Overview

The Classic Boat Museum is seeking a manager to oversee the day-to-day running of the gallery and boat shed sites. This new role will create continuity for visitors and volunteers who support the Museum.

This is a wide and varied hands-on role for an enthusiastic and flexible individual who can pivot between front of house, volunteer management and administration tasks.

The museum has exciting development plans, and this is an ideal opportunity to become involved with the organisation that intends to become one of the Island’s top visitor attractions.

  • To oversee the day-to-day running of the Museum working alongside the Management team and trustees.
  • Day-to-day operations – volunteer rotas/ cover, locking and unlocking, cashing-up.
  • To manage and support the team of volunteers who give their time to the Museum to enable us to work as widely as possible, ensuring all paperwork is up to date.
  • To create a warm personal welcome to all who visit or contact the Museum.
  • To handle initial enquiries, which can be wide ranging from volunteering enquiries and opening times to descriptions of our current exhibitions.
  • To manage health and safety requirements, fire wardens / first aiders.
  • Maintain accounting and visitor data including data input to QuickBooks.
  • To manage tills and cashing-up, depositing cash and other banking duties.
  • Controls costs in terms of profit, loss and added value.
  • To manage and develop the Museum’s shop and cafe area.
  • Managing the booking diary for school and group visits.
  • Present the Museum at its best at all times.
  • Embody the ethos of the Classic Boat Museum.
  • Work collaboratively with the rest of the team.
  • Maintain and evaluate all data and visitor feedback.

General

  • Be an ambassador supporting and promoting The Classic Boat Museum’s vision and raising our profile.
  • Maintain and expand knowledge in local and maritime heritage.
  • Maintain and expand knowledge about signposting services for hub visitors.
  • Ensure our volunteers are safe and supported.
  • Take part in activities to support continuing professional development.
  • Maintain the high-quality look and feel of the Museum.
  • Take a lead on increasing income through activities within the Museums, looking at room hire, running events, workshops etc which can take place on site.

Person specification – attributes/skills/experience

Required

  • Personable, outgoing, sunny disposition with experience working in a frontline/visitor welcome/experience role.
  • Experience working with or managing volunteers.
  • Experience of inputting data to management and accounting systems.
  • Confidence in handling queries from the public by telephone or electronically.
  • Team player, also able to work under own initiative with low level supervision.
  • Excellent administrator and organiser.
  • Strong IT Skills, including Microsoft Office.
  • Skilled and articulate communicator – written and spoken English.

Desirable but not essential

  • Knowledge of the Isle of Wight history and heritage.
  • Recent role with responsibility for administrative tasks.
  • Confident with digital marketing – Use of CRM/ database for MailChimp/ Constant Contact web mail / newsletters and simple (WordPress) CMS system for the website.
  • Good social media skills Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Hours: 25 hours per week Monday to Friday 10.00am – 3.00pm. Able to also work flexible hours including occasional weekend bank holidays and afterhours work with advance notice.

Responsible to: Chair and Vice Chair of the Board.

Location: Primarily at the Gallery in East Cowes.

Salary: £27,000 to £33,000 (pro rata) depending on experience, plus 3% pension contribution.

Holidays: Pro-rata for part time 19 days full time (37.5hr) equivalent plus (8) statutory bank holidays also pro-rata.
This role will be primarily based at our East Cowes Gallery site Columbine Building, Columbine Road, East Cowes, PO32 6EZ.

Application process
Please send a covering letter of introduction saying why you are interested in working for us with a copy of your CV to [email protected]
It is also our policy to run a disclosure and barring service check on all our employees.

Deadline for all applications 23th June 2023.

About Classic Boat Museum

The Classic Boat Museum is situated across two sites in Cowes and East Cowes on the Isle of Wight and has been telling visitors its wonderful maritime story since 1996. The Museum is a registered charity and run entirely by volunteers.

The Boat Shed in Cowes has an impressive collection of over 90 boats, from classic yachts, motorboats and lifeboats, to Sir Ben Ainslie's 2017 Americas Cup test boat BAR T1 and 2021 boat RB2.

The Gallery in East Cowes has an extensive collection of maritime artefacts, boat models photographs and an impressive library.