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Empowering Curators Programme Manager
Hours: 0.5 FTE, 17.5 hours per week
Contract: FTC until August 2027
Salary: £36,400 per annum, pro rata
Location: King’s Cross, London
Who are we?
Art Fund is the national fundraising charity for art. With over 142,000 members, we are leading the way in pioneering support for an inclusive and welcoming museum and gallery sector across the UK.
We work closely with a network of over 1000 museums and respond to their needs and aspirations. We're excited to see how they want to develop: to expand and diversify their collections and workforce, develop curatorial skills, make ambitious acquisitions, and create a welcoming, inclusive space for communities. With the support of over 140,000 members who buy a National Art Pass, patrons, and donors we can provide grants, encourage visiting and advocate for museums' essential role and value.
We have diversity, inclusion, and sustainability central to our thinking and the opportunity to be a force for good, galvanise support and help change things for the better inspires our team.
The role
We are seeking a Programme Manager to support the delivery of Empowering Curators, a multi-year programme designed to accelerate the careers of Global Majority curators and support organisational change across the UK museum sector.
Working with the Head of Programme Delivery and colleagues across Art Fund, you will coordinate day-to-day programme activity, support Fellows and host organisations, manage events and communications, and contribute to evaluation and reporting. You will build strong relationships with partners across the museum sector while ensuring the programme runs smoothly and delivers meaningful impact.
This is an exciting opportunity for someone with strong project management skills, experience in arts or cultural programmes, and a commitment to equity, inclusion and sector development.
Key Employee Benefits
- Generous Annual leave – 25 days annual leave and bank holidays, with additional non-contractual office closure dates at Christmas.
- Free National Art Pass (NAP) – for yourself and another person of your choice.
- Free Entry to Exhibitions
- Life Assurance – cover for up to three times your basic salary.
- Season Ticket Loan
- Pensions – Eligible employees are enrolled into the scheme with the exception of those who have contracts of three months or less. Art Fund contributes 8% of the basic annual salary during the first six months of employment or until probation is successfully completed, whichever is the later. At that point the contribution is increased to 10%.
Closing deadline: 23.59pm on 6 April 2026
Interested?
If you would like to find out more, please click the apply button. You will be directed to our website to complete your application for this position.
We are committed to building our team and trustees from the broad range of backgrounds and experiences across the UK, valuing difference and diversity, and building a workplace based on shared values of equality and mutual respect.
We have ambitious plans for the future and will be holding ourselves to account and putting our principles into action, as we all work together to help bring about positive change and a fairer future for everyone. We therefore want to encourage applications from all races, ages, religions and sexual orientations, as well as parents, veterans, people living with any kind of disabilities and any other groups that could bring diverse perspectives to our organisation.
Non-UK nationals will require current and valid permission to work in the UK.
Please note that any suspected use of AI in relation to answering sift questions will be marked down.
No agencies please.
Thank you!
The Organisation
The Royal Parks (TRP) is a charity created in March 2017. We manage over 5,000 acres of diverse parkland, rare habitats and historic buildings and monuments in eight Royal Parks across London. These are Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens, The Green Park, St James’s Park, The Regent's Park and Primrose Hill, Greenwich Park, Richmond Park and Bushy Park.
We also manage other important public spaces, including Brompton Cemetery and Victoria Tower Gardens. Our eight Royal Parks and other iconic green spaces are among the most visited attractions in the UK with tens of millions of visits every year.
We are now looking for a Horticultural Curator to join us on a full-time, permanent basis, working 36 hours per week.
The Benefits
- £48,000 - £51,000 per annum depending on experience
- 26 days' annual leave plus public holidays, increasing to 29 days after 3 years’ service
- Pension scheme (3% employee contribution; up to 10% employer contribution)
- Hybrid/agile working options
- Private medical insurance and healthcare cash plan
- Employee assistance programme and access to mental health first aiders
- Learning and development opportunities
- Cycle to work scheme
- Offices in a beautiful location
This is an unmissable opportunity for a high-calibre horticultural professional who has managed curated public landscapes and possesses broad plant knowledge to join our iconic charity organisation.
You’ll have the rare chance to influence horticulture on a remarkable scale, leaving a visible and lasting mark on more than 5,000 acres of parkland, historic landscapes and public spaces.
What’s more, you’ll join an organisation that values both professional growth and personal wellbeing, with learning and development opportunities, a supportive team, and offices in a beautiful location.
So, if you’re ready to help guide the future of horticulture across these cherished sites, read on and apply today!
The Role
As a Horticultural Curator, you will support the development of beautiful, resilient and biodiverse landscapes across The Royal Parks.
Specifically, you will deliver one of our key strategic objectives to ‘Conserve and Enhance’. This will involve five key themes: everyday wonder, creating iconic horticulture, diverse planting, respecting heritage, and a sustainable future. More information about each of these themes is available when you select the apply button.
Working closely with our eleven Head Gardeners, you will support horticultural projects across the parks through both practical and planning input, ensuring planting schemes respond to heritage, climate change and biodiversity challenges.
You will help source plants from a diverse range of nurseries, support procurement planning for larger projects and ensure new plantings deliver the best outcomes for people, nature and long-term landscape sustainability.
Additionally, you will:
- Manage and issue horticultural guidance documents and support quality standards
- Oversee and administer the Expert Horticultural Counsel volunteer group
- Support the Head Gardener team with plant sourcing and horticultural diversity across the parks ensuring each park has its own style and identity without duplication
- Contribute to Landscape Character Assessments and Park Management Plans
- Support the development of National Plant Collections in collaboration with Plant Heritage and the Head Gardener Team
About You
To be considered as a Horticultural Curator, you will need:
- Experience working at management level in a curated landscape garden setting that has a wide breadth of plant groups
- Demonstrable experience working in spaces open to the public
- Experience curating a broad range of plant groups
- Experience writing copy to explain and communicate changes and evolution of horticulture for media, press and PR interpretation and fundraising material
- Broad knowledge and understanding of horticultural plant diversity, its display and curation, and how to interpret it to visitors
- Knowledge of the UK and, in some cases, European nurseries
- An understanding of the sensitivities involved with evolving planting styles
- Wide reaching networks through plant committees and industry bodies to enable collaboration and best value for the charity
Other organisations may call this role Botanical Curator, Garden Curator, Parks Horticulture Manager or Head of Living Collections.
We want to put everyone in the best possible position to succeed and use Recite-me accessibility software. At the top of the application page, there is an “Accessibility Tools” button which you can use to complete the application form in a way that works for you. If you think that you may need more support to complete our application process, please do get in touch.
The Royal Parks is strongly committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace and is an equal opportunities employer. We value diversity and encourage applications from candidates from all backgrounds. We believe that the more inclusive we are, the better our work will be. Please visit our website to find out more on our approach to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion.
So, if you are interested in this unique opportunity as a Horticultural Curator, please apply via the button shown. Successful candidates will be appointed on merit.
Registered Charity
101 - 500
We provide free access to London’s beautiful, natural and historic green spaces, to help improve everyone’s quality of life and wellbeing.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
Shape the Future of a Unique Regimental Museum
HorsePower, the Museum of The King’s Royal Hussars, is embarking on an ambitious transformation. We are developing a bold new “Museum of the Future” that will reinterpret over 300 years of regimental history through engaging, modern and interactive displays.
We are now seeking an experienced, motivated Fundraising Manager to play a pivotal role in raising £100,000 by mid-2027 to fund the redesign phase and to help establish strong, sustainable fundraising practice for the museum’s next chapter. This is an exciting opportunity for a fundraiser who wants real ownership, influence and the chance to make visible impact in a small but ambitious heritage organisation.
About HorsePower
Located at Peninsula Barracks, Winchester, HorsePower tells the story of The King’s Royal Hussars from 1715 to the present day, spanning India, Waterloo, the World Wars and modern conflict. The museum holds a fascinating collection and unique archives and is now launching a five-year strategic plan to become one of the most vibrant and accessible small military museums in the South of England.
The Role
This is a new role with scope to shape both strategy and delivery. You will lead on trusts, foundations, corporates and major donors, working closely with the Fundraising Trustee and Curator to:
- Build and manage a strong pipeline of funding opportunities.
- Write compelling grant applications and major funding proposals.
- Cultivate relationships with individual and corporate supporters.
- Put in place effective fundraising systems, processes and reporting.
- Develop long-term relationships for future capital funding appeals.
You will be confident working independently, comfortable in a small organisation and motivated by building something with lasting value.
Key Responsibilities
- Audit current fundraising activity, supporters and data
- Research, develop and submit high-quality trust and foundation applications
- Identify and cultivate prospective major donors and corporate partners
- Support stewardship, recognition and donor communications
- Maintain accurate CRM records and GDPR-compliant processes
- Produce concise monthly progress reports for trustees
About you – Essential. You will bring:
- At least three years’ successful fundraising experience (trusts, foundations, major donors and/or corporate partnerships)
- A strong track record of securing significant gifts and grants, ideally within culture, heritage or the wider nonprofit sector
- Excellent written and numeracy skills and experience of crafting persuasive funding proposals
- Confidence building relationships with funders, trustees and senior stakeholders
- Highly organised working practices and strong attention to detail
Desirable - Experience in museums or heritage, an interest in military history, and a creative, entrepreneurial approach to income generation.
Why join us?
- A rare opportunity to shape a museum redevelopment from the ground up
- Flexible working in a supportive, purpose-driven organisation
- A high-impact role where your work will directly influence the museum’s future
Applications: Interested applicants are requested to submit a short covering letter or email stating why they are suitable for the role, a CV and two references.
Closing date: 25 March 2026
Interviews: Late March/early April (online first round, final stage in Winchester)
We may close early if sufficient strong applications are received.
HorsePower is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion and welcomes applications from all backgrounds. We also welcome applications from candidates who may not meet every criteria but can demonstrate relevant transferable skills and experience gained through work, study, volunteering or other life experience.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.