Location: Office based – most of your time will be spent behind the scenes in our offices on Bristol Harbourside, though there will be lots of opportunities to spend time in the venue.
We’re happy to support flexible working – both through hybrid working and your working pattern. You just need to be able to attend key meetings, have some cross-over with the rest of the IT team and deliver the responsibilities of the role.
Department: IT
Report to: Director of Finance & IT
Responsible for: IT Team (6 direct reports)
Salary: £50,000 - £60,000 per annum depending on experience.
Contract: Permanent
Working hours: Full time, 37.5 hours per week, with some weekend cover (time off in lieu is provided in these instances). Part time working (minimum of 4 days a week) will be considered.
About We The Curious
We The Curious is an educational charity and one of the UK's leading science centres.
We produce experiences that bring people together to play, get creative with science and explore different ideas.
We work with partners, locally and nationally, supporting people to be inquisitive, develop new skills and improve their wellbeing.
We are progressive, inquisitive, collaborative, playful and creative.
Our Why, What & How
Our vision
What if everyone is included, curious and inspired by science to build a better world together?
Our mission
To connect and empower people through sharing creative experiences which celebrate unknowns in science.
Our pledges
_Cultivate Curiosity
_Strive for Sustainable Futures
_Include Everyone
_Build Resilience
_Open Up Science
You can find out more about these in our Manifesto.
Our Values
_Inquisitive - Asking questions
_Progressive - Thinking about what's next
_Playful - Embracing the unexpected with a sense of fun
_Creative - Generating and testing new ideas
_Collaborative - Being inclusive, connecting and valuing
Our Strategic Priorities
/ SP1 - We will deliver collaborative, curiosity-led learning projects to reduce inequality and improve life chances.
/ SP4 - To deliver our charitable mission, we will strengthen existing income sources and seek new opportunities to deliver long-term financial security.
/ SP2 - Our team and those we work with will reflect the diversity of our city, delivering a more inclusive experience.
/ SP5 - We will provide opportunities for people to explore new ideas, develop skills and influence scientific research.
/ SP3 -We commit to being a carbon net zero organisation by 2030 and will inspire audiences to take positive action for our planet
About the role
Following a recent review of our digital strategy, and the development of our Plan 2030, we have started to identify key areas for technological advancement and innovation. We are now seeking a visionary Head of IT to lead our digital transformation and manage IT operations. This senior role is pivotal in driving technological innovation and aligning our digital capabilities with our mission to cultivate curiosity and empower everyone to ask questions. The Head of IT will ensure that our technological infrastructure not only supports our ambitious goals but also enhances the visitor experience.
This role requires someone who can be both strategic and a pragmatic. We need someone who can anticipate future technological trends and leverage them to enhance our educational offerings and exhibit space, as well as streamline day to day IT operations. A pragmatic approach will ensure these innovations are implemented efficiently and cost-effectively, delivering value for money and clear benefits. Strong leadership and people skills are essential as the successful candidate will lead a small, dedicated team, and will need to collaborate with external partners.
You’ll be joining the IT team, which includes our IT support desk, infrastructure management, data and insights, as well as software development. The team looks after all IT at We The Curious, which includes all staff related IT, as well as the management of IT in our exhibit space and wider estate.
What will you do in this role?
Role specific responsibilities
Strategic Planning & Management
_Develop and implement the organisation’s IT strategy, aligning it with our mission and strategic objectives. Be responsible for the data and systems strategy, with a particular focus on improving the CRM solution (Tessitura), along with our Business Analyst.
_Provide vision and leadership for IT initiatives, ensuring that the organisation is taking advantage of new technologies, focussing on interactive and educational experiences.
_Formulate IT policies and procedures to ensure data security, compliance with regulations and operational efficiency. This includes developing and maintaining disaster recovery and business continuity plans, as well as ensuring cyber security.
_Manage the IT budget, ensuring cost effective solutions are used, and optimising resource allocation wherever possible.
Operational Management
_Oversee the management and maintenance of WTC’s IT infrastructure, including networks, servers and data storage solutions. This includes determining in the long run what needs to be locally hosted, and what would be served better by cloud-based solutions.
_Ensure the reliability, security and performance of all IT systems including hardware and software throughout the entire venue. This will include overseeing the software development and maintenance of our exhibits.
_Work with external partners to leverage their expertise and resources.
Team Leadership
_Foster the professional development and growth of the IT team, promoting a culture of continuous learning and improvement.
_Collaborate with other teams to understand and meet their technology needs.
_Manage all aspects of the IT team, including recruitment, training, performance evaluation and professional development.
What will you do in this role?
General responsibilities
_Embody and demonstrate our values; Collaborative, Creative, Inquisitive, Playful, Progressive.
_Responsible for carefully following safeguarding policies and procedures and raising any concerns to manager/Designated Safeguarding Officer.'
_Collaborate with the Development team on any funding bids and reports relating to your area of work; where applicable as project lead.
_General responsibility for departmental compliance with GDPR.
_Occasional weekend work (time off in lieu will be provided)
What we're looking for from you
_Proven experience in a senior digital role, ideally within the visitor attraction or museum sectors.
_Strong understanding of current and emerging technologies, particularly those related to interactive and educational environments.
_Excellent strategic planning and project management skills.
_Demonstrated ability to manage, lead, and develop a small, diverse team.
_Degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field, or relevant experience
_Strategic thinker with a forward-looking vision.
_Pragmatic approach to delivering value and managing change.
_Passionate about technology and its role in education and engagement.
_Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, with a strong emphasis on leadership, people management, and team development.
_Ability to manage change, work under pressure, and meet deadlines.
Application process
Deadline for applications: Sunday 22nd September at midnight
Interview date(s) and location: Monday 30th September & Tuesday 1st October at We The Curious Office in Bristol.
Start date: As soon as possible, dependent on notice period.
Application process:
If you would like to apply, please complete the application form. It contains questions designed to assess your interest in and suitability for the role.
Please don't send in CVs or cover letters as we don't review them.
We appreciate interviews can be stressful, so we try to make them more of a conversation and a chance for you to tell us about how your skills and interests make you the right person for the role.
If you are invited for an interview, we'll send you the questions that you'll be asked beforehand so that you have time to prepare.
If you have any particular needs or requirements, please do let us know so that we can make the required adjustments.
If you would like to talk about the role or the application process, please email people@wethecurious.org
Support during the process
We The Curious is a Disability Confident Employer and we welcome applications from candidates who self-assess themselves as having a disability. We will guarantee an interview to applicants who advise that they have a disability and who meet the minimum criteria for a job vacancy. To help you, under the Equality Act 2010 a person is defined as having a disability if a) they have a physical or mental impairment, and b) the impairment has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.
We want to work with you to ensure the recruitment process is accessible for you.
If you are disabled, neurodivergent, or if you have a long-term health condition, we’ll be happy to make reasonable adjustments to our processes for you.
You’ll have the opportunity to let us know about any adjustments you may need throughout the application and selection process. We’ll continue this conversation if you join us as a staff member, and we’ll work with you to make sure you have the adjustments you need to succeed in your role.
Examples of adjustments could include:
_providing alternative formats at every stage
_options to apply
_extra time for tasks
_providing some extra information about what to expect
_office orientation before an in-person interview.
Including everyone
We value the positive impact greater representation will have on our organisation, programmes and culture. It’s our goal to become an inclusive place to work and for our teams to better reflect our city and the people who visit us.
We welcome applications from people of all lived experiences and particularly those that are not well represented* in the science centre sector.
*By not well represented we mean people with lived experience including but not limited to:
_African and African-Caribbean heritage
_South Asian and East Asian heritage
_Global Majority
_Disabled
_Neurodivergent
_Visually Impaired
_Deaf community
_LGBTQIA+ and/or non-binary
_Working class background
_Didn’t go to university or first in your immediate family to attend University
Working with us
We value the people that work with us. Our staff have access to the following:
Wellbeing & support
_Flexible working
_Hybrid working
_Mental Health First Aiders
_Confidential advice & counselling through the Employee Support Programme
_Free flu jabs
Leave
_25 days holiday plus bank holidays (all pro-rata).
Facilities & discounts
_Free entry to the venue at any time with up to four guests, plus 12 additional entry tickets per calendar year to give away.
_15% off in the We The Curious café
_20% off in our shop
_Range of discounts with local businesses and free entry to other local attractions.
_Free parking
_Secure cycle storage
Pension
_We offer a pension scheme with 5% company contributions.
Death in service benefit
_Four times your annual salary.
New Parent Policy
We are proud to be a family friendly organisation, which is why we work to develop our people practices in line with that value. We have recently introduced a none gendered approach to Maternity and Paternity, re-branded as our “New Parent Policy”. There are eligibility criteria and terms and conditions but the key take away is that anyone who is due to become a new parent, regardless of their gender, can take one year off work, and we’ll pay your full salary for the first five months.
