Museums Galleries Scotland (MGS) is the National Development Body for Scotland’s museums and galleries. We support museums and galleries throughout Scotland , through strategic investment, workforce development, advice, and advocacy.

We are currently looking for a new Chair with substantial experience of charity governance and experience of working with the Scottish Government. The ideal candidate will act as a passionate advocate for Scotland’s museums and galleries and lead our Board in supporting MGS to effectively develop and champion Scotland’s museums and galleries sector. The role involves leading the Board in its responsibilities in setting the strategic direction of the organisation and ensuring it is financially and operationally robust. The Chair works closely with the CEO and supports her and MGS staff in applying its resources responsibly in pursuit of MGS’ objectives.

We would like to hear from candidates who have a track record of leadership, operating at board level in the public, or voluntary sectors. Candidates should have strong corporate governance experience, including charity governance, with an understanding of the Scottish political environment and experience engaging with government. Candidates should also have a commitment and appreciation of the importance of museums and galleries as integral institutions of Scotland’s cultural sector.

For further information on the role including more about MGS, key responsibilities and person specification please download the candidate information pack.

This post is unremunerated and reasonable expenses are reimbursed.

Initial three-year term with option to extend for a further three years.

See the role on our website.

Museums Galleries Scotland (MGS) is the National Development Body for Scotland’s museums and galleries. We support a sector of 449 museums and galleries, through strategic investment, workforce development, advice and advocacy. We are a forward facing and inclusive organisation, committed to the ongoing development of a positive culture for our team.

We are looking for a Senior Museum Development Manager to work with the Head of Museum Development to facilitate and support development across the sector in line with Scotland’s Museums and Galleries Strategy. The strategy provides a framework for the sector and MGS to work to ensure the future relevance and resilience of the sector. It centres around three thematic strands of Connection, Resilience and Workforce.

You will have significant knowledge and understanding of the Scottish museums sector and current issues facing it in order to articulate the needs of the sector and turn that into action. Key to this role is direct engagement with museums and galleries in Scotland to build an understanding of diverse development needs. You will build strategic relationships, initiate development programmes and identify funding opportunities, working collaboratively to deliver impactful programmes and projects.

You will also have experience of addressing barriers to inclusion and driving positive change, with an understanding of anti-racism and anti-oppression in order to lead MGS’s work to support museums to become more inclusive.

As part of MGS’ senior management team, you will build and nurture effective working relationships across the organisation. You will manage a team of staff within the wider Museum Development Team.

The successful candidate will manifest MGS’s core values: collaboration, integrity, passion for museums, and courageousness.

Museums Galleries Scotland (MGS) is the National Development Body for Scotland’s museums and galleries sector – this includes 440 museums and galleries of all sizes and organisational types. We strive to be an inclusive, agile and forward-looking organisation that seeks to lead and support positive change in the sector.

In January 2024, the Scottish Government accepted the recommendations of the Empire, Slavery & Scotland’s Museums (ESSM) Steering Group, set up to advise on how Scotland’s museums and galleries can better reflect the country’s role in empire, colonialism, and historic slavery. Museums need help to develop skills and confidence in this work. MGS is now looking to appoint an Events Assistant who will support the delivery of training and networking opportunities to assist with implementation of the recommendations. The role will also assist museums to develop resources to embed race equality and anti racism in the curriculum.

You will work collaboratively with the ESSM Manager and support effective relationships with partner organisations, training providers and programme participants. You will bring excellent administrative, organisational and communication skills, a strong customer focus and a can-do approach, with an awareness of anti-oppression.

The successful candidate will manifest MGS’s core values: collaboration, integrity, passion for museums, and courageousness.

We have a hybrid working approach and are happy to talk flexible working.

We believe that our work will be stronger with greater diversity. MGS welcomes applications from all sections of the community and is an equal opportunities employer. We are a Disability Confident Employer and hold Living Wage and Gold Investors in People accreditation. MGS is striving to be an anti-racist organisation and more information on our commitment to this is on our website. Our commitment to climate action can also be found on our website.

Museums Galleries Scotland (MGS) is the National Development Body for Scotland’s museums and galleries sector – this includes 440 museums and galleries of all sizes and organisational types. We strive to be an inclusive, agile and forward-looking organisation that seeks to lead and support positive change in the sector.

In January 2024, the Scottish Government accepted the recommendations of the Empire, Slavery & Scotland’s Museums (ESSM) Steering Group, set up to advise on how Scotland’s museums and galleries can better reflect the country’s role in empire, colonialism, and historic slavery. MGS is looking for an ESSM Manager to oversee the delivery of actions identified for MGS in supporting museums to implement the recommendations. They will work with colleagues and Scottish museums to centre anti racism and anti-colonial principles in their work. The post holder will be expected to measure and report on progress of the recommendations.

The post holder will bring expertise in anti-racism and anti-colonial practice with strong skills in networking, research and enabling. The successful candidate will manifest MGS’s core values: collaboration, integrity, passion for museums, and courageousness.

We have a hybrid working approach and are happy to talk flexible working.

We believe that our work will be stronger with greater diversity. MGS welcomes applications from all sections of the community and is an equal opportunities employer. We are a Disability Confident Employer and hold Living Wage and Gold Investors in People accreditation. MGS is striving to be an anti-racist organisation and more information on our commitment to this is on our website. Our commitment to climate action can also be found on our website.

The Museum Development Coordinator will work alongside members of the MGS Museum Development Team, supporting them to develop how they help museums to engage with anti-oppression, inclusion and participation, with the aim of embedding this into MGS’s core approach.

The Museum Development Coordinator (Delivering Change) works closely with museum participants on the Delivering Change programme, supporting the Programme Manager to develop and deliver the Museum Learning Programme and create a network and cohort of museums. Delivering Change is a programme led by MGS and funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, which supports museums and galleries across Scotland to make changes to their organisations and programming to help all people to access culture.

The Museum Development Coordinator has an understanding of anti-oppression, experience of building effective relationships and networks and an understanding of the museums, galleries or heritage sector. An effective communicator who conveys energy and enthusiasm about their work, they bring a collaborative approach and the ability to inspire and support others to make connections and enable action.

The Communities Coordinator brings experience of working with community groups and people who have been systematically excluded, has an understanding of applying for grant funding, and a collaborative approach.

The Communities Coordinator helps develop partnerships and links and build trust between MGS and community partners as part of Delivering Change. Delivering Change is a programme led by MGS and funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, which supports museums and galleries across Scotland to make changes to their organisations and programming to help all people to access culture.

The post holder will support the Programme Manager to develop and roll out the community learning programme, help communities to engage with the Community-Museum Partnership Fund and will support a cohort of communities groups to form a network of support.

The Grants Officer (Delivering Change) will join MGS’s Grants Team to increase the team’s capacity to deliver up to three grant streams associated with the Delivering Change project and to develop MGS’s regular grants programme to become more inclusive, and to support museums to become more inclusive. Delivering Change is a programme led by MGS and funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, which supports museums and galleries across Scotland to make changes to their organisations and programming to help all people to access culture.

Summary of position

The Grants Officer (Delivering Change) will join MGS’s Grants Team to increase the team’s capacity to deliver up to three grant streams associated with the Delivering Change project and to develop MGS’s regular grants programme to become more inclusive, and to support museums to become more inclusive. Delivering Change is a programme led by MGS and funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, which supports museums and galleries across Scotland to make changes to their organisations and programming to help all people to access culture.

The post holder will work closely with the Grants Manager and other project staff, supporting the development of the Delivering Change programme’s grant streams including new, more accessible application processes and assessment processes that allow for more diverse voices within decision making.

They will work across project grant streams and MGS’s regular grant streams, bringing an understanding of anti-oppression (in particular anti-racism and anti-ableism), to support the embedding of more inclusive practice within MGS’s grant structures.

The Project Administrator (Delivering Change) will be part of the project team for Delivering Change. This is a three-year programme, led by MGS and funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, which supports museums and galleries across Scotland to make changes to their organisations and programming to help all people to access culture.

Summary of position

The Project Administrator (Delivering Change) will be part of the project team for Delivering Change. This is a three-year programme, led by MGS and funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, which supports museums and galleries across Scotland to make changes to their organisations and programming to help all people to access culture.

The Project Administrator (Delivering Change) provides administrative support across Delivering Change. The role includes organising meetings and minute taking; administering the learning programme and training events; and managing data and documents. They bring strong administrative, organisational and communication skills and a can-do approach, with an interest in inclusive working practices.

They will work collaboratively with the project team, and support effective relationships with partner organisations, training providers and programme participants.

We are looking for a Grants Assistant that brings strong administration skills and a keen attention to detail to assist across all elements of the grants process, dealing promptly with enquiries and delivering excellent customer service to grant applicants. Comfortable working with databases, they bring strong communication skills and a can-do approach, with collaborative working an essential part of the role.

The Grants Assistant will supports the delivery of MGS’s grants programmes and capturing their impact.

Overview of Responsibilities

• Manage telephone and email enquiries about the grants programme
• Carry out basic financial checks on grant claims
• Liaise with applicants around award acceptances and project reports
• Add new organisations to the grants processing system and keep information up to date, including editing funding website pages
• Support grants impact analysis and reporting; and draw out examples of best practice for case studies to demonstrate impact
• Support the promotion of grant programmes to the sector in consultation with colleagues
• Support the delivery of funding rounds
• Occasional administrative support for the Accreditation scheme

The above mentioned tasks and responsibilities constitute an overview and not an exhaustive list. Workload and priorities is ultimately determined by the annual MGS Operational Plan.

RELATIONSHIPS

• Build and nurture effective working relationships across the organisation and Scottish museums sector
• Collaborate with other staff to support and deliver MGS projects and programmes
• Work fairly and with integrity and adapt style to different people, cultures and situations

Person Specification

The successful candidate will manifest our core values: collaboration, integrity, passion for museums, and courageousness.

WORK EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS

Essential:

• Supporting and maintaining processes
• Working with databases
• Strong customer focus and ability to communicate positively with a range of people
• Interpreting financial information
• Keen attention to detail
• Excellent organisational skills
• Processing, interpreting and presenting/reporting data
• Microsoft Office and other relevant software

Preferred:

• Experience/knowledge of grants administration
• Knowledge of GDPR

HOW YOU WORK

MGS has a behavioural competency framework which describes how we expect people to go about their work day-to-day. Staff must demonstrate the following skills areas at an appropriate level:

• Works collaboratively
• Communicating with impact
• Respect, inclusion and integrity
• Effective decision-making
• Sector focus
• Drive for results
• Innovation, agility and building capability

In particular this role requires someone with a positive attitude who collaborates well, makes effective decisions following appropriate criteria, deals promptly with enquiries and organises their work efficiently.

TRAVEL – regionally may be required occasionally

Museums Galleries Scotland (MGS) is the National Development Body for Scotland’s museums and galleries sector – this includes 440 museums and galleries of all sizes and organisational types. We strive to be an inclusive, agile and forward-looking organisation that seeks to lead and support positive change in the sector.

We are looking for a Climate Officer to support and drive climate activity across the sector and the organisation. Climate Action is a key priority in Scotland’s Museums and Galleries Strategy, which provides a framework to ensure the future relevance and resilience of the sector. You will support development of sector skills and delivery of resources for improving carbon management planning. The Climate Officer will identify areas of need and engagement opportunities through core activities and collaborative projects.

You will bring knowledge and understanding of a range of climate change and environmental sustainability issues, experience in climate change adaptation practice and implementing carbon efficiencies and management procedures. You will have experience supporting delivery of projects and events. A strong communicator able to influence positive behavioural change, you will have a people-focused and collaborative approach, and passion for making lasting impact.

The successful candidate will manifest MGS’s core values: collaboration, integrity, passion for museums, and courageousness.

We have a hybrid working approach and are happy to talk flexible working.

MGS welcomes applications from all sections of the community and is an equal opportunities employer. We are a Disability Confident Employer and hold Living Wage and Gold Investors in People accreditation. MGS is striving to be an anti-racist organisation and more information on our commitment to this is here.

Museums Galleries Scotland (MGS) is the National Development Body for Scotland’s museums and galleries sector – this includes 440 museums and galleries of all sizes and organisational types. We strive to be an inclusive, agile and forward-looking organisation that seeks to lead and support positive change in the sector.

We are looking for a Skills Development Officer to provide support to the Skills Development Manager across skills projects and ongoing skills development work. Some key responsibilities will be to support the delivery of the Workforce for the future programming, provide administration and evaluation support across all skills activity, build relationships with museums, galleries and external partners, support ongoing fair work activities and promote and advocate for best practice in this area and to facilitate meetings and events on related topics.

You will have a strong interest in vocational learning and skills development and be able to build rapport with a variety of stakeholders. We are looking for someone with an understanding of the education landscape in Scotland and who enjoys a varied workload as the job needs you to work across multiple different areas. You should have excellent communication skills and be confident at using a range of platforms for administration and communication. Experience of creating learning resources and having an understanding of the SQA would be beneficial to the position too.

There will be opportunities to develop within the role and we will look to support your CPD and give you opportunities to engage with work that will benefit you.

The successful candidate will manifest MGS’s core values: collaboration, integrity, passion for museums, and courageousness.

We have a hybrid working approach and are happy to talk flexible working.

MGS welcomes applications from all sections of the community and is an equal opportunities employer. We are a Disability Confident Employer and hold Living Wage and Gold Investors in People accreditation. MGS is striving to be an anti-racist organisation and more information on our commitment to this is here.

Museums Galleries Scotland (MGS) is the National Development Body for Scotland’s museums and galleries sector – this includes 440 museums and galleries of all sizes and organisational types. We strive to be an inclusive, agile and forward-looking organisation that seeks to lead and support positive change in the sector.

We are looking for a Corporate Officer to join our Resources team, to support the delivery of business improvement and compliance activities. The workload is varied and is focused on continuous improvement, supporting sustainability across the organisation.

The Corporate Officer role will fulfil two key functions: the coordination of office and facilities requirements; and supporting MGS Assessment Centre compliance. The MGS Assessment Centre is managed by the MGS Skills team and delivers vocational qualifications across the sector. Additionally the role provides a range of organisational support across other areas such as procurement and data protection compliance.

You will have experience of working with processes and the provision of office and facilities support and enjoy a varied workload. You will bring a positive, can-do attitude, excellent organisational skills and a keen attention to detail. You should have a strong customer focus and be an effective communicator. Experience of supporting compliance or quality management systems would be an advantage.

As office support is a key element of the role, the postholder must be based in the office in central Edinburgh a minimum of 2 days per week.

The successful candidate will manifest MGS’s core values: collaboration, integrity, passion for museums, and courageousness.

We have a hybrid working approach, proactively support staff learning and development and are happy to talk flexible working.

MGS welcomes applications from all sections of the community and is an equal opportunities employer. We are a Disability Confident Employer and hold Living Wage and Gold Investors in People accreditation. MGS is striving to be an anti-racist organisation and more information on our commitment to this is here.

Museums Galleries Scotland (MGS) is the National Development Body for Scotland’s museums and galleries sector – this includes 440 museums and galleries of all sizes and organisational types. We strive to be an inclusive, agile and forward-looking organisation that seeks to lead and support positive change in the sector.

(MGS) has been funded by Scottish Government and National Lottery Heritage Fund to develop Delivering Change, a programme which supports the museums workforce to work with underrepresented audiences with confidence to create a more inclusive museum sector.

The Inclusive Funding Facilitator (Delivering Change) will work with the grants team to support a review of MGS's existing grants programme to ensure it reflects inclusive values and can contribute to positive change in the sector. During this time, MGS will explore potential change across our grant streams, and the postholder will work with project advisors and project team to plan the Community Grants that will be administered as part of Delivering Change.

You will have experience in instigating and supporting change within an organisation and experience of working within the communities or equalities sector, ideally with those who have experienced barriers to accessing culture in the past. Strong communication, organisational and administrative skills are required; the post holder will additionally have excellent critical thinking skills, ideally honed within an inclusion, participation, or equalities context, and some understanding of grant funding. You will be able to work with a range of colleagues and partners with enthusiasm and initiative as well as constructively challenge current practices and thinking.

The successful candidate will manifest MGS’s core values: collaboration, integrity, passion for museums, and courageousness.

We have a hybrid working approach and are happy to talk flexible working. While this is being advertised as a full time post, we are open to flexibility on this and would be willing to consider fewer hours and/or a flexible working pattern.

MGS welcomes applications from all sections of the community and is an equal opportunities employer. We encourage applications from those who have lived experience of barriers to accessing culture. We are a Disability Confident Employer and hold Living Wage and Gold Investors in People accreditation. MGS is striving to be an anti-racist organisation and more information on our commitment to this is here.

Museums Galleries Scotland (MGS) is the National Development Body for Scotland’s museums and galleries sector – this includes 440 museums and galleries of all sizes and organisational types. We are an inclusive, agile and forward-looking organisation that seeks to lead and support positive change in the sector.

The Resources and Systems Manager works as part of the Resources team to deliver a full range of office management activities for Museums Galleries Scotland (MGS), and works with contractors and colleagues to manage and develop MGS’s systems and data.

The Resources and Systems Manager brings strong office and budget management experience. A clear and effective communicator, they are solutions-focused with a desire to make change and are able to engage with colleagues and contractors to achieve positive outcomes.

With a varied workload, this role is part of a Resources team with a strong focus on continuous improvement while delivering core activities which support sustainability of the organisation. This role offers the opportunity to manage and influence processes, practices and employee experience in an organisation which aspires to be an excellent workplace for all, and currently holds Investors in People Gold accreditation.

The successful candidate will manifest MGS’s core values: collaboration, integrity, passion for museums, and courageousness.

This role is required to be based in our office in central Edinburgh a minimum of 3 days a week. We are developing a hybrid working approach and are happy to talk flexible working.

MGS welcomes applications from all sections of the community and is an equal opportunities employer. We are a Disability Confident Employer and hold Living Wage and Investors in People accreditation.

Museums Galleries Scotland (MGS) is the National Development Body for Scotland’s museums and galleries sector – this includes 440 museums and galleries of all sizes and organisational types. We are an inclusive, agile and forward-looking organisation that seeks to lead and support positive change in the sector.

The Grants Assistant supports the delivery of MGS’s grants programmes, and helps capture their impact. This is an exciting opportunity to join a grants team working in a fast-paced environment, delivering a programme designed to support a diverse range of museums to build resilience and engage communities with their collections.

Assisting across all elements of the grants process, responsibilities will include dealing with enquiries about the grants programme, supporting applicants and grantees to engage with grants processes, assisting with eligibility and financial checks, processing claims, maintaining database information, and supporting analysis and reporting on grants impact.

You will have experience supporting and maintaining processes and a keen attention to detail, with a strong customer focus, great communication skills and a can-do approach. Comfortable working with databases and data, you will have experience interpreting financial information and excellent organisational skills. Collaborative working is an essential part of the role.

In particular this role requires someone with a positive attitude who collaborates well, makes effective decisions following appropriate criteria, deals promptly with enquiries and organises their work efficiently.

The successful candidate will manifest our core values: collaboration, integrity, passion for museums, and courageousness.

MGS welcomes applications from all sections of the community and is an equal opportunities employer. We are a Disability Confident Employer and hold Living Wage and Investors in People accreditation. We are developing a hybrid working approach and are happy to talk flexible working.

Museums Galleries Scotland (MGS) is the National Development Body for Scotland’s museums and galleries. We support a sector of 430 museums and galleries, through strategic investment, advice, advocacy and skills development.

We are looking for an experienced professional to join our Marketing and Communications team as Advocacy and Public Affairs Manager. This is an opportunity to play an instrumental role in developing and maintaining awareness of the value and multiple social, economic and environmental impacts of the museums and galleries sector within Government (local and national) and other key organisations and influencers.

You will be politically astute, with strong strategic planning and influencing skills. You will have extensive experience of building strategic networks and effective collaboration, thinking creatively and navigating complex issues. You will display energy and enthusiasm in interactions with others; communicate effectively with and be approachable to a range of different audiences; and able to positively shape how people view the museums and galleries sector.

Covid-19 has had a huge impact on the sector and MGS has worked to advocate for financial support for the sector. Profound budget challenges still lie ahead, particularly for local authority run museums. As the sector recovers from the effects of the pandemic it is vital that we advocate clearly and effectively on its behalf.

MGS is currently developing a National Strategy for the sector due to launch in January 2023, offering an exciting opportunity to review and plan the future direction and focus of our organisational and sectoral collaborative work.

Scotland’s museums and galleries are valuable assets to our towns and cities as their work delivers across the Scottish Government’s National Performance Framework to make us happier, healthier, smarter and more connected to where we live. This role will develop and deliver advocacy campaigns and activity to raise awareness of the work of Scotland’s museums and galleries and influence a range of audience and stakeholders.

The successful candidate will manifest MGS’s core values: collaboration, integrity, passion for museums, and courageousness.

Museums Galleries Scotland (MGS) is the National Development Body for Scotland’s museums and galleries. We support more than 400 museums and galleries, through strategic investment, advice, advocacy and skills development.

The Grants Assistant supports the delivery of MGS’s grants programmes, and helps capture their impact. This is an exciting opportunity to join a grants team working in a fast-paced environment, responding to the ongoing impact of the Covid-19 pandemic with a range of funding streams aimed at supporting museums and funding projects that will build their resilience and enable communities to engage with their collections.

Assisting across all elements of the grants process, responsibilities will include dealing with enquiries about the grants programme and liaising with applicants, assisting with eligibility and financial checks, maintaining database information, and supporting analysis and reporting on grants impact.

You will have experience supporting and maintaining processes and a keen attention to detail, with a strong customer focus, great communication skills and a can-do approach. Comfortable working with databases and data, you will have experience interpreting financial information and excellent organisational skills. Collaborative working is an essential part of the role.

In particular this role requires someone with a positive attitude who collaborates well, makes effective decisions following appropriate criteria, deals promptly with enquiries and organises their work efficiently.

The successful candidate will manifest our core values: collaboration, integrity, passion for the heritage sector, and courageousness.

Museums Galleries Scotland (MGS) is the National Development Body for Scotland’s museums and galleries. We support more than 400 museums and galleries, through strategic investment, advice, advocacy and skills development.

We are looking for a Climate Officer to support and drive climate activity across sector projects and the organisation. Areas of focus will include: development of sector skills and delivery of resources for improving carbon management planning; the support of collaborative projects across the culture sector and identifying future opportunities for impact and collaboration.

The post will be a key point of engagement for external stakeholders around MGS and sector climate activities. Managing a varied workload, this role gives the opportunity to help deliver across a range of projects as well as influencing the core activities which support the development and sustainability of the organisation and sector.

The role will require experience in climate change adaptation practice, managing risk and uncertainty, supporting organisational change, developing community based adaptation, or integrating climate change issues into the design, monitoring and evaluation of projects and programmes.

As this post also supports the delivery of projects, you will have a strong people-focus, a proactive approach and a passion for making lasting impact. A strong communicator, you will be comfortable to influence positive behavioural change and be able to interpret and report data in an accessible way.

In particular this role requires someone who conveys energy and enthusiasm about their work, can make effective decisions following appropriate criteria, organises and plans work effectively, readily contributes ideas, and communicates well with and is approachable to a range of different audiences. Collaborative working with colleagues, partners and throughout the sector is an essential aspect of this role.

The successful candidate will manifest our core values: collaboration, integrity, passion for the heritage sector, and courageousness.