Director's Assistant

Director’s Assistant
Whitechapel Gallery, London

Salary: £37,000 per annum, pro rata for part-time hours
Contract: Permanent
Hours: 36.25 hours per week. We also welcome applications for a four-day working week, with hours and salary adjusted pro rata.
Location: Whitechapel Gallery, with hybrid working according to the requirements of the role

Bring your experience, judgement and care to the heart of Whitechapel Gallery.

For 125 years, Whitechapel Gallery has brought artists, ideas and people together in East London. As we celebrate our anniversary and take forward plans for our historic building, we are looking for a Director’s Assistant to join us.

This is a varied role with connections across the Gallery. You could be preparing papers for Trustees, arranging an artist’s visit, drafting correspondence or bringing colleagues and consultants together for a capital project meeting. Your work will keep the Director’s Office running smoothly and ensure that people have the information they need, commitments are met and plans move forward.

You will provide support to the Director, coordinate Board and committee administration, and contribute to our WG125 Capital Project. Along the way, you will work with the people behind a public art institution rooted in its local communities and connected to artists and audiences around the world.

About you

We are looking for an experienced PA or Executive Assistant who has supported a Director or senior leader within a not-for-profit arts or cultural organisation. You will bring an understanding of the sector, an informed interest in contemporary visual art and an appreciation of the Gallery’s public purpose.

You will be comfortable working with senior colleagues, Trustees, artists and external partners. Experience supporting Board and committee meetings is essential, alongside the ability to draft thoughtful correspondence and handle confidential matters with discretion.

We will value the judgement and perspective you have developed through your experience. You will be confident managing competing priorities, anticipating what is needed and following things through independently. A calm, considered approach and the ability to build trusted relationships will be central to your success.

Experience coordinating a capital or building project would be an advantage. We also welcome candidates with strong project coordination skills who are keen to apply their experience in this setting.

Working at Whitechapel Gallery

Joining Whitechapel Gallery means becoming part of a place where art, ideas and people meet. You will contribute to an institution with a pioneering history, working alongside colleagues who care deeply about making contemporary art accessible. Our anniversary and capital project make this a particularly rewarding time to join and play a part in the Gallery’s future.

You will have opportunities to enjoy the programme as well as contribute to it. Staff are invited to curator-led exhibition tours, can request a complimentary ticket for their own use for each public event, subject to availability, and can access many other museums and galleries free of charge with their staff card. Discounts are also available in our bookshop and café, and on Gallery publications and editions.

Our benefits include:

• Annual leave: 25 days plus bank holidays, increasing by one day every three years to a maximum of 30 days, pro rata for part-time staff.

• Flexible working arrangements: we welcome applications for a four-day working week and are happy to discuss arrangements that support caring and other commitments. Hybrid working is available according to the role’s requirements.

• Enhanced family leave: including four weeks’ partner leave on full pay.

• Wellbeing support: an Employee Assistance Programme with a 24-hour helpline, practical advice and up to six free counselling sessions.

• Learning and development: training opportunities and an annual staff travel grant of £200, pro rata, to support learning and exchange.

• Pension and travel: a pension scheme and access to Cycle to Work.

Occasional evening and weekend work will be required and is compensated by time off in lieu.

Our commitment to inclusion

Whitechapel Gallery is committed to a fair, respectful and welcoming workplace. Rooted in the diverse communities of East London, we want our workforce to reflect the communities we serve.

We welcome applications from people with different backgrounds, experiences and perspectives. We recognise that barriers to working in the arts remain and are committed to fair recruitment, valuing the skills each person brings and creating an environment where colleagues can contribute and feel they belong.

How to apply

We would love to hear what you could bring to the Gallery.

Please visit the Whitechapel Gallery website to download the recruitment pack and our application form. Complete the form and submit it following the instructions provided on our website.

We want to hear your own voice and learn about your experience. Responses that feel overly generic or artificially generated may not do justice to your abilities or reflect the individuality we value.

Deadline for applications: 12 noon on 30 November 2026
Interviews: 8 December 2026