Cultural Learning and Participation Officer

Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames; Kingston upon Thames; Hybrid; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A regional local authority seeks an enthusiastic individual to develop and deliver engaging education programmes for Culture and Heritage. The role focuses on working with school children and diverse communities, applying learning frameworks to create inspiring experiences. Ideal candidates will have strong partnership skills and a proven track record in the culture and heritage field. This position is based in Kingston upon Thames, offering a supportive environment and opportunities for professional growth.

Benefits

Generous annual leave entitlement of 25-32 days

Enhanced family leave policies

Volunteering days

Flexible working arrangements

Development courses

Discounts on local services

Pension scheme

Bicycle loan facilities

Health and wellbeing support

Qualifications

• Proven track record of delivering education programmes in culture and heritage.
• Experience working with stakeholders to create engaging activities.
• Ability to apply educational frameworks effectively.

Responsibilities

• Develop an exciting education programme for culture and heritage.
• Create learning materials for children and young people.
• Promote cultural activities across venues.

Skills

Experience in delivering engaging learning programmes

Ability to work with diverse audiences

Partnership building

Education

Relevant qualifications in Culture and Heritage

Job description

Enhancements/Additional Payments

N/A

About The Borough

Found in zone 6 with good transport links in and out of London, Kingston is a vibrant and diverse university town which creates the rich sense of community shared across the borough and its Residents. Kingston boasts an idyllic riverside location, good shopping and great restaurants, as well as a mix of modern and historic town centre. Kingston has lots of open parklands and cycle routes that help connect the district town centres into an enjoyable place to live and work. We are passionate about working closely with our residents and vulnerable groups to help them maintain their independence and create a balance between support and independent living.

About The Role And Our Ideal Candidate

Create and deliver a learning and participation offer for Culture and Heritage, focusing on our exhibition programme and heritage collections.

• Develop an exciting and engaging education offer ensuring the Library, Museum and Archive collections are at the heart of the programme
• Apply frameworks such as the National Curriculum, creating appropriate learning materials and delivering engaging heritage workshops for children and young people.
• Work with local and national partners for example, the BookTrust and GEM (Group for Education in Museums) to support the delivery of key learning programmes
• Support the promotion of the Culture & Heritage in our venues across the borough
• Provide frontline cover at Kingston Museum as required

You will have a proven track record of delivering engaging learning programmes in the culture and heritage sector. Working with internal and external stakeholders you will be adept at building successful partnerships and enthusing and inspiring diverse audiences to engage with our activities.

About Us

You will be a vital member of our highly motivated Culture and Heritage team based in Kingston Museum and Library. The Culture team comprises a number of different services including Heritage, Libraries, Music, Arts and Adult Education and is responsible for delivering the borough's cultural programme, in partnership with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders. This is an exciting time to join our service as we embark on developing a new cultural strategy and building on the exciting cultural initiatives of the past year. Working in the Arts & Culture Partnership hub you will focus on delivering an engaging learning programme for schools and our diverse communities, as part of our wider cultural outreach activities.

Our Offer To You

As an organisation that values and nurtures talent, we’re committed to helping you fulfil your potential and will offer you a supportive, friendly and collaborative environment to grow and develop your career and skills. We’re constantly striving to improve our ways of working so putting your ideas across however big or small; will be fully encouraged and supported by your colleagues and our dynamic and experienced management team.

• A generous annual leave entitlement of 25-32 days, plus bank holidays (pro-rata if part-time working hours apply) depending on service and grade.
• Enhanced Maternity, Paternity, shared parental, adoption and dependents leave
• Three volunteering days per year in Kingston
• Hybrid working (dependent on the role)
• Flexible and agile working arrangements using Google Chromebooks
• Learning and development portal offering a range of courses
• Discounts on a range of local shops, restaurants, gyms and leisure centres
• Interest free season ticket loans
• Local Government Pension Scheme
• Bicycle loan facilities and cycle to work scheme
• Zip car scheme
• Confidential health & wellbeing and counselling support

Application Process

Apply online outlining what skills, abilities and experience you can bring which makes you an ideal candidate for this role. Please refer to the requirements outlined in the job profile when completing your application and check your CV details have been uploaded correctly in the relevant sections.

We understand and recognise the benefits of using Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the workplace and are embracing AI where appropriate, to boost our productivity and streamline how we deliver our Council services efficiently; to provide the best possible outcomes for our residents and communities.

However, we reserve the right to reject applications where it is apparent that AI-generated content has been used in isolation and without personalised responses. At Kingston we value authenticity and are looking for individuals who can clearly demonstrate their own skills, experience and motivation for the role that they are applying for and embrace and demonstrate our STAR values.

Here at Kingston we have core values of Transparency and this is to be demonstrated during the application process and completion of the supporting statement and will be further tested at interview and selection stage for those who progress forward.

The closing date is given as a guide. We reserve the right to close this vacancy once a sufficient number of applications has been received, it is strongly advised that you complete and submit your application as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

As part of our award winning Diversity Programme we anonymise all applications received to reduce conscious and unconscious bias enabling every application to be reviewed on the knowledge, skills and experience shown in your application. We encourage our interview panels to be as diverse as possible (age, cultural, neurodiverse etc.) to reduce bias where possible. We are fully committed to removing barriers and enhancing the diversity of our workforce.

Additional Information

We are proud to be a diverse and welcoming Borough and we strive to create a workforce which reflects the community we serve, and instil a sense of belonging in our staff. We celebrate and respect differences and appreciate the value of having a diverse workforce, therefore we welcome applications from under represented groups.

To support our workers and their families we offer a range of family friendly, inclusive employment policies, flexible working arrangements, staff engagement forums and inclusive staff networks who help drive our diversity agenda.

We are also proud to be a disability confident employer and guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum essential criteria for a role. As an accredited London Living Wage Employer all our employees are guaranteed the London Living Wage regardless of their length or type of contract.

The UK has a points-based immigration system affecting EU and Non-EU workers and sponsorship requirements. We advise checking the GOV.UK website for right to work guidance. Sponsorship availability varies and is subject to eligibility requirements and budget limitations. As a result, we cannot guarantee sponsorship for all roles and will evaluate sponsorship requests on a case-by-case basis.