Job Description
Position Details
External Relations
Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK
Competitive Salary
Grade: 10
Full Time, Permanent
Closing date: 30th September 2025
Background
The University of Birmingham is among the top 100 universities globally, and home to world-class museums and collections spanning the arts and sciences including the Barber Institute of Fine Arts, Lapworth Museum of Geology, Winterbourne House and Gardens, and University Collections and public art. We are one of only a small number of UK universities that holds the NCCPE Gold Watermark recognising the strengths of our Public Engagement. The quality and impact of our teaching and research is widely recognised and as a civic university our connections and impact in our city and region is significant. Our Strategic Framework 2030 sets out a bold ambition to become among the top 50 universities in the world and as part of this we aim to harness the collective impact of our cultural assets to benefit our teaching, research, outreach and engagement, to support our civic mission and enhance our global reputation.
Role Summary
The Director of Culture, Collections and Public Engagement will provide strategic leadership and oversight of the University’s cultural and public engagement initiatives, supporting the University’s Strategic Framework 2030 and twin ambition of becoming a global top 50 university and an exemplary civic university. This role requires a visionary leader with a deep passion for culture, collections, education, research and community and public engagement. You will also need the knowledge and consensus building skills to bring together teams around a shared mission, encouraging innovation and creativity in public and cultural engagement. Working in partnership across the University and the city, you will ensure that public and cultural engagement is integrated into our research, student experience, and civic and global activities, and that the University is capitalising on its rich cultural assets and research to raise its global profile and reputation.
Position Overview
This senior post will have a dotted reporting line to the Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Head of College of Arts and Law who is the University Executive Board Sponsor for culture and public engagement. It will report into the Director of External Relations and will be based within the External Relations function. The post holder will work in partnership across the University to lead the following priority areas:
Strategy: working in partnership with academic and professional services colleagues across the University as well as external partners and local communities, you will build and maintain strong relationships and networks to embed and deliver the University’s new Public and Cultural Engagement Strategy. You will work across disciplinary boundaries to promote the use of University collections in teaching, research, and student recruitment strategies.
Public Engagement: you will have strategic oversight and accountability of the Public Engagement programme of activity across our campuses in Birmingham and Dubai, in our flagship city-centre building, The Exchange , and embedded within our communities.
Cultural Attractions: you will lead work with the University’s exceptional accredited museums and collections (Barber Institute of Fine Art, University Collections, Winterbourne House and Gardens, Lapworth Museum of Geology and with University Music) to further bring together expertise across audience development and evaluation, programming, marketing and promotion, collections management, curation and interpretation, and community engagement and outreach.
Main Duties
Strategic Leadership:
- Work closely with the Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Head of College of Arts and Law and with key stakeholders to implement the University’s new Public and Cultural Engagement Strategy (launched February 2025).
- Develop and implement long-term strategies to leverage our world-class cultural assets in a more co-ordinated way to make a tangible contribution to our global top 50 ambition and broader 2030 Strategic Framework.
- Work collaboratively to develop and deliver a strategy for closer alignment across the University’s accredited museums.
- Maintain and develop effective relationships and partnerships regionally, nationally and internationally, representing the University on relevant boards and partnership committees, working closely with the academic lead for Culture Forward.
- Establish and oversee a high-level Cultural Advisory Board to support and advocate for the University’s cultural ambitions.
- Act as a champion and role model for the Public and Cultural Engagement Strategy and its importance to the University.
- Provide leadership and line management for the Public and Cultural Engagement team, encouraging continuous learning, and ensuring high levels of performance with a focus on audience and outcomes.
- Bring together and influence wider staff working on this agenda through project and matrix management to ensure closer alignment across the University’s cultural assets.
- Play a key role as a member of the External Relations senior leadership team, and an influential voice for culture and public engagement contribution to wider University agendas.
Leadership and Management:
Integration and operational alignment
- Work with Heads of the cultural attractions to identify opportunities for sharing resources and services, while maintaining specialist skills and knowledge where required.
- Lead the University Museums Performances and Collections group to bring together cultural assets around shared agendas.
- Identify opportunities for greater effectiveness and impact by bringing together activity across the University and ensuring that the Dubai campus is integrated into programming.
- Ensure benefits of further integration are defined and delivered against top 50 ambition.
Fundraising
- Work closely with the Development and Alumni Relations Office to ensure coordinated funding bids to develop collections and cultural assets.
- Identify and secure funding to support delivery of public engagement activities, particularly at the University’s city centre venue, The Exchange.
Programming and Audience Development
- Set the direction for a cohesive programming approach across the University ensuring alignment to University Strategy and effective monitoring, evaluation and reporting.
- Lead on the delivery of an annual programme of public engagement and exhibitions.
- Oversee development of cross-institutional audience development strategies and targets that build and diversify engagement with the University.
- Ensure programming and activities at The Exchange maximise footfall to the building and deliver targets in line with the agreed business plan.
Support for education and research
- Collaborate with the Pro-Vice-Chancellor Education to identify opportunities to contribute to curriculum development, extracurricular activities, and student employability.
- Collaborate with the Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research and Deputy-Pro-Vice-Chancellor Research Impact to identify ways to further integrate cultural. attraction into the University's research environment and align public engagement with research priorities.
- Lead the Public Engagement team and promote and facilitate public engagement with research activities, building on the NCCPE Gold Watermark accreditation and maintaining the high KEF rating for Public Engagement. As part of this ensure that cultural attractions contribute to the dissemination and understanding of research outcomes.
Community and Public Engagement:
- Foster strong two-way relationships with community stakeholders and partners to support the University’s mission and initiatives, including through the University’s new Community Engagement Charter.
- Lead annual Community Day/Festival activity, bringing together colleagues from across the University to develop an engaging programme connecting with diverse local communities.
- Work with the Directors of Estates and Campus Services to create a welcoming and engaging campus environment and oversee the development and promotion of the public art collection and culture trail.
Compliance and accreditation
- Ensure that accredited museums maintain their Arts Council Accreditation and that the highest standards of storage, maintenance, preservation, curation, governance and collections management is maintained.
- Ensure the University meets its Public Engagement reporting and accreditation requirements via the Knowledge Exchange Framework and Concordat, Research Excellence Framework and NCCPE Watermark.
- Identify and co-ordinate opportunities to apply for other recognition/accreditation such as ACE National Portfolio Organisation status.
- Share expertise and learnings across all the collections on new practice or policies from relevant funding or accrediting bodies and DCMS.
General
- Exhibit positive behaviours in line with the University values and behaviours framework
- Some travel as required both in the UK and internationally, including close working with our overseas operations in Dubai, India, and China
- Other duties as requested by the Director of External Relations
Person Specification
- Educated to degree level or equivalent, preferably with an additional professional qualification.
- Experience of working at a leadership level in museums, cultural organisations or public engagement.
- Outstanding interpersonal skills and ability to influence at a senior level with a positive and empowering approach.
- Experience of developing long term strategies and an ability to develop and deliver a vision for public and cultural engagement across the University through thought leadership and a partnership approach.
- Track record of delivering large scale, innovative public engagement programmes appealing to a broad range of audiences.
- Evidence of a strong track record in fundraising and able to demonstrate strategic and business planning expertise for the development and financial stability of long term projects.
- Demonstrable relationship building skills across multiple audiences and stakeholder groups.
- Ability to influence a broad range of internal stakeholders and confidence/ experience of engaging at Board level.
- Significant understanding of the technical requirements of running museums, collections and high quality, high profile public programme.
- Able to operate flexibly within a busy work environment, shifting focus when required and providing support beyond normal work hours when a need arises.
- Dynamic, outgoing and practical. Can work under pressure, handle multiple tasks simultaneously, and meet all deadlines.
- Able to demonstrate evidence of working collaboratively within their team and across internal and external stakeholders to achieve goals in a respectful manner and fostering a collegiate environment.
- Proven ability to produce quality Management Information.
- Proven ability to communicate effectively. Able to present to senior audiences and having a proactive and positive approach to work.
- Can demonstrate agility and ability to problem solve.
- An understanding and empathy for higher education and its economic, social and cultural contribution.
- Experience of and relationships with international stakeholders would be advantageous.
Informal enquiries to Jo Kite, email:
[email protected]We believe there is no such thing as a 'typical' member of University of Birmingham staff and that diversity in its many forms is a strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation and debate at the heart of University life. We are committed to proactively addressing the barriers experienced by some groups in our community and are proud to hold Athena SWAN, Race Equality Charter and Disability Confident accreditations. We have an Equality Diversity and Inclusion Centre that focuses on continuously improving the University as a fair and inclusive place to work where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. We are also committed to sustainability, which is a key part of our strategy. You can find out more about our work to create a fairer university for everyone on our website . 
