Project Director

NATIONAL GALLERIES OF SCOTLAND

PROJECT DIRECTOR

WORLD-CLASS NATIONAL COLLECTION FACILITY

WE INVITE ALL INTERESTED INDIVIDUALS TO PLEASE CONTACT US FOR THIS EXCITING FULL-TIME OPPORTUNITY, CONTRACT 4 YEARS

The National Galleries of Scotland is home to one the world’s finest collections of art, which ranges from the Middle Ages to the present day and includes masterpieces by Rembrandt, Leonardo, Warhol, Monet, Van Gogh, Botticelli, Picasso and Magritte. Our spectacular buildings house the world’s greatest collection of Scottish art, and a world-renowned collection of Scottish and international photography, which runs to 40,000 images.

It is our ambition to reach the broadest possible public, and in 2018 our exhibitions, events and displays drew more than 2.7 million visitors to our three principal sites in Edinburgh: the Scottish National Gallery, the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art and the Scottish National Portrait Gallery.

We regularly tour exhibitions and works from the collection, sharing them with partners across Scotland, and also lend our artworks to galleries around the UK and internationally. We are in the process of digitising the entire collection so that it can be shared online even more widely.

This is an exciting period of renewal for NGS, as we move forward with a recently developed strategic vision that puts our audience at the heart of what we do. We’re making it our mission to broaden our impact, matching our rich collections, expertise and creativity to the needs and wants of our visitors. We’re finding new ways to connect with more people, and creating an innovative, inclusive organisation that can meet the challenges of our ever-evolving world.

The National Galleries of Scotland aims to preserve, display and augment the collections for the enjoyment and education of the widest possible public and to maintain NGS as a centre of excellence.

‘Art for Scotland: Inspiration for the world’ is Our Vision.  We want to be Scotland’s powerhouse for art.  Inclusive, original and ambitious – we will make the national collection accessible to all and inspire curiosity across the world.  In doing so, one of the many ways we contribute to our community is through our alignment to Scotland’s National Performance Framework.

The National Collection Facility (NCF)

“The National Collections Facility project at Granton (NCF) in the north of Edinburgh offers an extraordinary opportunity to make our collection work hard all the time, not just when it’s on display in the galleries or on tour.  We want the NCF to be a game changer – a place where anything is possible.  A place for looking and exploring, for talking and making, where visitors can experience the collection in a uniquely flexible way.  A place to create surprising juxtapositions, to look at art from multiple points of view, to add new insights on the past and alternative perspectives for the future.

The NCF will play a significant role in the regeneration of North East Edinburgh, resonating with local history and reflecting the interests of the community, while attracting scholars, artists and enthusiasts from all over the world. Success will depend on a spirit of generosity and collaboration combined with the rigour and imagination we bring to everything we do.” 

https://www.nationalgalleries.org/art-and-artists/features/national-collections-facility

Role Purpose:

National Galleries of Scotland (NGS) are on a journey to evolve our already admirable estate.  To achieve this, we are seeking to appoint an exceptional Project Director, to evolve and develop our new world-class National Collections Facility (NCF).

This senior role within our organisation will have a significant impact on the future of the National Galleries of Scotland and our vision of Art for Scotland: Inspiration for the world. 

As the successful candidate you will be responsible for building on the existing work to present a detailed rationale for the creation of a new National Collections Facility, developing the preferred option (including social and economic benefits) and demonstrating its alignment to the NGS vision and aims and the evolving estates activity. You will be responsible for producing business cases, funding strategy and gaining approval as well as ongoing stakeholder engagement.  At this critical development stage of the project you will play an active role in developing our future thinking by working with the Leadership Team and contributing your thinking to our strategy. 

As the successful candidate you will have a demonstrable track-record of successfully leading major capital projects of a comparable scale, visibility and complexity, and will have a proven ability to balance strategic leadership with operational delivery.

You will lead with professionalism and integrity in order to gain trust and respect of all stakeholders, both internal and external and to build credibility. As the successful candidate you will oversee and direct all aspects of project delivery, working with multiple stakeholders to deliver the infrastructure and systems required. Establishing key stakeholder relationships with the Chief Operating Officer and his Directorate will be paramount.

APPLICATION PROCESS: STAGE ONE

Interested candidates are kindly requested to submit a full C.V. and covering letter of no more than 2 pages setting out their suitability for the role including compensation expectations. 

Applications should be submitted to ccampbell@nationalgalleries.org

If you have any questions in relation to this role, in the first instance please do contact Kim McCabe, Director of HR kmccabe@nationalgalleries.org

NGS is an equal opportunities employer committed to eliminating discrimination and encouraging diversity amongst our workforce.