Nature + Love Content and Exhibition Project Manager

Reports to Director, Collections Care and Estates

Responsible for No responsibility for staff

Hours of work 35 hours a week, Monday to Friday

Main purpose of the job

• Assist and support the Director, Collections Care and Estates, Project Director of the Nature + Love project in managing the content and exhibition aspects of the project


• Provide the main point of contact between relevant internal and external teams including the Project and Cost Manager, Exhibition Design team and relevant contractors.


About the Nature + Love project:

In 2019 the Horniman declared a Climate Emergency and in 2020 published a Climate and Ecology Manifesto outlining the steps we will take to mitigate against the climate and ecological emergency, and to help shape a positive future for generations to come including the intention to be greenhouse gas neutral by 2040. The Horniman's first pledge is to deliver:

• 'an ambitious Nature + Love project to redisplay the natural history and living collections, to highlight climate and ecological issues to a wider audience'.


The Nature + Love project improves access and use of key outdoor spaces, and will modernise the 60 year old interpretation in the 1901 Natural History Gallery to form a key part of our strategy to engage people in mitigating the climate and ecological crisis. It focuses on mobilising our love and concern for future generations in order to spur action on current climate and ecological challenges.

The project is a once in a generation transformation project and will play an essential role in strengthening the social, economic and green recovery of both the Horniman and its local community as it emerges from the devastation of the Covid-19 pandemic.

We will redevelop several areas of the Horniman's estate and heritage assets, making new connections between outdoor green spaces and interior gallery displays using accessible interpretation and digital technology.

We will create:

• a Nature Explorers Adventure Zone opening access to our historic Nature Trail and introducing a nature-themed play area and children's café, encouraging learning and wellbeing through exploration and play


• an outdoor Sustainable Gardening Zone with new plant nursery and sustainable planting displays encouraging improved health and wellbeing, and a programme to encourage adult skills development


• a redisplayed Natural History Gallery and Nature Explorers Action Zone, exploring human understanding of and impact upon the planet, and supporting people to make changes on a local and personal level


• a range of nature-focused partnerships and activities to diversify our audiences.


Main responsibilities

Manage, coordinate and support key project processes (70%)

• Project manage and build a variety of client project teams and workstreams to deliver the required outputs of the Nature + Love project. These may include content delivery, object information, script writing, editing, audience and project evaluation, learning objectives, object decant, movement and installation, conservation, mount making, activity planning and evaluation.


• Work closely with the Capital Project Coordinator to ensure effective delivery of the project and its workstreams on time and to budget, as well as meeting the projects objectives


• Coordinate and manage information flow between the multidisciplinary team of in-house experts and external consultants designing and delivering the project


• Oversight of brief development in consultation with the Project Director and internal project team to ensure alignment with the creative vision


• Ensure work package holders receive coherent and comprehensive briefs as and when required


• Undertake project planning with colleagues to develop a shared understanding of stakeholder interests specific to the project and work effectively in teams


• In collaboration with operational teams, curators, conservation and the Capital Project Coordinator manage interdependencies across the project and day-to-day Horniman operations


• Identify, programme and manage all relevant project processes in line with the brief, programme and RIBA design stages


• In collaboration with the Capital Project Coordinator set up and maintain accurate project records and documentation, and provide updates on project progress to the Capital Project Board and other stakeholders via written reports or verbal presentations as required


• Ensure that project and financial risks are assessed, managed and monitored in accordance with the Horniman's policies and practice


• Monitor resource allocation and flag resource shortages and/or conflicts


• Manage project budgets, monitoring and controlling costs


• Identify issues and make recommendations for their resolution


Communication (30%):

• Ensure all internal project deliverables are understood and agreed by the client team


• Set up transparent communication structures/systems to support the smooth running of the project


• Organise, attend and report on key internal and external meetings associated with the project


• Collating feedback from the internal teams on the work produced by external consultants


• Communicate with project stakeholders to secure and influence their support and contributions


General responsibilities

• Act in a professional manner and uphold the Horniman's Code of Conduct


• Follow and promote safe systems of work and observe health and safety regulations


• Any other duties that may be required to ensure the effective running of the section


Job activities may vary and evolve over time to meet business needs.

You will have significant experience of working client side, in a project management role, dealing with all aspects of delivering large exhibition and interpretation projects, including procurement and contract management, ideally within a museum or heritage organisation. You will have the ability and confidence to communicate effectively at all levels, both verbally and in writing, with experience of influencing and negotiating and you will have experience of working successfully across many disciplines within a multi-functional organisation., Minimum Shortlisting Criteria

• Educated to 'A' level standard (E)


• Significant experience of working client side, in a project management role, dealing with all aspects of delivering large exhibition and interpretation projects, including procurement and contract management, in a multidisciplinary environment, ideally within a museum or heritage organisation (E).


• Ability to develop and maintain good, professional working relationships with colleagues across the Horniman as well as project consultants and contractors and to work effectively as part of a team (E).


• Proven experience of managing allocated resources and budgets effectively, with the ability to monitor and control costs where possible (E)


Additional Shortlisting Criteria

• Experience of working across many disciplines within a multi-functional organisation (E)


• Ability and confidence to communicate effectively at all levels, both verbally and in writing, with experience of influencing and negotiating (E)., A project management qualification or experience of using a formal project management governance framework (D)


Knowledge and experience

• Proven experience of planning and delivering projects to agreed time and quality (E)


• A practical understanding of health and safety and, ideally, knowledge of CDM regulations (E)


• A good knowledge of the RIBA Stages and how museum workstreams map against them to develop and deliver the museum programme (E)


• Experience of working on Exhibition fit out projects (E)


• Experience of working within a museum developing and delivering temporary or permanent exhibitions (D)


• Experience of rights management and managing AV software contracts (D)


• Experience of supporting and managing the inputs required for Project Evaluation (D)


Skills and abilities

• The ability to co-ordinate complex tasks within tight time-scales, whilst attending to complex detail (E)


• Demonstrate a flexible and pragmatic approach to work with the ability to work to high standards and meet tight deadlines (E)


• Excellent IT skills (including a good working knowledge of Microsoft Office, particularly Excel, and, ideally, collections management databases) (E), An empathy with the Horniman mission and an interest in its exhibitions, activities and events


• Commitment to equality and diversity


• Willingness to work flexibly to achieve corporate objectives


• Commitment to own learning and professional development
  
  The Horniman Museum and Gardens is a unique attraction in south east London where world cultures and the natural world are brought together for everyone to enjoy. The Museum holds internationally important collections of anthropology and musical instruments, as well as a popular natural history gallery and Aquarium. The 16 acres of beautiful Gardens feature a tropical Butterfly House and offer stunning views across London.


You will join us as we deliver the re-development of areas of the Gardens and our Natural History Gallery as part of a major organisation-wide capital project: Nature + Love, supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund. Our focus is on engaging a wide range of people in the climate and ecological crisis, as well as using nature to support wellbeing. You will assist and support the Nature + Love Project Director in managing the content and exhibition aspects of the project, providing the main point of contact and coordination between relevant internal and external teams including the Project and Cost Manager, Exhibition Design team and relevant contractors.