HEAD OF PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT

National Concert Hall; Cork; On-site; EUR 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Crawford Art Gallery, a National Cultural Institution in Cork, seeks a Head of Public Engagement to shape and deliver the gallery’s audience engagement strategy. You will lead marketing, communications, visitor services, audience development and public-facing commercial activities, ensuring an excellent visitor experience and strengthening the gallery’s profile.

You will build strategic partnerships, drive philanthropy, and provide governance and financial oversight while guiding organisational

Qualifications

• Senior leadership experience across public, private or community sectors.
• Proven ability to drive audience engagement and revenue-generating initiatives.
• Strong communication, relationship-management and governance skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead marketing, communications, visitor services, audience development and public-facing commercial activities.
• Ensure an excellent visitor experience and strengthen Crawford Art Gallery’s national and international profile.
• Develop partnerships and philanthropic initiatives to support income growth.
• Provide governance and financial oversight across their areas of responsibility.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Partnership building

Budget management

Stakeholder management

Audience development

Change management

Job description

Crawford Art Gallery is a National Cultural Institution dedicated to the visual arts and is home to more than 3,000 works spanning historic and contemporary Irish and international art. Located in Cork City, the Gallery is an important part of Ireland’s cultural and tourism landscape.

Crawford Art Gallery is undergoing a major redevelopment under the Ireland 2040 programme, creating enhanced exhibition, learning and public spaces and an accessible cultural destination designed to connect people, artworks and arts practice.

THE POSITION

The Head of Public Engagement is a new senior leadership role reporting to the Gallery Director, with responsibility for shaping and delivering the Gallery’s audience engagement strategy. The successful candidate will lead marketing and communications, visitor services, audience development and public-facing commercial activities, ensuring an excellent visitor experience and strengthening the Gallery’s profile nationally and internationally.

The role will lead the Gallery’s efforts to reach, welcome, engage, and retain its audiences and visitors. Working with the Gallery Director and senior colleagues, they will also contribute to philanthropy and income generation while providing strong leadership, governance and financial oversight across their areas of responsibility.

REQUIREMENTS

The successful candidate will operate at a senior leadership level and have a proven track record of building and sustaining strategic partnerships across the public, private and community sectors. Candidates will demonstrate significant experience in leading multidisciplinary teams, managing budgets and stakeholders, and delivering audience engagement strategies, organisational change or transformational projects.

The successful candidate will bring strong strategic and commercial judgement, excellent communication and relationship-management skills, together with collaborative leadership, financial accountability and a commitment to access, equality and inclusion. An understanding of the cultural sector and publicly funded organisations would be advantageous.

For further information, please refer to the Candidate Information Booklet – Download Here.

Crawford Art Gallery is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all sections of the community. If you have a disability or your first language is not English and you have any difficulties with any aspect of our recruitment process, please contact Principal Connections – executive search. All recruitment documentation can be provided in other formats.

For a confidential discussion please contact Eilish Devine on [phone].

PLEASE NOTE

Please note that some job advertisement platforms do not publish telephone numbers, email addresses, or website URLs within advertisements. If no contact details appear in this advertisement, please contact our main office line, which can be found on our website.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• Our client is an equal opportunities employer and is committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace.
• Candidates for this appointment will be identified through a combination of advertised selection and targeted executive search activities.
• Only applications submitted via the designated online application channels (or, where applicable, through the email address provided within a print advertisement, briefing prospectus, job description etc.) will be considered as part of the formal selection process.
• Please note that any offer of employment will be subject to satisfactory reference checks together with any additional background screening, verification procedures, or assessments considered appropriate to the appointment process.
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