Heritage manager
Heritage management is an evolving career and extends to a broad remit of responsibilities, ranging from the conservation of a historical building or landscape, or a heritage site with a world heritage ranking, through to the preservation of a community's cultural heritage or a region's unique industrial heritage.
A management role in the heritage sector is all about balancing the preservation of the fabric and character of a property with the need to generate an income and, when applicable, the demands of a historic family home.
A heritage management role can encompass a considerable diversity of job titles, with individual post holders coming from a wide variety of backgrounds from both within and outside the sector.
Work activities vary depending on the specific responsibilities and seniority of the role, as well as the setting in which it takes place. At large sites, managing the property, the collections and visitor services are likely to be separate functions, whilst at smaller ones you may be responsible for all of these activities. These are likely to include a selection of the following:
New entrants will need to pay attention to:
All salary data from the Museums Association (MA) , 2009.
Although this area of work is open to all graduates, the following subjects may increase your chances:
Entry with an HND/foundation degree only is unlikely. While lower level jobs, such as seasonal posts or internships in visitor reception, interpretation or retail, do not require a degree, they are often sought by graduates as a direct entry post or by undergraduates and postgraduates as work placements or holiday jobs. A role such as a heritage officer/interpreter would provide good experience and help towards achieving a management role.
A museum work-based postgraduate qualification, such as the Associateship of the Museums Association (MA) (AMA), is not always essential, although a pre-entry qualification in heritage/museum management provides evidence of commitment. Many postgraduate courses also include a work placement or work-based project. Qualifications in areas such as teaching, marketing, communication, digital and web-based technologies or finance are useful for specific roles in the sector.
Relevant experience is essential, even for entry-level posts, for which competition is fierce. Seasonal work as a tour guide, interpreter or visitor reception assistant, though often poorly paid, provides experience and can sometimes lead to permanent work.
Candidates will need to show evidence of the following:
Voluntary experience can be gained at many heritage sites and some, such as the Wordsworth Trust , have structured programmes, for example voluntary internships. Speculative approaches should be carefully researched and targeted. Think about your skills and experience and which area interests you most. You are more likely to be successful if you can make a regular commitment.
The National Trust and the National Trust for Scotland recruit volunteers to work directly with the public and for practical conservation projects. Time spent as a volunteer is viewed favourably if you apply for paid employment with the National Trust, as it demonstrates commitment to its ethos.
English Heritage has an education volunteering programme at seven of its sites to assist site educators with workshops, tours and other activities associated with learning and school visits. Comprehensive training is provided.
Your local heritage attractions may have volunteering opportunities, especially during the school holidays, which are traditionally the busiest times of year for the heritage sector. To find your nearest attractions contact your local tourist information office or check the websites of regional tourist boards.
For more information, see work experience and internships and search courses and research.
The larger national bodies and local authorities run in-house training courses covering areas such as IT and management skills, as well as courses and conferences on heritage issues. Training may also be available through local consortia of heritage organisations and museums. Most of the larger heritage organisations encourage studying qualifications that will aid career development.
If you do not have a postgraduate qualification on entry, you may be encouraged to undertake a part-time Masters in heritage management or museum studies whilst working. Employers occasionally offer help with funding or study time.
The Museums Association (MA) maintains a database of training courses and continuing professional development (CPD) events. It encourages members working in the sector to obtain the AMA (Associateship of the Museums Association). The AMA is the MA's professional development programme and takes on average two to three years to complete. The aim is to take responsibility for your own development, with the support of a mentor, by developing job skills and the core competences needed for a career in the heritage sector.
The Association for Heritage Interpretation (AHI) also runs short courses and training events, as does the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) .
Specialist providers include the:
Smaller heritage attractions may not have the scope or money to offer regular training. Joining a local heritage group may provide you with access to the training opportunities and networks you will need to progress.
Career paths within the sector are extremely diverse. New entrants may begin at a fairly low level but with a couple of years' experience can secure posts with greater responsibility.
Senior managers may come from specific functions, such as education, visitor services or collections management. Alternatively, they may be recruited for their skills and experience in areas such as marketing, finance, project management and human resources, gained outside the heritage sector. The growing need to develop commercial activities means that substantial business or financial experience is valued, wherever it has been acquired.
Career progression in general is based on gaining a range of skills in managing people, budgets and projects. It can be useful to have a specialism, especially if you are looking to develop as a freelance consultant or build in career flexibility to move within the sector or even outside it.
Promotion is likely to involve moving on from working at one particular museum or historic site, however great your personal interest and expertise in that specific field. Flexibility and a willingness to be geographically mobile are helpful. You may need to move from a small to a large employer in order to get experience in areas such as managing staff, or from a large employer to a small one in order to broaden your experience.
Managers who remain with a particular heritage attraction for a number of years tend to find they are given the opportunity to influence their job description by taking on functions that play to their personal strengths or professional interests. This may mean that you hire in others to work with you and go on to manage a group of staff that may include, for example, a shop manager, curator and education officer. In addition, you may find yourself responsible for guides, front of house staff and volunteer groups, all of whom need considerable management input.
The larger national organisations offer scope for widening your experience and gaining promotion internally, perhaps into an area or property manager role. You may work towards gaining Associateship of the Museums Association (MA) , which demonstrates competence developed over several years and a commitment to continuing professional development (CPD).
It is possible to move between related areas within heritage management, such as events, marketing and public relations (PR), outreach, visitor services or education. Alternatively, you could apply the skills developed in an associated area, such as writing bids and applying for funding, in order to develop a career in the independent heritage or museums sector.
The largest employers are national organisations:
Public sector employers include local authorities, where heritage may be associated with a number of departments including education, leisure, planning, marketing, exhibition organisation, conservation and tourism. Tourist boards offer further opportunities, as do cathedrals. Amenity societies, such as The Georgian Group and the Architectural Heritage Society of Scotland , generally have a very small permanent staff, but sometimes offer voluntary opportunities.
Private sector employers include privately owned historic houses, heritage centres and independent museums. Many of these are members of the Historic Houses Association or the Association of Independent Museums (AIM) .
Opportunities may also exist with private consultancies. For example, Haley Sharpe Design specialise in heritage and museum projects and hire freelancers to work on globally-based projects.
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