Museums and Heritage Manager

It’s exciting times at Barnsley - we have a bold vision for Barnsley in 2030 as a place of possibilities. Barnsley Museum’s represents a unique set of assets including Cannon Hall Museum, Park and Gardens, the Cooper Gallery, Elsecar Heritage Centre, Experience Barnsley Museum and Archives and Worsbrough Mill and Country Park. Our award-winning museums have become ever more popular with over 2.5 million people visiting our sites during 2025/6.

The Borough’s cultural and heritage sector has grown extensively over the last ten years, and it delivers an ambitious and exciting programme – a national quality offer in a local landscape. Its significant recent achievements include Experience Barnsley being shortlisted for the Art Fund’s Museum of the Year prize in 2021, winning Kids in Museums Best Accessible Family Friendly Museum of the Year in 2022 and 2024, Best Small Museum in 2025 and the Sandford Award for Excellence in Heritage Learning at multiple sites. The museums service is an Arts Council England (ACE) National Portfolio organisation and Barnsley is an ACE Priority Place.

A new opportunity has arisen for a talented and experienced individual to manage the front-line teams and the operational running of our sites and services in Barnsley.

As Museums and Heritage Manager you will be responsible for the operational management of Elsecar Heritage Centre, one of Barnsley’s most important cultural and heritage sites. It attracts a high number of visitors each year and includes historic buildings and scheduled monuments, independent shops, cafés and event spaces.

Elsecar is emerging from a period of capital investment and master planning development work making this is an exciting opportunity to join us as we refresh and relaunch the offer on site.

You will manage day‑to‑day operations, lead front-line teams and liaise with the tenant community to ensure that our buildings, outdoor spaces and services are safe, welcoming and accessible to all.

Working closely with colleagues across Barnsley Council’s Property and Facilities Management and Events teams, tenants and communities, you will lead with confidence to build a collaborative vision for Elsecar and develop the site offer.

Key responsibilities include:

• Providing effective leadership and management of front-line staff across our venues

• Managing the day‑to‑day operation of venues, including staffing, rotas, building checks and compliance

• Ensuring statutory, professional and accreditation standards are maintained

• Delivering and facilitating a high‑quality, inclusive visitor experience across all services

• Managing budgets and contributing to income generation and commercial opportunities

• Building strong relationships with internal teams, volunteers, partners and external stakeholders

You will have experience working within an operational, commercial, museum or heritage environment and be confident managing people, services and buildings. You will understand the needs of a diverse range of visitors and users and be committed to creating welcoming, accessible spaces.

You will also have:

• Strong people management and leadership skills

• Knowledge of relevant standards, legislation and best practice

• Experience of operational and venue management in a public‑facing environment

• Good communication, problem‑solving and organisational skills

• Experience of managing budgets and resources effectively

You’ll be joining a passionate and supportive team, working across a varied and nationally recognised cultural offer. This is an opportunity to make a real impact on how our venues and services are managed, experienced and valued by our communities.

If you would like to find out more about this unique role, please contact Angela Routledge, Heritage Experience and Operations manager via e-mail: angelaroutledge@barnsley.gov.uk

To achieve your ambitions while shaping a bright future for our communities, apply now.