Programmes Manager
Role: Programmes Manager
Contract type: Permanent (after three-month probationary period)
Hours: 35 hours per week, regular weekend working and some unsociable hours
This is an in-person role. We would consider part-time applications.
Accountable to: Chief Executive
Accountable for: Creative Producers, Programming Volunteers
Salary: £25,500 to £27,000
Deadline: 19th November 2025, 9am
As Programmes Manager, you’ll be responsible for delivery of the museum’s programming strategy, ensuring all programming related targets are connected to the museum’s engagement policy, as well as financial and audience development plans. This includes leading on and supporting the museum’s Creative Producers to design and deliver our school programme, community projects, live events, artist network, food activities, adult participatory programming and outreach activities.
We believe strongly in co-creation, designing our activities with and for our audiences. You’ll support us to grow as a social impact museum, exploring artistic and conversational programming that draw on our key values of bravery, belonging, imagination and impact.
You will support the development and delivery of our core strategic aims:
- Becoming a more diverse and inclusive organisation;
- Creating bold, ambitious, and innovative work;
- Establishing ourselves as a place for research and creative learning;
- Supporting and growing our museum community;
- Reducing our environmental impact;
- Building a resilient business model.
As a member of the senior management team, you will share responsibility for delivering our Financial and Fundraising Strategies, collaborating closely with colleagues on marketing, fundraising, collections and financial activities. You’ll be happy to deliver projects to our communities and audiences, as much as support the wider strategical direction of our programme.
Key Role Responsibilities:
Lead on the delivery of all programming related aims connected to our financial and engagement policies, ensuring programming supports our audience development objectives:
- Â To better Connect with local communities.
- To grow a sustainable, culturally engaged audience.
- To connect diverse Jewish audiences.
- To engage schools and adult education groups across the Northwest.
- Work with Marketing & Fundraising Manager to ensure all necessary data is collected and interpreted to ensure we can measure success via CRM system and evaluation framework. This includes supporting the development of new approaches to evaluation and delivery of our audience development strategy.
- Work with the museum’s curator to ensure Jewish stories from the collection sit at the heart of all aspects of our programme and draw on key themes of communities, identity and journeys. This will also include the co-creation of temporary exhibitions and interpretation with our communities.
- Work with the Catering and Retail Operations Manager to support group visits, training connected to our programme and food-based events and activities.
- Lead on the delivery of externally funded programming projects ensuring objectives and targets are met.
- Support the CEO in the successful delivery of the wider programme and activity plans.
- Engage in any necessary training related to the role in relation to Safeguarding, Carbon Literacy Awareness, health and safety and designing Inclusive and Accessible programming.
- Lead the Creative Producers to deliver their specific projects and programming strands, ensuring work achieves our activity plans and aligns with audience development strategies.
- Work with the CEO and Trustees to embed and champion co-creation and collaborative, creative working processes (such as Scratch) across the organisation.
- Collaborate with staff and volunteers across the organisation to ensure programming for all audiences embodies the museum’s values of Bravery, Belonging, Imagination and Impact.
- Attend performances, cultural events and networking events across the cultural sector to stay up to date with current trends and identify opportunities.
- Build and maintain relationships with stakeholder groups and other arts and culture organisations, sharing best practice and exploring opportunities for partnership and collaborative working.
- Support the museum’s volunteers, with a focus on schools and events volunteers who help deliver our programmes.
- Manage all programming budgets ensuring spending is within agreed constraints and all income targets are met. You’ll work closely with the Finance Manager to report on all programming income and expenditure.
- Support our CEO and Marketing and Fundraising Manager in the delivery of our fundraising strategy. Create reports on ongoing and finished projects for funders and trustees and report on progress positively with stakeholders about programming.
- Work with Marketing & Fundraising Manager to deliver our marketing strategy, particularly in relation to marketing of programming activities.
General Responsibilities:
- Facilitate activities and produce work, managing own operational workload alongside strategic responsibilities.
- Management and maintenance of all programming related technical equipment (PA, AV, lighting).
- Management of all licensing requirements as and when required.
- Ensuring all programmed activities comply with health and safety regulations.
- Promote and deliver the museum’s vision and values.
- Work effectively within a small team, attending staff meetings, contributing ideas, offering colleagues support and helping manage the general upkeep of the museum site.
- Act as Duty Manager on a rota basis, ensure the smooth running of museum operations and act as key holder.
- Regular weekend and evening working is expected as part of this role and can be taken back as time off in lieu at a later date.
Who We Are Looking For
- An experienced programming professional with the confidence to liaise at a senior level with partners and stakeholders.
- Warm, open and confident with strong communication skills and a demonstrable ability to work successfully with a wide range of people – staff, volunteers, artists, funders, partner organisations, audiences etc.
- A minimum of 3-years’ programming experience in an arts or heritage setting to include:
– Delivery of a programming strategy
– Management of budgets
– Experience of monitoring and evaluation
– Experience of working with artists
– Facilitation of events and activities for a wide range of people – especially culturally diverse audiences
– Management or supervision of staff or volunteers
– Experience of co-creation and iterative processes such as Scratch
– Experience of partnership working
– Support of fundraising activity
– Support of marketing and comms delivery
– Use of AV equipment
– Experience of completing risk assessments
– Use of a CRM/Ticketing system - Able to lead and inspire a team of Producers and volunteers.
- Organised and with excellent time management skills. Able to balance strategic responsibilities with the need to be hands on and facilitate and deliver their own work.
- A creative flair for ideas and the spotting of opportunities and the skills, knowledge and confidence to develop and deliver them.
- Comfortable working alone or as part of a team.
- Enthusiasm for the work of the museum and commitment to our mission and values.
- A commitment to diversity, access and inclusion.
- Driven by a desire to reach new audiences.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Committed to engaging diverse audiences in heritage, arts and culture and passionate about providing them space to create and shape future programming.
- Computer literate, with significant experience in the use of common PC software such as Outlook, Word and Excel.
How to Apply:
Deadline for applications by email: 9am, Wednesday 19th November 2025.
Send your CV along with a covering letter of no more than two sides of A4 (or a 3-minute video) detailing why you want to work with us here at Manchester Jewish Museum and why you are a good fit for the position, drawing on the job requirements and person specification.
Applications should be emailed to Gemma Meek (ceo@manchesterjewishmuseum.com) and any queries can be addressed to the same contact.
Please also download and complete our Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form here and include in your application.
Shortlisted candidates will be invited to an in-person interview on 26th November 2025.
Equality and Diversity
We pride ourselves on being a welcoming and inclusive organisation, actively celebrating diversity and promoting acceptance and inclusivity. We value the benefits that diverse perspectives bring to our team and practise. We recognise we currently under-represent black people, people of colour, people with disabilities and those with intersecting identities in our team. We also seek to include self-identifying Jewish representation across our team. We are actively working to address this and encourage applicants from these identities and are committed to positive policies to promote equal opportunity in the development and growth of the museum industry.
While the successful candidate will be selected purely on merit, in the event of a tie between two candidates with equal experience, we may select a candidate who helps us better represent the communities the museum serves.
DOWNLOAD THE FULL ROLE DESCRIPTION
DOWNLOAD Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form
Volunteer With Us
Whether you’re interested in learning new skills, giving something back or just making new friends and being part of a team, why not get in touch? We’re always looking for new volunteers, so if you have energy and love working with the public then please get in touch! Students welcome.