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Join the British Museum during its transformative period as an Interim Commercial Director in the largest building project since the Victorian era.
Overview
Salary
£115000
Location
Bloomsbury, London - Hybrid
Expires
Expires at anytime
The British Museum, internationally known for its unique collections and captivating stories, is entering an intensely exciting and transformative phase as it undertakes its largest building project since the Victorian era, including the rejuvenation of over third of its galleries. Undertaking such a grand renovation naturally poses challenges, and the role of an Interim Commercial Director is of crucial importance.
Role Summary:
- Lead the museum in maximizing revenue and maintaining strong commercial performance during a period of temporary estate closures and redevelopments.
- Balance disruptions to offer an outstanding visitor experience.
- Elevate the brand and ensure visitors feel welcomed and inspired.
Role Requirements:
- Proven experience as a commercial leader in complex visitor-focused organisations, across disciplines such as culture, heritage, attractions, retail, hospitality or leisure.
- Demonstrated success in driving commercial growth and operational excellence.
- Experience navigating environments with estate closures, redevelopment, or large-scale transitions.
- Exceptional communication skills and the ability to lead through change.
- Passion for culture and public engagement, with an understanding of the role of museums in contemporary society.
The British Museum offers a host of benefits making it an inviting and a uniquely enriching workplace. These include 27 days’ annual leave in addition to bank holidays, generous employer contributions to a defined contribution pension scheme, employee assistance programs, and a range of other perks from eyecare vouchers to enhanced parental leave.
The British Museum is entering one of the most significant and ambitious periods in its history. With our Masterplan moving into delivery, and the transformative Western Range programme in development, we are redefining how millions of visitors experience our collections, our buildings, and our stories. Part of this extraordinary transformation – both physical and intellectual – is already underway. We have built a new state of the art research centre in Reading, have begun work on a new energy centre to support our drive towards net zero, and we have just appointed world-renowned architect Lina Ghotmeh to rejuvenate and redevelop our Western Range – accounting for over a third of our galleries. This will be the biggest building project the Museum has undertaken since the Victorian era, and indeed one of the most exciting cultural renovations in the world, making it a uniquely exciting time to join the Museum.
As Interim Commercial Director, your leadership will ensure we continue to offer an outstanding visitor experience through unavoidable disruption while maintaining strong commercial performance. As these essential works progress, parts of our estate will be temporary closed. Through careful planning, you will balance these disruptions to maximise revenue, elevate our brand, and ensure visitors feel welcomed and inspired.
We’re looking for a seasoned commercial leader with experience in complex visitor-focused organisations, ideally across culture, heritage, attractions, retail, hospitality or leisure. You will bring a strong track record of driving commercial growth and operational excellence, along with creative thinking grounded in robust commercial discipline. You have experience confidently navigating environments with estate closures, redevelopment, or large-scale transitions, and possess exceptional communication skills and the ability to bring people with you through change. You are aware of the role of museums in contemporary society with a passion for culture and public engagement.
Benefits include free exhibition entry for you and guests, exclusive private views, ICOM and reciprocal museum access, 27 days’ annual leave plus bank holidays, discounts at onsite catering, Museum shops and local Bloomsbury partners, social and wellbeing perks including employee parties, social clubs, and peer support and allyship with five diversity networks for community, learning and development through courses and mentoring with our online learning hub Athena, as well as support for professional qualifications, Employee Assistance Programme available 24/7 for counselling, wellbeing support and more, eyecare vouchers for VDU tests and contributions toward glasses, enhanced parental leave including maternity, paternity, adoption and shared parental leave, support for carers through Employers for Carers, defined contribution pension scheme with generous employer contributions, interest‑free loans including season ticket, rental deposit and bicycle loans.
