Careers

Outreach and Education Officer

Job Description

We are looking for a highly motivated individual to join Torfaen Museum Trust’s team to help us deliver our Esmée Fairbairn funded project, working with a diverse range of community members from Torfaen and its surrounding area to explore what our local history collections represent. Your focus will be engaging with a wide range of people to explore the Museums’ Collections from different perspectives and to understand their significance to the people of Torfaen.

You will communicate this though workshops, a co-curated touring community display and a specifically developed schools workshop. You will work alongside current Museum staff to raise awareness of the Museum and to help make our collections more relevant to our communities. This role will give you the opportunity to ensure Torfaen’s collections are accessible and relevant, so we can tell a wider and more diverse range of stories.

This is a temporary post supported by the Esmée Fairbairn Collections Fund. It will give you the opportunity to develop your skills based on your existing knowledge and experience of community engagement, audience development and educational provision.

Position Title: Outreach and Education Officer
Hours: 18 hours a week, flexible Monday to Friday with some evening and weekend work required.
DBS Check: Yes
Temporary: Fixed Term to 30th June 2025
Location: Amgueddfa Torfaen Museum, Pontypool
Pay: £24,120 (pro rata)
Closing Date: 5pm – 12th May 2024

Those candidates being interviewed will be informed and invited to interview on Friday 24th May.

Responsible to: Museum Services Manager
Welsh Language Assessment: Welsh language skills are desirable
Safeguarding: Child and Adult Safeguarding are key priorities for the Torfaen Museum Trust. We aim to support children and adults at risk to be as safe as they can and to fulfil their potential. All Trust employees and volunteers are responsible for playing their part in the well-being, safety and protection of children and adults at risk. All employees and volunteers will be trained to the appropriate level of safeguarding and have a duty to fulfil their personal responsibilities for safeguarding.

About the Trust

Torfaen Museum Trust is a registered charity, based in Pontypool, Torfaen where we hold the county collections on behalf of Torfaen County Borough Council. Our mission is to promote well-being, education, heritage and culture through the collections we hold.

Following the appointment of a new management team, our goal is to enhance the vibrancy of Torfaen and promote a deeply rooted sense of place, to enrich people’s lives by creating engaging heritage experiences.

Your responsibilities are to assist and/or lead on the following key activities:

• Identifying potential community groups and partners to create a database for engagement through the project timeframe and beyond.
• Work independently and with colleagues to develop an events plan to include consultation events which will engage with a diverse range of people across Torfaen, introducing them to our collections, inviting people to consider the significance of selected items and to offer feedback on key interpretive themes for future galleries.
• Develop an educational session, utilising selected items from the collections which will be offered and delivered to schools across Torfaen.
• Work with our museum team to develop, plan and deliver a community touring exhibition and accompanying workshops. Tasks will include writing text for interpretive panels, liaising with designers, organising venues and transport and working with the Assistant Curator to select accompanying material, as well as carrying out installation of the displays.
• Develop marketing materials to help promote the funded project and the Museum across a range of platforms including in person, through the website and social media.
• Assist with the communication of stories uncovered during the project with members of the public and the museum team, using a variety of communication methods including social media.
• Research the collections using our Axiell CALM Collections Management software and other sources.
• Work with our collections staff to ensure that stories and information gathered from our community workshops are captured within the Axiell CALM Collections Management software.
• Work with the Curator to gather feedback on consultation and co-curation workshops and evaluate project activities, contributing to annual project reviews and reports to funders.
• Engage with under-represented groups and work with the Museum team to develop a strategy for prioritising active collecting to ensure the stories our collections tell are relevant and diverse.
• Recruit, support and engage with volunteers.
• Ensure the safety of visitors, community partners and colleagues at all times complying with current H&S regulations, to inform Curator of any health and safety concerns at the earliest opportunity.
• Occasionally work outside of normal office hours and on weekends to widen engagement and consultation.
• Work with the staff to manage the project’s social media and related communications.
• Carry out any duties and responsibilities required under the GDPR Data Protection Act 2018, in particular, to take reasonable care that no loss or disclosure of personal data occurs.
• Uphold and comply with the Trust’s Equal Opportunities Policy, the statutory provisions of the Health and Safety Work Regulations 1999, The Wales Safeguarding processes 2020 and any other relevant Council policies relating to Safeguarding and Health and Safety
• To attend training courses relevant to the role as required by the Museum Services Manager.
• To be a registered key holder for alarm and security purposes.

To apply, please send a copy of your CV to the above email address, along with a covering letter outlining how your experience and skillset meets the requirements of this role.