Jobs for the Arts, Culture and Heritage sector in west midlands

Location: Dudley, West Midlands
Salary: £31,540 per annum (pro-rata £18,924 per annum)
Hours: Monday to Friday, typically between 8:00am and 5:00pm, with occasional evening work (up to 11:00pm) and regular weekend shifts on a rota basis.
Contract: Permanent, Part-time (24 hours per week)
Benefits: Access to BCLM’s 31 Acre Site – Generous Annual Leave Allowance – Contributory Pension Scheme – 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme – Retail Discounts via BCLM Online Rewards Portal – Discounted Membership with Sandwell Leisure Trust – Complimentary Entry Passes to BCLM – Staff Discount Scheme – Free On-site Parking – Enhanced Maternity/Paternity Pay – Payment of Professional Subscriptions - Free Flu Jabs
 
Black Country Living Museum is looking for a Team Manager to lead, support, and inspire our team of Historic Characters as they bring Black Country history to life once more. If you’re an experienced people manager with a passion for great customer service and a knack for getting the best out of a team, we’d love to hear from you!
 
What will you be doing?
 
• Managing a large team of Historic Characters.
• Working with the team of Team Managers to create an immersive visitor experience - from delivering seasonal programmes and themed events to school visits, evening experiences, and special venue hire occasions. No two days are the same!
• Working with our people team to recruit and onboard new starters.
• Training and developing the team so they feel confident, prepared, and ready to deliver a great experience every day.
• Effective rostering of the team to enhance delivery of the Museum’s programmes.
• Handling staff queries, concerns and performance issues - liaising with the People Team where necessary.
• Being a visible presence in support of the Team, including regular weekend and evening work on a rota basis with the other Team Managers.
• Evaluating the delivery of the Museum’s programme across all audiences.
 
What are we looking for?
 
• Demonstrable management experience in a comparable organisation.
• Proven experience using rostering systems.
• Experience of working cross-departmentally to help shape ideas and turn plans into results.
• Confident organisational skills.
• Inclusive people skills.
• Enthusiasm for the museum and living history.
 
Who are we?
 
We are an award-winning 31-acre open-air museum. Throughout our 47-year history, our aim has always been clear: Inspiring your discovery of the Black Country. We ensure that the revolutionary story of the Black Country’s industrial landscape – the first ever of its kind in the UK – is celebrated by generations.
 
What can you expect?
 
• Unique Working environment: The Museum hosts seasonal, themed, and high-profile events, as well as being regularly used for TV and Film locations.
• Opportunity to learn new skills.
• Competitive rewards & benefits.
• Supportive & inclusive work culture.
• Positive attitude to work-life balance.
 
What are you waiting for? Begin your Black Country Journey now and apply using your most up-to-date CV.
 
BCLM is an equal opportunities employer committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse environment that celebrates the richness of the human experience. We are dedicated to eliminating bias and discrimination at every stage and encourage applicants to get in touch should they require reasonable adjustments during the interview process. We welcome applications from underrepresented groups and believe in providing equal opportunities for all qualified candidates.
 
Our commitment to safeguarding includes implementing robust safer recruitment procedures to assess the suitability of individuals applying for roles that involve work with children and adults who may be at risk of harm.
 
Closing date: 19th October 2025
Interviews are expected to take place within 7 days of the closing date; adjustments will be made should successful candidates be unable to attend.
 
As we say in the Black Country, tara-a-bit!
 
You may also have experience in the following: Team Manager, People Management, Historic Characters, Living History, Immersive Visitor Experience, Heritage & Culture Sector, Museum Operations, Event & Programme Delivery, Seasonal Programmes, School Visits & Education Engagement, Evening & Special Events., Visitor Experience Excellence, Customer Service Leadership
 
REF-224 344

Are you passionate about bringing art to everyone? Do you believe in the power of digital to engage people with the arts? We’re looking for an enthusiastic Philanthropy Manager to join our friendly and dedicated team.

We welcome and encourage applications from candidates who are under-represented in the creative industries, particularly individuals who experience physical, mental or social barriers to accessing the arts.

About Art UK 

Art UK is an art education charity and the online home for every public collection of art in the United Kingdom. It is making the UK’s national collection of art accessible to everyone online – for enjoyment, learning and research. Art UK brings together art from almost 3,500 British institutions in one of the UK's largest ever arts partnerships and showcases this art to a global audience of 5.5m users per annum. Approaching 60% of this audience is overseas.

Art UK provides significant support to museums and galleries in the UK, by providing them with a shared digital platform to showcase their art collections, reach new audiences, and generate income. Most of these collections would not be able to show their art online without Art UK. The Art UK platform is rich in story content, learning resources for teachers and students, and public engagement opportunities. A shared e-commerce infrastructure helps collections generate much needed commercial income. 

About You

As the Philanthropy Manager, you will be a confident and persuasive communicator, comfortable engaging with supporters and stakeholders at all levels. You will have a solid knowledge of philanthropic giving and a deep appreciation of the value of high-quality donor stewardship. Highly organised and detail-focused, you will enjoy working with data and be skilled at producing compelling content both on and offline. You will bring initiative, creativity and the ability to work independently, while also being a collaborative team player.

You will lead on managing and growing Art UK’s philanthropic giving programme, which includes the Patrons and supporter events programme and our major donor activity. You will be part of a small, committed Development team that raises funds across a broad range of income streams: trusts and foundations, public funding, corporates, high-net-worth individuals, online giving, and patron schemes. You will report to the Head of Development, work closely with the CEO and Chair of the Philanthropy Board, and collaborate with colleagues across the organisation. 

You will actively promote equality, diversity and inclusion in all aspects of your work, reflecting your commitment to our organisational values and contributing to a positive workplace culture.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage and develop a pipeline of new philanthropic giving opportunities by researching, identifying and cultivating philanthropic supporters (£1k+) with the potential to give major gifts and multi-year support
• Create and implement donor development plans, working with the Head of Development and colleagues to guide our approach to new philanthropic support
• Develop bespoke cultivation and solicitation strategies, producing creative and compelling proposals to secure substantial philanthropic gifts
• Work closely with the Marketing team and other colleagues to showcase Art UK’s work and enhance donor engagement
• Create bespoke and compelling written proposals and support senior leadership and board members in the preparation and delivery of high-quality donor pitches to secure new philanthropic partnerships
• Provide exceptional stewardship for new and existing supporters, ensuring they feel valued and can clearly see the impact of their contribution
• Plan and deliver the fundraising and stewardship events programme (with support from the wider team), including attending events where appropriate
• Monitor progress against targets and maintain accurate reporting, including updates to Art UK’s Board of Trustees and the Philanthropy Board
• Ensure pledges and donations are processed efficiently and that donors are thanked promptly and personally
• Work closely with all members of the Development team to ensure prospecting and cultivation activity is aligned and complementary
• Ensure all philanthropic fundraising activity is conducted in line with legal, regulatory and ethical best practice e.g. GDPR and the Chartered Institute of Fundraising Code of Practice

Necessary Skills

• Essential: Experience managing a pipeline of philanthropic supporter prospects, including researching and devising bespoke cultivation plans
• Essential: Track record of personally producing impactful and persuasive written proposals which resonate with donors and lead to donations £5k or more
• Essential: Proven experience creating, implementing and evaluating philanthropic fundraising strategies
• Essential: Strong strategic thinking skills, with the ability to identify and shape innovative partnership opportunities
• Essential: Outstanding relationship-building and networking skills, including digital engagement
• Essential: In-depth understanding of the philanthropic fundraising environment
• Essential: First-class written and verbal communication skills, with the confidence to engage with a wide range of stakeholders
• Essential: Experience analysing and using supporter data to inform campaigns
• Essential: Strong copywriting, proofing and editing skills
• Essential: Experience using CRM databases with a high level of accuracy
• Essential: Thorough knowledge of fundraising best practice and legislation
• Essential: Self-motivated, reliable and exceptionally organised
• Desirable: Experience planning and managing fundraising events
• Desirable: Active interest in the visual arts and awareness of UK art collections
• Desirable: Experience working with a diverse range of audiences
• Desirable: Experience working on projects with a broad range of partners

Contract terms

• 3 days a week, 0.6 FTE
• Permanent contract
• Salary £38,000 per annum (pro rata)
• Three-month probationary period
• One-month termination clause
• Work from home, anywhere in the South of England, with regular travel to London for events and meetings

Benefits

• 25 days annual leave plus regional Bank Holidays (pro rata)
• Paid Christmas closure period (Christmas Day to New Year’s Day)
• Flexible working hours
• Workplace pension scheme
• Training and development opportunities
• Mental health and wellbeing support
• Above statutory paid sick leave
• Enhanced paid parental leave
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Monthly wellbeing hour
• Trained Mental Health First Aider’s
• Regular staff socials, both virtual and in-person
• Eye tests paid for up to £35, glasses subsidised up to £30

Application 

Please visit our website to download the application form. To apply, please submit your completed application form to us by email by 9am on Thursday 16th October 2025. If you are experiencing issues downloading the document or require support in completing your form, please contact us directly. Forms must be sent in MS Word or a format compatible to MS Word. Please do not send PDFs. Applications sent as a PDF will not be accepted.

Interviews will be held via video call on Tuesday 4th November 2025. If you have not heard from us within three weeks of the closing date, please consider your application unsuccessful.

As part of our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion please note that we redact some details from applications ahead of the shortlisting stage to ensure the removal of unconscious bias. Details that we redact include (but are not limited to) references to protected characteristics, names of educational institutions and indications of political affiliations.

Director of Development – Dundee Heritage Trust

Abeer Macintyre Consultancy is recruiting, on behalf of Dundee Heritage Trust, for a Director of Development.

About Dundee Heritage Trust
Dundee Heritage Trust is a charity dedicated to preserving and sharing Dundee’s rich cultural and scientific heritage. It operates two award-winning visitor attractions, Discovery Point, home of the RRS Discovery (the ship that took Scott and Shackleton to the Antarctic), and Verdant Works, an 1833 flax and jute mill that tells the story of the industry which shaped Dundee for almost 200 years.

The Trust generates around £2.2m annually through admissions, cafés, events, venue hire, fundraising and the capital appeal. To sustain and grow this work, Abeer Macintyre Consultancy is seeking, on behalf of the Trust, an exceptional Director of Development to lead the fundraising strategy and team.

As Director of Development, you will

• Lead the fundraising team and nurture their potential following a period of leadership change.

• Shape and deliver a multi-channel fundraising strategy, with a focus on major gifts, high-net-worth individuals (HNWI), corporate partnerships, trusts and foundations, legacies and international networks.

• Work closely with the Executive and Commercial Directors to align fundraising with earned income.

• Draw on the strength of a highly engaged Board, a well-connected Chair, and high-profile Patrons such as Brian Cox, Dan Snow and Lorraine Kelly.

This is a senior leadership role with the freedom to create your own strategy, supported by colleagues who understand what it takes to make fundraising thrive. The potential is significant, from polar exploration enthusiasts and the Scottish diaspora to corporate partnerships and legacy giving, and the platform is already set.

Person specification

Essential experience

• Development and management of donor giving for not-for-profits or member-based organisations, or client development for commercial income generation and business development.

• A track record of achieving revenue targets from campaigns, activities and events.

Essential skills, abilities and attributes

• Strategic thinker with an entrepreneurial, self-motivated approach.

• Ability to work independently and collaboratively within a dynamic, evolving organisation.

• Proven success securing major gifts and or regular subscriptions from individuals, philanthropists, corporates and supporters.

• Creative thinker with strong written and verbal communication skills, able to craft compelling narratives that influence at the highest level.

• Experience of developing international networks and gifts.

• Personable, with excellent collaborative and team skills.

• Knowledge of the Scottish, UK and international philanthropic landscape and, ideally, a well-connected personal network.

How to apply

Please send a CV and covering letter, both no longer than two pages, by 31 October 2025.

• First-stage interviews: Thursday 20 November 2025 in Dundee.

• Second-stage interviews: Tuesday morning 25 November 2025 via Zoom for top-placed candidates. Please keep this date free unless you are notified that you have not progressed.

If you have questions not covered in the candidate pack, please email the address above to arrange a convenient time to speak.