Public Engagement Officer (Exhibitions)

Public Engagement Officer (Exhibitions)

This is a full-time, permanent position on Cricks Terms and Conditions of Employment. Working days are Monday through Friday, with the occasional requirement to work on a weekend. Any weekend days worked will be agreed in advance and time booked off in lieu as compensation.

SUMMARY

The Francis Crick Institute is a biomedical research institute on the cutting edge of discovery science. One of the Francis Crick Institute’s strategic priorities is to engage and inspire the public through its education, public and community engagement programmes, including an exciting exhibitions programme available free to the public at the Crick’s Manby Gallery. Visitors to the gallery are able to connect to the science happening in the very same building − bringing an immediacy to the exhibition that is exciting and unique.

The Public Engagement Officer (Exhibitions) supports the development of our innovative exhibition programme by assisting with the project management of temporary and permanent exhibitions, and other projects which engage the public with the Crick’s science. The candidate will also lead on daily operation of the Manby Gallery, working in close collaboration with teams across the Crick to ensure an excellent visitor experience.  

This role is an excellent opportunity for an experienced museum or gallery professional to help deliver the public engagement programme at a world-class scientific research institute. The successful candidate will be highly motivated, well organised, and creative with a passion for engaging a broad range of audiences with science and a commitment to the principles and practice of equality, diversity and inclusion.

TEAM STRUCTURE

Reporting to the Public Engagement Manager (Exhibitions), the Officer will be based in the Public Engagement team, which is responsible for a range of activity including events, exhibitions, community engagement, and education outreach. 

The post-holder will work closely with other members of the public engagement team, the communications team, different facilities and front of house teams, colleagues from the partner organisations, external contractors and local stakeholders and community organisations where appropriate.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

These include but are not limited to:

• Support the implementation and delivery of the Crick's public engagement strategy, working closely with the Public Engagement Manager (Exhibitions) to develop an on-site, digital and off-site temporary exhibition programme
• Support and occasionally lead on the project management of exhibitions or exhibitions-related projects, working closely with Crick scientists and external contractors such as designers, artists, curators and builders, as well as lenders and partners. This includes, but is not limited to:
  • Undertaking content research and contributing to design, curatorial and marketing strategy discussions
  • Contributing to curatorial research, ensuring familiarity with current Crick research
  • Coordinating exhibition steering committees and project team meetings
  • Coordinating exhibition installation and take down, in close collaboration with Public Engagement Manager (Exhibitions), Crick facilities teams and external build contractors
  • Managing exhibition-related events such as private views, press launches, and stakeholder tours
  • Considering EDI principles when planning, supporting and evaluating events and activities, and identifying opportunities for improvement. 
  • Maintaining digital records and files of all exhibitions

• Carry out the daily operation of the Manby Gallery and exhibition assets, liaising with various internal teams to ensure an excellent visitor experience. This includes, but is not limited to:
  • Working closely with colleagues across the organisation to ensure a consistently high standard of visitor experience
  • Adapting gallery operations and communications to meet with health and safety requirements, including COVID-19 guidance
  • Managing a maintenance budget for exhibitions, arranging any essential works for maintenance and repairs
  • Maintaining and monitoring exhibition stores and overseeing the daily maintenance of furniture, interactives, showcases, mounts, interpretation, and collections items
  • Collaborating effectively with colleagues within the organisation to enable internal and external functions to take place within the gallery space, when closed to the public
• Upholding the Crick’s commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI), and actively contributing to an inclusive workplace culture. 

ABOUT US

The Francis Crick Institute is a biomedical discovery institute dedicated to understanding the fundamental biology underlying health and illness. Our work is helping to understand why disease develops and to translate this into new ways to prevent, diagnose and treat illnesses such as cancer, heart disease, strokes, infections, and neurodegenerative diseases.

The Crick was founded by six of the UK’s most successful scientific and academic organisations: the Medical Research Council (MRC), Cancer Research UK (CRUK), Wellcome, UCL (University College London), Imperial College London and King’s College London.

The Crick is a registered charity that was formed in 2015 and in 2016 moved into a brand-new state-of-the-art building in central London, bringing together 1500 scientists and support staff working collaboratively across disciplines, making it the biggest biomedical research facility under a single roof in Europe.

In March 2020, in response to the Covid-19 global pandemic, the Crick rapidly transformed some of its labs into testing facilities with scientists refocussing research efforts to answer fundamental questions about the coronavirus.

KEY EXPERIENCES AND COMPETENCIES

The post holder should embody and demonstrate our core Crick values: Bold, Imaginative, Open, Dynamic and Collegial, in addition to the following:

Essential:

Knowledge and experience

• Significant experience of working in the field of exhibitions and interpretation, preferably with a demonstrable interest in science, or public engagement with science,
• Gallery operations experience, with a clear understanding of visitor access requirements and experience of collaborating with multiple teams (for example, front of house, security, facilities management, catering) within an exhibition setting
• Experience of leading on the project management of small exhibition projects, and/or of supporting the project management of mid- to large-scale exhibition projects, from concept to implementation
• Experience of working with a range of external consultants and contractors, including artists and designers, as well as experience of working with numerous partners and stakeholders
• Experience of researching and collating object and image lists, seeking copyright clearance, licenses and coordinating loan requests
• Experience of working with a broad range of audiences, including community groups, students, scientists or academics and the wider public
• A commitment to the principles and practice of equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI), including respecting and valuing diversity, and awareness of how they relate to public engagement.

Skills and attributes

• Outstanding communication skills and the ability to engage and build relationships with a range of stakeholders
• Excellent research and administrative skills, with a methodical approach and strong attention to detail
• Computer literacy enabling the effective use of the Microsoft and Adobe suite of packages
• Ability to multi-task and demonstrate enthusiasm and initiative
• High levels of self-motivation and strong organisational skills, with the ability to work confidently, effectively and collaboratively as part of a team, as well as individually working from home, within an environment subject to change
• Energy and drive with a focus on developing innovative and imaginative public exhibitions, and an active interest in science
• Flexibility, with a willingness to work evenings / weekends when required e.g. during exhibition change overs, some Saturdays during gallery operation

Desirable:

• A postgraduate qualification in an appropriate subject (e.g. Science Communication/Museum Studies) or equivalent experience.
• An appreciation of the current public engagement with research agenda.
• Knowledge of access requirements (physical, sensory, cognitive), and an understanding of good practice in creating accessible and inclusive experiences. 

Equality, diversity & inclusion statement 

We welcome applications from all backgrounds. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities, regardless of ethnicity, nationality, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, pregnancy, age, disability, or civil partnership, marital or family status. We particularly welcome applications from people who are Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic as they are currently underrepresented in the Crick at this level.  

Diversity is essential to excellence in scientific endeavour. It increases breadth and perspective, leading to more innovation and creativity. We want the Crick to be a place where everyone feels valued and where diversity is celebrated and seen as part of the foundation for our institute’s success. 

The Crick is committed to creating equality of opportunity and promoting diversity and inclusivity. We all share in the responsibility to actively promote dignity, respect, inclusivity and equal treatment and it is our aim to ensure that these principles are reflected and implemented in all strategies, policies and practices. 

Read more on our website: https://www.crick.ac.uk/careers-and-study/life-at-the-crick/equality-diversity-and-inclusion