Railway Heritage Governance Manager (Part Time)

Are you looking for a role where you can shape national railway heritage work through rigorous record-keeping, clear communication and steady leadership in sensitive situations?

About us

The Railway Heritage Designation Advisory Board (RHDAB) ensures a future for railway heritage by designating railway-related items. Locomotives, paintings, archives, furniture and more are all in scope for designation. The Board chooses items important to British railway heritage and agrees which institutions (such as museums or heritage centres) shall receive these when no longer required by the railway business that owns them.

About the role

The Science Museum Group is seeking to recruit a proficient Railway Heritage Governance Manager to act as Secretary to the advisory board, handle official governance, as well as coordinate with its various members. In addition, you will be managing the designated railway heritage collection, ensuring the database is kept updated and procedures followed.

The role will involve actively liaising with various public bodies, along with the heritage and railway sectors. You will also have opportunity to develop engagement and communication programmes to further awareness of RHDAB and the designated collection.

This role is advertised as 21 hours per week; however, we are flexible around working hours and welcome discussion about this during the interview process. The role may be based at the National Railway Museum in York, the Science and Industry Museum in Manchester, or the National Science and Media Museum in Bradford, with a hybrid working arrangement that includes at least one day on site per week.

About you

We're keen to receive applications from candidates with a solid grounding in the museum, cultural or heritage sector, who bring both proficient written communication skills and the confidence to operate in complex, high-stakes environments. You'll be someone who can navigate legal frameworks with attention, maintain accurate national records, and handle collection databases without error. We're looking for a clear, engaging communicator who can write for public audiences, produce press or blog content when needed, and support wider sector engagement.

As the Secretary to an official board, you'll need to demonstrate professionalism, sound judgement and the ability to exercise a structured approach in sensitive or tense communications. Strong organisational skills, attention to detail and the ability to work independently to clear deadlines are essential, as is the interpersonal confidence to build productive relationships across a wide and sometimes challenging stakeholder landscape. We're also looking for someone who can produce clear, engaging written content - from website updates to public-facing materials, press releases or blog posts - and who brings a values-driven, inclusive mindset to sector engagement.

If you're highly organised, detail-driven, comfortable working independently to deadlines, and able to build effective relationships across a varied stakeholder landscape - we'd like to hear from you.

Don't feel you meet all the criteria? We welcome you to apply even if your experience doesn't match directly. With your transferable skills, you could be the right candidate for this, or other opportunities that we have.

Applying

View the Vacancy Information Pack listed under 'Attachments' on the vacancy listing on our website for more details about the role and the application process or click 'Apply Online' to submit an application.

What we offer

Working with a world-leading museum group that offers access to truly unique environments and collections, you'll benefit from the perks listed below, as well as full support for life events such as parental and adoption leave, sickness, and career breaks.

* Meaningful work. We're a mission-led organisation where the work you do supports us in Inspiring Futures.
* Career growth. We offer enhanced support with personal and professional development.
* Work/life balance. We offer 27 days annual leave in addition to bank holidays, along with flexible policies which support you and your home life.
* Health & Dental Insurance. Extra peace of mind, from day one.
* All our colleagues can access an employee assistance programme, access to the Unmind app, and other wellbeing support.
* Colleague networks. Our colleague-led networks are an informal forum for colleagues to come together to discuss topics of shared interest and lived experience. They create a space for people to exchange ideas, discuss best practice, socialise and build a sense of community.
* Enhanced contributory pension. To support you in saving for the future.
* Interest-free loans. When you need a little extra cash for life events or home improvements.
* Great discounts. Free entry to exhibitions, discounts in our shops, cafes, and access to other museums in the NMDC network.

Open for All is one of the Science Museum Group's five core values and sets out our important aspiration to be a place for everyone. We are working hard to understand our organisation better and to develop a culture that recognises and values different backgrounds, mindsets, skills, experience, knowledge, and expertise. By having greater diversity, we believe that we will be a stronger and better organisation, capable to continue to Inspire Futures.

Museum Website: https://www.aplitrak.com/?adid=aHJzZXJ2aWNlLjYwMDM4LjExMTkzQHNjaWVuY2VtdXNldW0uYXBsaXRyYWsuY29t