Head of Visual Resources

Cambridge, Cambridgeshire
Imperial War Museums
Job Summary

What It’s Like to Work Here

At IWM, we’re driven by a shared purpose: helping people understand conflict and how it shapes the world we live in. Our collections- physical, digital and multimedia- are central to that mission. As part of Collections Care, you’ll join a team of highly skilled specialists who are committed to innovation, collaboration and high quality service delivery.

Visual Resources sits at the heart of this work. Whether capturing new photography for displays and publications, digitising fragile and unique collection items, or producing film and imagery for public events, your team plays a key role in ensuring IWM’s stories reach global audiences in ways that are accurate, engaging and enduring.

If you thrive in a dynamic environment, enjoy leading experts, and want to shape the future of digital access and preservation at one of the world’s leading museums of conflict, you will feel at home here.

Why This Role Matters

The Head of Visual Resources leads one of IWM’s most impactful, customer facing departments. Your work directly supports museum wide:

• Public programming
• Commercial and marketing activity
• Collections access and preservation
• Learning and engagement
• Digital futures and long term sustainability

You will shape and deliver the Digital Futures Strategy, manage complex multiyear programmes, and guide the museum’s approach to digital asset standards, collections digitisation and multimedia production. Your leadership will help ensure that IWM’s collections, from photographs and film to time based media, remain accessible and preserved for generations to come.

What You’ll Be Doing

In this role, you’ll provide strategic leadership across Visual Resources and ensure high quality delivery of multimedia, digitisation and imaging services across the museum. You’ll lead the development and implementation of the Digital Futures Strategy, guide complex multiyear programmes, and advise senior colleagues on decisions that impact digital access and preservation.

You’ll oversee budgets, manage procurement and external suppliers, and ensure that work is delivered efficiently, safely and in line with IWM standards. Working closely with specialist managers and team leaders, you’ll build capability within the department, support professional development, and maintain the equipment and systems needed for high quality production.

Day to day, you’ll be responsible for delivering museum wide services including marketing and event photography, collections photography, digitisation of still and time based media, and the creation of facsimiles where required. You’ll also produce reports, KPIs and business cases, and help embed a culture of continuous improvement across the team

What We’re Looking For

We’d love to hear from you if you have:

• A degree in a relevant discipline.
• Experience managing cost, time and quality for a specialist, customer facing team, including contracts, fee paid staff and external partners (budgets typically around £250k).
• Experience managing and motivating a specialist team.
• Experience delivering best practice in digitisation or related access/preservation programmes.
• A Project or Programme Management qualification with evidence of practical use.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain complex issues to senior stakeholders.
• Strong analytical and creative problem solving skills.
• Demonstrable leadership skills, including strategic planning and managing managers.
• Experience using Collections Management Systems (e.g., Axiell) and integrated DAMS.

How You’ll Work

You’ll work closely with colleagues across Collections Care, Curatorial, Digital, Public Engagement and Commercial teams. You’ll influence the museum’s strategic direction on digital access, preservation and multimedia standards, and ensure your team provides a consistent, responsive, high quality service across all IWM sites.

What Success Looks Like

In your first 6-12 months, success will look like:

• A clear, confident leadership presence across departments.
• Delivery of key milestones in the Digital Futures Strategy.
• Strong working relationships with senior leaders, specialists and external partners.
• Improved efficiency, consistency and quality across digitisation and imaging workflows.
• A motivated and supported Visual Resources team delivering excellent service.

Application closing date: March 23rd 2026, 9:00 AM.

Interview Details: Interviews for this post are planned for the week commencing 30/3/26 and 6/4/26.

Benefits:

The benefits listed below are discretionary and IWM reserves the right, with due notice, to vary or withdraw them at any time. All such benefits apply during the course of your employment only.

• Annual Leave: You’ll have 25 days of annual leave, with public holidays on top. After 3 years, this increases to 27 days and after 5 years, you’ll get 30 days
• Company Group Pension Plan: Our commitment to your financial well-being includes competitive employer contributions to your pension starting at 7% to a maximum of 12%.
• Enhanced Maternity and Paternity Benefits: Celebrate life’s milestones with confidence, knowing that our policies support growing families.
• IWM4me: Tailor your benefits to your unique needs through IWM4me. Access health, protection, and lifestyle benefits at corporate rates, ensuring your holistic well-being.
• Free Sanitary Products: We prioritise your comfort by providing free sanitary products across all our sites.
• Retail Discounts: 25% off IWM Cafes, 20% discount in on-site shops, Benefits hub offering retail discounts to several high street shops (via our EAP provider) and MyActive discounts for health and wellbeing based retail discounts (via IWM4me)
• Free Entry to IWM Air Shows: Witness the thrill of vintage aircraft at our air shows.
• Free Entry to Partner Museums & Galleries: Immerse yourself in art, history, and culture through our reciprocal arrangements with other institutions.
• In-House Training Programmes: Fuel your intellectual curiosity and professional growth through our comprehensive training initiatives.
• Season Ticket Loan Scheme: Simplify your daily commute with our interest-free loan program.
• Cycle 2 Work & Cycle Hire: Promote well-being and environmental consciousness by cycling to work.
• Eye Tests: Money back up to £80 for an eye test and a new pair of glasses.
• Employee Assistance Programme: Access confidential support for personal or work-related challenges.
• Benenden Healthcare & Dental Insurance: Prioritise your health with access to quality healthcare services (subject to terms and conditions).
• Civil Service Sports Club Membership: Opportunity to join and enjoy additional discounts and perks as part of a vibrant community.
• Staff Events and Networks: Join fellow colleagues in social gatherings and events, fostering camaraderie and shared experiences.

and more!

Ready to embark on this exciting journey with us? Apply now and become part of IWM!

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions. This role is subject to:

A basic check, which shows unspent convictions and conditional cautions.

Equal Opportunities and Flexible Working

IWM is committed to a policy of Equal Opportunities.

We miss out when people feel IWM isn’t for them, and are committed to removing and reducing barriers to make IWM open to everyone.

Our Access and Inclusion strategy has been developed to promote openness, equal opportunities to access, inclusivity and encourage diversity in everything that we do, from employment practices, the services we provide to our visitors to the facilities we make available to public.

At IWM we seek to address the need for greater diversity within our workforce as well as the wider museum and heritage sector. In all our practices we embrace diversity and promote equality of opportunity and we welcome applications from suitable candidates of all backgrounds.

We value and respect difference and are committed to building an inclusive culture by creating an environment where you can balance a successful career with your commitments and interests outside of work. We believe that you will do your best at work if you have a work / life balance. Some roles lend themselves to flexible options more than others, so if this is important to you please raise this with your recruitment contact, as we are open to discussing agile working opportunities during the hiring process.