Vacancy -- Museums Adviser

Working for the Civil Service

The Welsh Government's recruitment processes are underpinned by the principle of selection for appointment on merit on the basis of fair and open competition as outlined in the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles.

The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

Vacancy Details

Economy, Treasury and Constitution Group
Museums
HEO - £32,460 - £39,690
31210
Full time (applications are welcome from people who work part time, as part of a job share or who work full time)
Permanent
Pan Wales
'Pan Wales' means that the location in which the vacancy can be based is flexible, subject to the needs of the business. Please note it may not always be possible to accommodate a preference for a specific office location, but requests will be taken into consideration.
TBC

Purpose of Post:

  • To provide advice and support to local museums across Wales.
  • To develop and deliver policy and strategy for museums.
  • To support Welsh Ministers to deliver policy and strategic objectives for the museum sector in Wales.
  • To develop strong working relationships with internal and external colleagues and organisations

Key tasks:

  • To develop strategies and establish priorities for museum development in Wales, providing support and advice to museums.
  • To develop and implement an advisory and support service for museums, acting as a first point of contact, undertaking site visits, organising and attending meetings
  • To advise and assist museums to meet Welsh Government priorities, including the Wellbeing of Future Generations Act, tackling poverty through culture, race equality action plan, etc.
  • In consultation with colleagues in Culture Division, provide curatorial, museological, and management advice to support museums, including to achieve sector standards.
  • To support the promotion of museums and provide advice to help museums improve access, wellbeing and learning for users.
  • To assist and advise museums on project development and planning, and funding sources.
  • To manage, monitor and evaluate appropriate grant schemes, projects and budgets for sector development and support, including strategic Programme for Government commitments.
  • To contribute to strategic planning and management of the Museums Development team.
  • To liaise with and advise colleagues within Culture Division about museum related matters.
  • Liaison with internal and external partners including Cadw, Visit Wales, relevant policy teams within Welsh Government, the Federation of Museums and Galleries of Wales, Association of Independent Museums, UK Museum Development colleagues, National Trust, National Lottery Heritage Fund, Wales Council for Voluntary Action.
  • To provide advice about museums to Welsh Ministers through contributions and responses to briefings and correspondence, and attending meetings as appropriate.
  • To line manage as appropriate, including contractors and freelance consultants 

Development opportunities:

Wales is the only home nation where local museums have a voice within government and where policy for national and local museums is developed in tandem.  Local and National Museums in Wales share a positive and constructive working relationship.

Since its creation, the museum team within Culture Division (formerly MALD/CyMAL) has achieved a reputation for being approachable and accessible to the sector. This post will help maintain this culture of supporting and helping the sector. The relatively small team also means there is considerable scope to pursue and develop issues within the context of the Welsh Government’s Programme for Government commitments and priorities such as the Wellbeing of Future Generations Act, as a part of personal professional development activities. 

The museums team within Culture Division is the only museum development organisation in the UK which is a division within a national government. It is not an ‘arms length’ organisation. This means we can:

  • Work with other government policy divisions to influence their areas of policy. For example - museums and the historic environment
  • Ensure that Welsh Ministers are briefed in a timely and accurate manner about both local and national museum issues.
  • Work with Minsters to help realise ideas in ways which benefit museums and their users.

This post therefore presents a unique opportunity to learn how government policy is developed and applied for both local and national museums.

The post does not require a Welsh speaker (although this would be an advantage) but it does provide an opportunity to learn how to work in a bilingual environment. This experience is transferrable across Europe and beyond - e.g. Canada

Closing Date:

09/01/2023, 16:00

Eligibility

Posts recruited to as part of this recruitment campaign are broadly open to UK nationals, those with right to remain and work in the UK and those that meet the Civil Service Nationality Rules only. Check your eligibility here:

Prior to appointment, all successful applicants will be required to produce original, acceptable documents as part of the pre-employment checks. If it becomes apparent at a later stage in the process that you aren’t eligible to apply, your application will be withdrawn, or offer retracted.

Equality and Diversity

The Welsh Government is committed to providing services which embrace diversity and which promote equality of opportunity. This is underpinned by the Equality Act 2010 and will be adhered to at each stage of the recruitment process. Our goal is to ensure that these commitments are also embedded in our day-to-day working practices with all our customers, colleagues and partners.

We are committed to being an anti-racist organisation and increasing diversity in the Welsh Government by removing barriers and supporting all our staff to reach their potential. We are committed to recruiting Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic people and disabled people who are currently under-represented in Welsh Government.

We welcome applications from everyone regardless of age, marriage and civil partnership (both same sex and opposite sex), impairment or health condition, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, gender identity or gender expression.

We are a Stonewall Diversity Champion and a Disability Confident Level 3 (Leader) organisation. Key to supporting this work and providing peer support are five Board sponsored Staff Networks (Disability Awareness and Support (DAAS); Minority Ethnic Support Network (MESN); Mind Matters (Mental health and well-being); PRISM (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex +) and Women Together.

Disability Confident

A Great Place to Work for Veterans

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans initiative.

Welsh Language Requirements

The Welsh Government is a bilingual organisation and Welsh language skills are considered an asset to the organisation. We encourage and support staff to learn, develop and use their Welsh language skills in the workplace. 

The following list of language requirements represents an objective assessment by the line manager on behalf of the Welsh Government of the Welsh language skills required to undertake the duties of this particular post.

Desirable
Can read simple material on everyday topics with understanding
Can hold simple work-related conversations
Can understand basic conversations about everyday topics
Can write simple work-related correspondence

Social Partnership

In Welsh Government, the relationship between the employer and trade unions is based on social partnership. We believe our goals can best be achieved by management and trade unions working together.

Our 3 recognised trade unions are:
•         PCS
•         Prospect
•         FDA

This relationship is underpinned by a partnership agreement. This sets out how our unions work with Welsh Government on issues such as:
•         pay
•         terms and conditions
•         policies and procedures
•         organisational change.

Our Welsh Government trade union colleagues work together to give their members a real say in the workplace. They make sure that the interests of their members are promoted and protected. They also help reduce inequalities and improve terms and conditions.

The Welsh Government has an excellent track record of working in partnership with its trade unions. We encourage staff to get involved. We support you to join a recognised trade union, to ensure your voice is heard in the workplace. and to learn more about trade unions and partnership working.

Competencies / Job Specific Criteria

Competencies:

Seeing the Big Picture 

  • Be alert to emerging issues and trends which might impact or benefit own and team’s work.

Making Effective Decisions

  • Recognise patterns and trends in a wide range of evidence/ data and draw key conclusions, outlining costs, benefits, risks and potential responses

Leading and Communicating

  • Communicate in a straightforward, honest and engaging manner with all stakeholders and stand ground when needed

Managing a Quality Service

  • Develop, implement, maintain and review systems and service standards to ensure professional excellence and expertise and value for money

Job Specific Criteria:

  1. Postgraduate qualification in Museum Studies
  2. Recent professional experience in the museums/heritage/ related cultural sector, ideally three years’ experience
  3. Understanding of the ways in which services to users of museums can be developed and improved

Assessment Process

Applications will be sifted, successful candidates will then be invited to an interview.

Other Information

  • Unless stated otherwise in ‘actual starting salary’, all candidates will start at the minimum of the pay scale being appointed to (this includes existing civil servants).This is not negotiable.
  • Unless stated otherwise in ‘type of opportunity’, this recruitment advert is not open on a Loan or Secondment basis.
  • For more information on the eligibility criteria and terms and conditions for Loan and Secondment positions in Welsh Government, please see external recruitment candidate guidance.
  • Unless stated otherwise in ‘Location of Post’ the role/s recruited to via this campaign can only be worked in the UK, not overseas.
Applications are welcome from people who work part time, as part of a job share or who work full time.
Victoria Rogers - 03000251237 - Culture@gov.wales

How to apply

All applications for this vacancy should be made online via the Welsh Government's online application system.  If you have an impairment which would prevent you from applying on-line, please e-mail SharedServiceHelpdesk@gov.wales to request an application pack in an alternative format, or to request a reasonable adjustment related to an impairment in order to submit your application.

To apply, you'll need to have an account on our online application system.  Click the 'Apply' button below, and you'll be asked to 'Log in' if you already have an account, or 'Register' if you don't yet have an account.  Registration takes just a few minutes to complete.  You'll need an e-mail address to be able to register.  Once you've registered for an account and logged in, you'll be taken to the online application form, which you'll need to fully complete and submit before the deadline on the closing date.  

If you’d like to apply for this vacancy in Welsh, please use the ‘Newid Iaith / Change Language’ link at the top of this page, to take you to the Welsh version of this advert, from which you can apply in Welsh.

For further information regarding the Welsh Government recruitment process, please see the Recruitment Guidance for External Candidates (link).

When evidencing your suitability for the post, it is recommended that you refer to the Civil Service Competency Framework (link)

Grievance and Complaints

Anyone who believes they have been treated unfairly, or has a grievance or complaint, about how the process was conducted should either write to the Head of Resourcing, Welsh Government, Cathays Park 2, Cardiff CF10 3NQ or email SharedServiceHelpdesk@gov.wales.  If you are unhappy with the outcome of the complaint raised with the Welsh Government and feel that the principles of appointment on merit through fair and open competition have not been met you have the right to pursue your grievance with the Civil Service Commission.

This vacancy is closed to applications.