Birmingham Museums Trust, Appointment of Chief Executive

APPOINTMENT OF CHIEF EXECUTIVE

May 2020

Birmingham Museums Trust, Appointment of Chief Executive

A LETTER FROM THE CHAIR Dear Candidate, Thank you for showing an interest in the Chief Executive’s role at Birmingham Museums Trust (BMT). Birmingham Museums Trust has huge potential. Our collections are encyclopaedic and internationally significant. Birmingham Museums care for over one million items and its collections of art and decorative art, science and industry. Birmingham’s history and the Pinto Collection are designated as of national significance. Archaeology traces the history of the city/region over millennia. Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery holds the largest public collection of Pre-Raphaelite paintings in the world alongside the Staffordshire Hoard, the largest hoard of Anglo-Saxon gold ever found. At Thinktank we proudly display James Watt’s Smethwick engine, the oldest working steam engine in the world. There will be significant opportunities for the organisation too in the years ahead. There are three major capital projects on the horizon; the redevelopment of Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, the development of a new museum store and headquarters building and the development of a major new Science and Industry Museum to succeed Thinktank. I took up the role of Chairman at the start of 2020 to oversee what will be one of the most exciting museum development projects anywhere in the UK over the next decade. BMT has the ambition to deliver three significant capital projects of a combined investment value of over £200M, transforming what is already a leading civic museums trust into a modern, globally relevant visitor experience in the heart of our city. The vision offers a clear statement of pride and ambition on behalf of the whole of the UK, a place of learning and wonder for the world. In the new Science and Industry Museum there is an opportunity to create a globally relevant museum experience in the heart of Birmingham, one that showcases both Britain and the region’s extraordinary heritage and its compelling future as global leader in science, research, transport and industry. Complementing the HS2 terminus development and the comprehensive redevelopment of the centre of Birmingham, we can create an international visitor attraction to inspire an estimated two million visitors per annum. The Museum will celebrate and educate in equal measure the transformational past of a city region that fuelled the Global Industrial Revolution of the 18th Century, whilst inviting visitors to see how the region and the nation will maintain global leadership of innovation and future technology for the 21st Century. Clearly, the current covid-19 situation presents a very significant short-term challenge, as it does across the sector. That said, Birmingham is already positioned to lead the UK out of the pandemic as, in partnership with HMG, it hosts the 2022 Commonwealth Games and leads on the 2022 Festival of Britain. The new Chief Executive will ensure that BMT plays a defining cultural role in these projects and will also use the international focus on Birmingham as the springboard for the launch of the new Museums Trust. We are therefore seeking a transformational individual who can simultaneously lead the museum staff and stakeholders on a journey of reimagination whilst also inspiring external partners to believe in, and to invest in, a clear vision for what is possible. We realise that this is a big ask - we want someone who combines the intellectual rigour and deep understanding of museums but who is also able to break free of traditional blueprints for how museums are run. We want someone who is deeply committed to our objectives as an educational charity but who can bring an unashamed commerciality to running the Trust as a business, lessening reliance on the public purse. We want an excellent manager of stakeholder relations but who is also capable of acting independently and with individual strength of purpose. We want someone who believes passionately that

Birmingham Museums Trust, Appointment of Chief Executive

museums must be an active participant in their communities, run alongside and with the people of the city. BMT should be a source of pride and enjoyment for every community in Birmingham - the youngest city in the country as well as one of the most culturally diverse. So, we are looking for a very special person, and believe it is a very special opportunity that will attract the best. I look forward very much to receiving your application. Yours sincerely, Niels De Vos

Birmingham Museums Trust, Appointment of Chief Executive

INTRODUCTION

Birmingham Museums Trust (BMT) was set up in 2012 as an independent charity to manage the city’s museum collection and venues on behalf of Birmingham City Council. The Trust has a number of extraordinary venues that provide a fascinating glimpse into Birmingham's rich and vibrant past, showcasing world class museum collections. Its sites are:

• Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery; • Thinktank, Birmingham's Science Museum; • Aston Hall; • Blakesley Hall; • Museum of the Jewellery Quarter; • Sarehole Mill; • Soho House; • Weoley Castle; and • Museum Collections Centre.

The charity’s objectives, as set out in its Articles, are:

To advance education by the operation, maintenance, development and promotion of museums, galleries and libraries in Birmingham, together with association facilities and related programmes of outreach and research, fostering knowledge and understanding, appreciation and enjoyment of the arts, history, science and technology by residents and visitors to the City of Birmingham.

BMT’s vision is to reflect Birmingham to the world, and the world to Birmingham.

BMT’s strategic aims are:

1. Developing the collection and venues • Capital projects that deliver our purpose at Birmingham Museum and Gallery and Thinktank

Birmingham Museums Trust, Appointment of Chief Executive

• A new model for the heritage sites

2. Growing and diversifying audiences • New approach to collection and programming to engage the people and communities of the city and

region • BMT as a focal point for contemporary art • National and international initiatives that contribute to the common good of Birmingham

3. Building a sustainable business

• An audit of operations to determine the full costs and benefits of each area of the Trust’s operations • Entrepreneurial culture and innovative approach at all levels of the business

4. Investing in people

For more information on Birmingham Museums Trust and its venues please see the website: https://www.birminghammuseums.org.uk/about.

Birmingham Museums Trust, Appointment of Chief Executive

THE ROLE

Principal responsibilities

• To provide strategic and operational leadership and direction across Birmingham Museums Trust, reporting to the Chair and Board of BMT and maintaining good relationships with key stakeholders including Birmingham City Council and Arts Council England.

• Developing, implementing and reporting to Board and stakeholders on strategic long-term planning for the organisation.

• Fostering an organisational culture that is committed to social inclusion, diversity, entrepreneurship, efficiency and excellence.

• Setting and monitoring standards for all aspects of BMT’s performance and operations.

• Working with partners in museums and heritage, culture, universities, business, funders and other institutions to explore new ways of developing, caring for and making publicly accessible the collection and estate, and of ensuring that they are preserved for future generations.

• Championing and representing BMT locally, regionally, nationally and internationally.

Birmingham Museums Trust, Appointment of Chief Executive

PERSON SPECIFICATION

It is expected that candidates for the role will bring all or most of the following qualities:

• Leadership experience, the ability to conceive and articulate a vision and strategy for the future, and the

skills and passion to inspire the Birmingham Museums Trust team to fulfil them.

• Compelling communication skills – the ability to articulate a vision and strategy internally and externally, to represent the Museum effectively in any forum, whether to peers, local government, or sponsors at a local level as well as nationally and internationally. The Chief Executive will play a leading role in development activities.

• Strong commercial nous and entrepreneurial spirit.

• The knowledge and ability to develop effective partnerships and collaborations nationally and internationally.

• A passion for the values of Birmingham Museums Trust, the city and region and for the role of museums more generally in their ability to change lives.

Birmingham Museums Trust, Appointment of Chief Executive

TERMS OF APPOINTMENT

• The salary for this role is expected to be £90k+.

• BMT as an organisation values diversity and wants its workforce to reflect the communities that it serves. The Trust actively encourages applications from a broad range of backgrounds and experiences for this role.

• Due the current circumstances around Covid-19, the Board of Trustees is taking a pragmatic and flexible approach to panel interviews and possible start dates for the incoming Chief Executive. These will be discussed with interested candidates.

HOW TO APPLY Saxton Bampfylde Ltd is acting as an employment agency advisor to the Birmingham Museums Trust on this appointment. Candidates should apply for this role through our website at www.saxbam.com/appointments, using code EAFAUB. Click on the ‘apply’ button and follow the instructions to upload a CV and cover letter. The closing date for applications is noon on Wednesday 8 July 2020. GDPR personal data notice According to GDPR guidelines, we are only able to process your Sensitive Personal Data (racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, trade union membership, genetic data, biometric data, health, sex life, or sexual orientation) with your express consent. You will be asked to complete a consent form when you apply and please do not include any Sensitive Personal Data within your CV (although this can be included in your covering letter if you wish to do so), remembering also not to include contact details for referees without their prior agreement.

Birmingham Museums Trust, Appointment of Chief Executive

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