Job Description Director of Kelmscott Manor

Job title: Director

Location: Kelmscott Manor, Oxfordshire

Hours: Full Time, 35 hours per week

Reporting to: General Secretary, Society of Antiquaries of London

Responsible for: All Kelmscott Manor staff and volunteers in the defined operational areas; including the direct line management of the following: Curator, Estate Manager, Learning and Outreach Manager, Visitor and Volunteer Manager, Financial Administrator and Shop and Tearoom managers

Key Relationships: General Secretary, Finance Director, Head of Collections, Head of Development, Communications Manager, Kelmscott Committee

Salary: £60,000 per annum

Context

Kelmscott Manor dates to around 1600 and has been continuously occupied over the centuries, with its most famous occupants being William Morris and his family. Morris was a designer, craftsman, poet and socialist; a pioneer conservationist and an inspiration to the English Arts and Crafts Movement. The Manor, which was part of a farming estate right up to the 1930s, is open to the public as a heritage attraction and educational resource. The Society of Antiquaries of London has owned the Manor in Oxfordshire since 1962 and lends strategic and financial support to Kelmscott.

Kelmscott Manor has Accredited Museum status for its collections, which relate to the Morris family as well as the pre-Morris occupancy. The Kelmscott collections are an integral part of the wider Society of Antiquaries collection. The Manor has recently completed a £6m capital project, Kelmscott and Morris: Past, Present and Future, funded by the National Lottery Heritage fund and other donors. The next stage for Kelmscott Manor is to build and capitalise on the benefits developed as part of the recently completed project.

Job summary

We are now seeking a Director who will provide strategic and commercial forwardlooking leadership for the organisation, ensuring financial sustainability by building on the new infrastructure put in place as part of the recent capital project. The Director will be the public face of the Manor, acting as both an ambassador and an advocate for Kelmscott. This new role will be responsible for the leadership and development of Kelmscott Manor, the collection and the estate. They will ensure the diversification of all income streams, develop partnerships to allow the Manor to meet full financial sustainability and oversee operational management throughout the open and closed seasons. The role of Director of Kelmscott combines executive management with public-facing advocacy, overseeing fundraising, programming, audience development, conservation, collection management and operations. Reporting to Council of the Society of Antiquaries, this role will form part of the Senior Leadership Team at Burlington House.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

Strategic and Commercial Development

1. Lead Kelmscott’s post-NLHF transformation, ensuring its financial sustainability through new and established income streams, combining fundraising income, earned income (admissions, events, venue hire, retail) sponsorship and partnerships

2. Develop a fundraising strategy for Kelmscott, working with the Head of Development at Burlington House, to include trusts and foundations, corporate sponsorship and individual patrons

3. Develop and maintain key internal and external stakeholder relationships in support of current and future Kelmscott Manor initiatives

Finance and resources

1. Overall responsibility for Kelmscott’s annual budget, working towards delivering a surplus on Kelmscott operations

2. Ensure compliance with statutory regulations, developing and delivering policies including fire, security, health and safety, emergency, maintenance, cash handling, licensing and safeguarding. Ensure that adequate systems are established and subsequently maintained

Audience Development, Marketing and Impact

1. Responsible for the promotion of Kelmscott, maintaining its high profile and acting as the ambassador for the organisation

2. Drive audience growth and increase visitor numbers locally, nationally, and internationally

3. Oversee and deliver marketing, communications, PR, and brand stewardship across physical and digital platforms

Heritage

1. Oversee the conservation and care of the Grade I listed building, including liaising with Historic England, conservators, architects and surveyors

2. Manage the Curator and ensure the digital and paper documentation, care, safety, security, and protection of the collections, including overseeing the closed season collections conservation activity

3. Oversee the strategic promotion, engagement, research, exhibition and display of the collections, including identifying funding opportunities relating to the collection

4. Develop a personal working knowledge of the Manor, collections and its former residents and the landscape in which it sits

Team Leadership

1. Manage Kelmscott Manor staff in accordance with the Society’s Staff Handbook and personnel policies

2. Responsible for maintaining high standards of management and service delivery in all areas and by all teams

3. Ensure all staff comply with Kelmscott Manor financial and security procedures for cash, stock, equipment, premises and offices

4. Ensure a fully effective on-call Duty Management system is in place including the availability and ability to be part of the arrangements, acting as a keyholder for Kelmscott Manor

Other

1. To undertake any other tasks and duties reasonably required by the line manager and/or Society

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Essential

• Leadership experience in the cultural, heritage, museum, or charitable sector

Knowledge and experience to develop and deliver a strategic plan for the Manor, encompassing the cultural heritage of the site, audience development, income generation, workforce planning and financial sustainability

Experience of working as a cultural ambassador/advocate, acting as the public face of a heritage site, museum or charity

Proven success in income generation, fundraising and creating cultural change with a commercial focus

Leading and managing a team of staff, both paid and voluntary, including through a period of change

Experience in developing strong commercial or creative partnerships and in raising the profile of a historic or visitor attraction

• Strong financial literacy, including budget management and reporting

• Outstanding communication skills and confidence as a public speaker and advocate

Experience working with a governing board, including presenting strategic papers and discussing strategic and operational plans

• Passion for lifelong learning and public engagement

Desirable

Experience with Grade I listed buildings or historic estates

Knowledge of heritage conservation

Hybrid working

For this full-time role, we ask that the post-holder usually works on site for three days per week. Daily core hours have a degree of flexibility, to be discussed with the General Secretary.

Based at Kelmscott Manor, this role will require some in-person meeting at the Society of Antiquaries in London.

Closing date for applications:

Midnight on Sunday 5th July 2026.

Interviews to be held at Kelmscott Manor:

Wednesday 15th July 2026.