Do you have experience of senior leadership in a complex, multi-site organisation? Can you lead a large museum estate operation with a mix of historic and modern buildings?

The Science Museum Group (SMG) occupies the largest and most geographically diverse and important museum estate in the country, with five museums and two collections stores. We welcome around 5.5m visitors to our museums every year, serve around 1200 colleagues on site (and increasingly remotely), and host a variety of functions above and beyond the collections stores and galleries including cinemas, cafes and a busy events business. To oversee the compliant operation, maintenance, and transformation of the SMG estate, we are now recruiting for a permanent Estate Operations Director to be based at any of our museum sites, but with a Group-wide remit. Through the effective management and development of the estate, the Estate Operations Director will play an important part in supporting SMG’s mission to Inspire Futures.

Reporting to the Director of Masterplan and Estate, the Estate Operations Director will hold important strategic and decision-making relationships across the Group and will be key to delivering a highly customer-focussed and effective central estate service to all users. This role offers the opportunity to lead, influence and deliver a sustainable museum estate in a unique and varied context. In this role, you will focus on delivering a more sustainable estate, reducing the consumption of energy across the Group, and looking holistically at solutions whilst considering any long-term implications. You will drive continuous financial and service improvement across the department, with a focus on improving cost and service efficiency and compliance with all statutory and regulatory requirements. As Estate Operations Director, you will take a strategic lead, in partnership with the Masterplan and Estate Programme Director, for the development, management and prioritisation of the Estate ten-year Asset Management Plan and related capital infrastructure works programme.

Joining us, you will have demonstrable experience in a leadership role in a large or multi-site organisation, with an ability to drive performance and innovation. You will have knowledge and experience of complex and multi-site estates with a mix of historic and modern buildings, and a strong understanding of their associated challenges and opportunities, including sustainability issues. As a leader, you will be able to inspire and motivate colleagues, showing excellent stakeholder management in addition to strong commercial acumen.  You’ll be driven, enthusiastic and passionate about museums, with a strong interest in working with architects and designers of the highest quality.

The Science Museum Group (SMG) is here to inspire futures. As the world’s leading group of science museums, we share our unparalleled collection spanning science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine with over five million visitors each year. Joining us as an employee, you will have the opportunity to develop your career in a world-class museum group.  We know work/life balance and wellbeing is crucial to our colleagues, so we currently offer up to 27 days annual leave in addition to bank holidays; BUPA medical and dental care; employee assistance programme; enhanced contributory pension; enhanced occupational sick, maternity, paternity and adoption leave and career breaks.

‘Open for All’ is one of the Science Museum Group’s five core values and sets out our important aspiration to be a place for everyone. As a national museum group, we have an ability to reach a wide and diverse population of audiences, colleagues and partners through our geography and scale.  We are working hard to understand our organisation better and to foster a culture that recognises and values different backgrounds, mindsets, skills, experience, knowledge and expertise. By having greater diversity, we believe that we will be a stronger and better organisation and ultimately will be able to inspire more futures. We therefore welcome applications from those who bring difference.

Does this appeal to you? If so, click here to view the Vacancy Information Pack which provides you with details of the role and the application process.

Please note – this role closes at 11pm on Sunday 25 October, with first stage video interviews taking place within 3 weeks after this date.