Thank you for your interest in joining our Board.

We’re looking for new voluntary Oversight Board members to play a vital role in shaping, supporting and challenging our work at the University of Cambridge Museums.

If you’d like to talk about whether this is the right opportunity for you, or if we can help make our recruitment process more accessible for you, please contact: info@museums.cam.ac.uk

Introduction to the University of Cambridge Museums

The University of Cambridge cares for the UK’s highest concentration of Designated Collections outside London, welcoming over a million visitors a year to its publicly accessible Museums, central Library, and Botanic Garden.

Working together as the University of Cambridge Museums (UCM) consortium, these collections deliver a wide variety of experiences and programmes to many different audiences and communities, both local and international. The University Collections comprise eight Museums, the central Library, and the Botanic Garden. The Museums are:

Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology
Museum of Classical Archaeology
The Fitzwilliam Museum
Kettle’s Yard
The Polar Museum
Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences
Whipple Museum of the History of Science
Museum of Zoology.

Our work as a National Portfolio Organisation

*Seven of these museums and the Botanic Garden together form a National Portfolio Organisation (NPO) funded by Arts Council England and supported by the cross-collections UCM Team. This does not include Kettle's Yard.

Our mission is to activate the power of the University through our collections, sharing with our communities and networks to deepen understanding of our world, inspire new thinking, and address local and global challenges.

The work of UCM falls broadly into four strands. These are Creating Opportunities, Health and Wellbeing, Social Justice and Our Planet. This work includes:

• providing specialised inclusion programmes for the local community, including for young parents, those in sheltered housing or at risk of homelessness, people living with dementia and Parkinson’s, people who are blind or partially sighted, and for families with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) 
• opening up opportunities through internships, work experience and volunteering 
• running targeted joint marketing campaigns 
• carrying out cross-collections evaluation and audience research. 

Leadership and Governance

The UCM Team works within a governance structure that is as unique as the University of Cambridge and the collections and venues we support.

Collective museum strategy, policies and operations are overseen by the University's General Board, Museums Committee, chaired by Professor Kamal Munir as Pro-Vice-Chancellor for University Community and Engagement.

Each Museum or Collection has its own management arrangements, with financial and operational management for the UCM Team led by the Cross School Initiatives Hub.

The UCM Oversight Board brings the external support and scrutiny of our work that is expected of Arts Council England NPOs.

Cross-collections activity is fundamentally collaborative. The strategic direction for the wider UCM consortium is led by the Cambridge Museums Steering Group (CMSG) of museum directors.

Dr Lucinda Spokes chairs the UCM Oversight Board and is Head of Public Engagement for the University of Cambridge.

Dr Juliette Fritsch oversees the UCM Team and its programme as Director of Collections’ Strategy. Juliette is responsible for the development and delivery of the collective collections’ strategy for the University, and for chairing CMSG.

Responsibilities of the UCM Oversight Board

The UCM Oversight Board is responsible for overseeing the activities and impact of the consortium supported by Arts Council England and other funders, ensuring that funds are used efficiently to benefit the public. Among other things, the Board ensures that Arts Council England's strategy, Let’s Create, and its Investment Principles (Ambition & Quality, Dynamism, Inclusivity & Relevance, Environmental Responsibility) are integrated into the UCM Team’s work.

Beyond this, while Board members aren’t formally trustees of the organisation, they play a vital role in shaping, supporting and challenging what we do.

Key responsibilities include:

Accountability: Monitoring commitments to funders, managing risks, and ensuring compliance with financial and contractual terms.

Policy and Planning: Leading the integration of Let’s Create and the Investment Principles into the organisation’s culture and operations, and collaborating with senior leadership to approve annual planning.

Advocacy: Guiding how UCM contributes to the community and cultural sector and promoting the work within broader networks.

Role Specifications

We are seeking individuals who will bring their own knowledge and expertise to the UCM Oversight Board, serving as a critical friend to the UCM Team. We’re looking for new members who can continue to bring diverse perspectives of communities outside of the University into our planning and governance, members who can think strategically in the best interests of the communities we serve.

In particular, we’re looking for people with the following skills and experience to support our work:

• Understanding the impact of culture on health or on the economy  
• Developing work with young people or vulnerable adults  
• Providing skills developing, training and career opportunities at all stages 
• Leadership in access provision and inclusive practice  
• Knowledge of fundraising and / or financial management  
• Engaging the public with environmental sustainability and climate 
• Fostering innovation in the creative sector. 

Knowledge of museums and heritage isn’t a requirement for Board members. We’re keen to hear from people with a passion for what we do, and some of the skills and experience above, or a connection to the communities we serve across Cambridge and the region. You might work as community organiser, have a role within the cultural sector or be part of one of the industries supporting our local economy.

We welcome interest from experienced and emerging Board members. UCM’s Oversight Board is a great introduction to governance in the cultural sector. We’ll provide an induction into Board membership, along with support to co-develop the working practices of our Board over the coming years.

We actively support equality, diversity and inclusion and encourage applications from all sections of society. We’re open to discussing how we can make the recruitment process and the way we run our Board more accessible to you.

Role commitments

How much time am I expected to give?

It is likely that this role will take about seven days of your time a year. There are four meetings a year, for which there will be some preparation. We anticipate Board members taking on specific areas of focus for the UCM Team’s work and expect this to involve two more days over a year. We also aim to have one full Board away day each year.

How long do I need to sign up for?

We encourage Board members to join for an initial period of three years, with the option to extend for a further three years. However, we’re happy to discuss this during the recruitment process and adapt the commitment by mutual agreement.

Can this work be carried out remotely?

We aim to hold two meetings remotely and two meetings in person each year, with flexibility for other meetings to be held online. Our away day will be in person.

Most of our activity is delivered in person in Cambridge and the East of England, where we actively encourage Board members to experience the work first hand.

What you get from this role

• Expand your professional network and meet and collaborate with people across sectors and skillsets, with other Board members and across the University of Cambridge.
• Help shape the cultural provision of Cambridge and contribute to the meaningful impact of the UCM Team’s engagement and inclusion work across the community.
• Share your expertise and views across the Collections and University.
• Gain an insight into the workings of the university and heritage sectors.
• Develop strategic experience of governance and leadership, including an in-depth understanding of public funding. 

This is a voluntary role but out of pocket expenses, such as travel in-person meetings and events, will be covered.

We can also provide support to ensure meetings are as inclusive and accessible as possible.

How to apply

To apply for this voluntary role, please send us your CV and a cover letter (of no more than one side of A4) by email info@museums.cam.ac.uk. In your cover letter, please tell us: 

• why you’re interested in supporting the University of Cambridge Museums 

• how you think your experience supports our needs. 

We would be grateful if you could also complete our anonymous online diversity monitoring form.

The deadline for applications is 9am on 16 June 2025. 

Key recruitment dates 

17 July 2025: Selection session / interviews in Cambridge 

10 September 2025: Half-day Induction (with the UCM Team and NPO Chair) in Cambridge 

18 September 2025: Half-day Facilitated Team Building and Board meeting in Cambridge 

Thank you for taking the time to read this application pack. Please don't hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions: info@museums.cam.ac.uk We look forward to hearing from you.