results oriented and able to see projects through to a conclusion
Must be able to meet the travel requirements of the post / Interview
Interview
Interview
Interview

Note to applicants:

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

Author: Lindsay Curry

Head of Engagement

May 2017

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