Head of Collections, Programmes and Partnerships

ABOUT MUSEUM OF THE HOME

Museum of the Home is the only museum in the world dedicated to exploring the idea of home—not just as a physical space, but as something shaped by emotions, identity, society, politics, and the environment.

We see Museum of the Home as a movement, championing home as a lens through which to understand major global issues and explore possible solutions.

ABOUT THE ROLE

The Head of Collections, Programmes and Partnerships oversees the museum’s collections, exhibitions, learning, community work, programmes, and research.

A major part of the job is leading exhibition and gallery projects, as well as building partnerships to reach wider audiences and strengthen the museum’s reputation nationally and internationally.

As part of the senior leadership team, you will help plan and deliver the museum’s five-year strategy and ensure your team works closely with others across the organisation. You will also champion our practices of decolonisation, climate action, and community engagement, including creating high-quality experiences for young people.

The role includes the following key criteria:

• Embedding our vision to share experiences of home to connect people, place and planet.
• Delivering capital gallery development projects – critically engaging with the practice of roomset creation.
• Leading on a dynamic public programme that engages audiences nationally and internationally, including major temporary exhibitions and touring initiatives.
• Forming key partnerships – from academic to social justice – that achieve our ambition to be thought leaders and bring about positive change.
• Confidentiality acting as spokesperson for our collections and for histories of the UK home over 400 years.
• Championing the role of children and young people in museum spaces.
• Championing our creative practices – participatory, decolonial, trauma-informed, nature-positive.

If you’re an experienced cultural leader looking for the opportunity to support a committed team and make your mark, we’d love to hear from you. The role has huge scope to lead the next stage of the Museum’s story and contribute to the wider cultural sector.

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE ROLE

Strategic vision

• Make the case for ground-breaking and innovative programmes across all reporting areas to deliver on the Museum’s vision, mission and values.
• With the Director, lead on the development and implementation of a National and International Partnerships Strategy to position the museum as a thought leader and centre of conversation around home – working with campaigners, grass roots organisations, think tanks, policy makers, universities and cultural organisations and including development of the Museum’s touring capabilities.
• Take on the role of Co-Director of the Centre for Studies of Home – with Queen Mary University – providing strategic vision for the partnership.
• Plan and lead on future capital developments to the galleries in line with the organisation’s five-year strategy.
• Work with the Senior Leadership Team and Trustees to set strategic goals, KPIs and evaluation frameworks.
• Support your team in developing and implementing strategies in their areas: Learning and Youth Engagement Strategy; Communities Strategy; Collections and Research Strategy; Public Programme Strategy.
• Work closely with the Head of Communications and Digital on strategies to grow audiences and reach through engaging content.
• Lead your teams in environmentally sustainable practice and climate-active content.
• Champion the Museum’s core practices: participatory decolonial, nature positive and trauma-informed.

Operational management

• Develop and deliver a range of programmes whose outcomes are clearly understood, performance is measured and programming processes and procedures are followed.
• Ensure compliance with regulations and good practice relating to the collection.
• Ensure the health and safety and legal requirements of projects and programmes in collaboration with the Operations department.
• Contribute qualitative and quantitative data to organisational reports and updates for funders, the board of Trustees and other stakeholders.

Financial management and income generation

• Manage budgets, expenses, financial planning, income targets and resource allocation.
• Create long term plans for future budgets.
• Make data-driven decisions to ensure the museum acts using objective criteria.
• With the Head of Development contributing to the successful delivery of the fundraising strategy.
• Be accountable for income related to programmes and exhibitions.

Please see the attached JD for a full list of responsibilities

CANDIDATE REQUIREMENTS

• Values-led (essential).
• Effective communicator with strong influencing and negotiating skills (essential).
• Highly organised and able to manage multiple stakeholders across complex projects (essential).
• Experience of senior leadership responsibilities (managing people, reporting, delivery focus, performance driven, budget management, fundraising etc) (essential).
• Experience of delivering capital projects in a cultural environment (essential).
• Demonstrable experience building national or international partnerships to deliver public programmes and/or permanent galleries (essential).
• Experience of audience development (essential).
• Demonstrable knowledge of current best practice in museums – including collections management, research, curatorial practice, co-curation and learning and community engagement (essential).
• Experience of, or willingness to work with, our core practices: participatory, decolonial, nature-positive, trauma-informed (essential).
• Experience reporting to a Board/Trustees (desirable).
• At least 3 years’ experience in a similar leadership role (desirable).
• Knowledge of an aspect of the history of the home (desirable).
• Knowledge of the university sector (desirable).

If selected, you will need to prepare a presentation/task ahead of interview, and this will form part of your interview discussion.

Please answer the questions via the application portal and then upload your CV and Covering Letter (circa 800 words / 2 sides of A4) demonstrating how you meet the key criteria above and other strengths you bring to the role that we might not have considered.

To view the full job description, please click here – > Museum of the Home- Head of Collections, Programmes and Partnerships – JD April 2026

Closing date: 5pm Monday 4th May 2026.

Interviews: Interviews will be held in person at the Museum on Tuesday 12th and Friday 15th May 2026.