Description Position Details External Relations Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK Full time starting salary is normally in the range £36,636 to £46,049 with potential progression once in post to £48,822 Grade: 7 Full Time, Fixed Term contract up to January 2030 Closing date: 2nd November 2025 Our offer to you People are at the heart of what we are and do. The University of Birmingham is proud to have been a part of the City of Birmingham and the wider region for over 100 years, and we are equally proud to be recognised as a leading global university. We want to attract talented people from across the city and beyond, support them to succeed, and celebrate their success. We are committed to helping the people who work here to develop through our sector-leading Birmingham Professional programme which provides all professional services staff with development opportunities and the encouragement to reach their full potential. With almost 5,000 professional services jobs in a wide-range of functions in Edgbaston and in our campus in Dubai, there are plenty of opportunities for you to be able to develop your career at the University. We believe there is no such thing as a typical member of staff and that diversity is a source of strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation, and debate. We warmly welcome people from all backgrounds and are committed to fostering an inclusive environment where diversity is at the heart of who and what we are, and how we work. Supporting our people to achieve a healthy work/life balance is important both to our employees and to the success of the University and, depending on the role, we offer a variety of flexible working arrangements. We therefore welcome discussions on all forms of flexible working. In addition, you will receive a generous package of benefits including 40 days paid holiday a year, one paid day a year for volunteering, occupational sick pay, and a pension scheme. We also have three high quality subsidised day nurseries. The University is situated in leafy Edgbaston and there are excellent transport links to our beautiful campus, including main bus routes and a train station on site. On campus we have a state-of-the-art sports centre with pool, shops, places to eat and drink, our own art gallery, museum and botanical gardens. Find out more about the benefits of working for the University of Birmingham Background A university museum without walls. University Collections (UC) is an accredited university museum made up of historic and contemporary collections - from the arts and sciences - that are housed in many locations across the University of Birmingham (UoB) campuses. The collections reflect a rich history of ideas, discovery, and creativity at the University of Birmingham that inspires audiences on a local and global stage. From ancient pottery to contemporary sculpture, via anatomical waxes, pacemakers and African textiles, the objects in the collections play an invaluable social, cultural and educational role. UC is organised into several discrete collections that cover a breadth of disciplines and reflect academic work at the University. Collections include : African Collection, Archaeology Collection, Campus Art Collection, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Collection, University Heritage Collection, Medical and Dental Collection, Physics Collection, Silver and Plate Collection. As custodiams of the UC, our remit includes balancing the practical care and stewardship of the collections with making them accessible and supporting the University’s commitments to research, teaching and public engagement. We believe that objects in the collections have the power to change perspectives, outlook and understanding. We are deeply committed to sharing this power as widely as possible, supporting staff, students and public to use collections to discover untold stories, and to write new ones. UC is an outward facing university museum. As part of the Public and Cultural Engagement (PACE) division of External Relations (ER) we are positioned to support research and public engagement agendas through the most relevant mechanisms. Our current work on accessibility and community research is forefront in our practice. We provide a research support service, including a study centre, reading room, research enquiries and image request services. Our exhibitions and events are open daily and free to all. University Collections forms a key part of the University’s portfolio of cultural resources. Other museums / archives include The Barber Institute of Fine Arts, Winterbourne House & Gardens, Lapworth Museum of Geology and the Cadbury Research Library. Role Summary As Learning and Engagement Manager you will play a key role in the development and delivery of University Collections public engagement activities on campus and elsewhere. You will create and deliver a vibrant and relevant public programme that engages existing and new audiences with the University’s Collections. As part of a dynamic academic environment, you will work collaboratively with University staff, students, external partners and creative practitioners. You will ensure our public engagement activity reflects key priorities and projects, supports co-creation and co-production and delivers authentic experiences to strengthen public and community engagement. Teaching and research with collections is at our heart, and you will ensure that programmes and activities support our work on campus, but also serve the wider research community and include community research, community engagement and accessibility for new audiences and users. This will mean working with community groups, artists, academics and partner institutions outside of the UoB. Our vision is to make object-based learning mainstream, empowering people across Birmingham to see objects and collections as essential tools for unlocking potential, sparking ideas and deepening their understanding of themselves, others, and the world. Main Duties Create, manage and deliver brilliant accessible, creative and thought-provoking public engagement activities in order to help more people engage with the University Collections, whilst supporting staff, students and publics from outside of the University to contribute to the life of the collections. This will include, but not be limited to: Understanding current audiences and work with the UC team to develop ways to work with new ones. Design and development of programmes of work that will engage audiences with the collections, such as co-curation projects, workshops, learning programmes and working with schools. Deliver effective management of all Learning and Engagement activities by preparing and managing the activities and overseeing delivery, including working with casual or freelance staff, health and safety and other technical requirements. Produce accessible and high-quality interpretation and learning resources for and with various audiences. Work with the University Collections team to create and support engaging content generation for web presence and social media profile to increase awareness, foster discussion and promote accessibility of the UC and UC activity, and manage social media platforms through working with colleagues where appropriate. Use consultation, facilitation and networking to understand the needs of our communities and bring this insight into the design and delivery of programmes. Actively contribute to the University Collections team, developing policies and practices to remove barriers to public engagement. Represent the University Collections at external events to promote UoB's research and activities and uphold the University's reputation. Evaluate activities for continuous improvement and maintain detailed records to ensure high standards. Work with the University Collections team to prepare reports and presentations for reporting and funding applications. Be proactive in identifying and applying for funding opportunities through internal and external sources and to ensure the sustainability of creative programmes. Manage a delegated budget and monitor and record agreed KPIs to report on effectiveness. Promotes equality and values diversity, acting as a role model and fostering an inclusive working culture. Supports the University’s sustainability agenda through resource efficient working. Any other duties commensurate with the post. The post holder must be prepared to work occasional evenings, weekends or Bank Holidays. Required Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications, Experience Educated to Degree level (or equivalent qualifications) plus relevant practical experience - where no equivalent qualification is held significant practical relevant experience and expertise in a series of progressively more demanding roles will be required. Relevant practical experience of working in a museum, cultural/heritage/creative sector environment. Understanding of a range of audiences and public engagement through effective programming. Demonstrate ability to manage programmes of work and deliver objectives, contributing to strategic aims. Excellent communication skills, with proven ability to apply them in a wide range of contexts and settings. Ability to manage multiple priorities and to work effectively across different teams, including those inside and outside of the University. Significant experience of administrative support within a busy and evolving environment. Excellent organisational skills including attention to detail, time management and working to deadlines. Ability to adapt to new challenges and strong teamwork skills. Demonstrate energy, motivation, determination and resilience. Excellent interpersonal skills with an ability to engage a wide range of internal and external stakeholders. Ability to communicate effectively, to persuade and influence, and engage across the University. Ability to think creatively about opportunities and threats, to face conflict and look for common ground on which to build. Network across the university to draw on the skills, knowledge and experience in different departments. Evidence of literacy and numeracy, with the ability to write clearly, and to produce and analyse information and data. Budget management experience, to include responsibility monitoring and effectively reporting income and expenditure. Ability to adhere to legislation, policies and procedures e.g. health and safety, legislation, risk assessment procedures, safeguarding policies and procedures, financial protocols and GDPR. Knowledge of the protected characteristics of the Equality Act 2010, and how to actively ensure in day-to-day activity in own area that those with protected characteristics are treated equally and fairly. Demonstrate the External Relations Values and Behaviours. Desirable A teaching qualification. DBS required The University is committed to safeguarding and we promote safe recruitment practice, therefore all associated pre-employment checks will be undertaken before any appointment is confirmed. Due to the nature of the work undertaken in this role all successful applicants will be subject to a DBS clearance prior to appointment. Informal enquiries to Clare Mullett, email: c.r.mullett@bham.ac.uk View our staff values and behaviours here We believe there is no such thing as a 'typical' member of University of Birmingham staff and that diversity in its many forms is a strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation and debate at the heart of University life. We are committed to proactively addressing the barriers experienced by some groups in our community and are proud to hold Athena SWAN, Race Equality Charter and Disability Confident accreditations. We have an Equality Diversity and Inclusion Centre that focuses on continuously improving the University as a fair and inclusive place to work where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. We are also committed to sustainability, which is a key part of our strategy. You can find out more about our work to create a fairer university for everyone on our website .