A Leader for the Thackray
Following the departure of our Chief Executive, Nat Edwards at the end of September, we are looking for a leader who can sustain the momentum generated by our successful refurbishment and relaunch following the Pandemic. The team has worked hard to get the museum to a strong position, both locally and nationally and our new CEO will enjoy the support of a creative and imaginative group of Trustees, staff and volunteers – along with a network of interested and engaged stakeholders and community partners.
As the first museum in the world to host a public vaccination centre during COVID and as the first in the UK to host a regular social prescribing clinic, the museum has proven it can ‘punch above its weight’ to gain international recognition. We need a leader who can continue to step outside the constraints of a small independent museum and position its unique brand in a way that tells compelling stories, captures public imagination and drives funding and commercial opportunities.
You will have the presence to command respect for the museum’s work and support for its development plans. You will have the people skills to motivate and guide a small but committed team to perform beyond their expectations. You will have both an analytical and strategic mind and a nose for opportunities – along with the personal resilience and agility to adapt to a dynamic operating environment.
As CEO, you will be the museum’s public face – at ease with various audiences, media and milieus. You will help the museum to formulate and refine its strategic vision and ensure it has the resources and culture to deliver that vision to the greatest effect and public benefit. You will have a deep commitment to inclusive practice and the networking instincts and passion for creative collaboration to imbue it into all aspects of the museum’s work. You may well not be a subject-matter expert but you will have a passionate understanding of how medicine and healthcare touches people’s lives, and how a cultural organisation can become an asset for the local community to grow resilience, wellbeing and become a better place to live.
This is a full-time senior role, reporting directly to the Chair of the Trustees. The salary is £65,000.