Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS)
Organisation British Museum
Sponsor department Department for Culture, Media and Sport
Location London
Sectors Culture, Media & Sport
Skills Business, Major Projects
Number of vacancies 4
Time commitment 1 day per month
Length of term 4 years
Application deadline 3pm on 17 August 2026 Timeline for this appointment
Sifting date 3 September 2026
Interviews expected to end on 7 October 2026
Introduction
The Prime Minister is seeking to appoint four new Trustees to the British Museum board.
We are seeking to appoint Trustees with strong generalist skills and those with experience/expertise in one of the following areas:
- Community Engagement
- Capital Projects
- Finance / Business Leadership
Information Session – Friday 31 July
Time: 10:00 AM – 10:45 AM
Join Eoin Martin, Director of Governance at the British Museum, for an online Teams session to learn about and ask questions regarding the four Trustee roles at the British Museum.
There will also be an opportunity to ask the DCMS Appointments Team about the Public Appointments process.
Appointment Description
Board composition
The Museum’s Board consists of 25 Trustees, one of whom is appointed by The Sovereign, 15 by the Prime Minister, 5 by the Board itself and 4 by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on the recommendations of the British Academy, the Royal Academy, the Royal Society and the Society of Antiquaries of London respectively.
The role of the Board is to ensure the Museum is run in compliance with the British Museum Act (1963), the Charity Act (2011) and other relevant legislation, regulations and principles relevant to the Museum as an exempt charity, national museum and public body. The Board also ensures that high standards of corporate governance are maintained and that the Museum has robust control systems, decision-making processes and management in place. In doing so, it advises and supports the Museum’s executive, led by its Director, Dr Nicholas Cullinan, to ensure the effective operation of the Museum and the curation, conservation and exhibition of its collection.
Organisation Description
The British Museum is an exempt charity and Non-Departmental Public Body sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. The Museum seeks four new Trustees for appointment by the Prime Minister.
Established by Act of Parliament in 1753, the British Museum is the oldest national public museum in the world. Its mission is to house, curate, conserve, research and exhibit a collection of world cultures. With a collection totalling eight million objects, the British Museum is unique in bringing together under one roof the cultures of the world, which allows us to explore the extraordinary diversity of human culture, to discover the many forms and expressions human beings have given to every aspect of life, and to realise how closely they are interconnected.
In 2024/25, its iconic home in Bloomsbury received 6.5 million visitors, while a further 8 million people saw objects from the British Museum’s collection elsewhere in the UK, thanks to nearly 2,000 object loans to institutions around the country, including partner organisations and community groups with whom the Museum co-curates the display of loaned objects.
In addition to the audiences in London and around the UK, the Museum has deep connections with museums, collections and communities around the globe. In 2024/25 it loaned nearly 1,500 objects internationally and worked with partners from Iraq to Nigeria to Tahiti, helping to ensure that the Museum remains a museum in and of the world.
Like many major museums, the British Museum has faced significant challenges in recent years. As we move towards its 275th anniversary in 2028, however, the Museum is entering into an exciting new era with a long-term masterplan to renew and rethink how we tell the common story of human culture by revitalising the Museum estate and improving how visitors experience the collection in London, across the UK, and around the world.
Person specification Essential criteria
- Equality, diversity and inclusion: A commitment to promoting and widening access to the British Museum collection for everyone, considering the needs of all visitors/users, with a purpose of fostering greater social cohesion; access and engagement objectives;
- Knowledge: A clear understanding of the work, priorities and challenges of the British Museum and the context within which it operates domestically and internationally;
- Commitment: A commitment to supporting the Museum’s role in preserving cultural heritage, and in using the collection to support education and the understanding of British and world cultures and history;
- Judgement: Effective decision-making skills with the ability to critically analyse a wide range of information to make clear and objective evidence-based recommendations to support the delivery of the British Museum’s objectives;
- Fundraising: The ability and commitment to supporting fundraising activities and to work with the Museum’s advancement team to contribute to the delivery of fundraising ambitions;
- Communication: Strong communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to listen, accept challenges and constructively challenge others with clarity and respect;
- Governance: The ability to operate at board level, with a focus on performance monitoring, and strategic thinking.
Desirable criteria
In addition to the essential criteria outlined above, we would welcome applicants with experience in one of the following areas:
- Community Engagement: Experience of spearheading public programmes that broaden access to and/or improving opportunities for people of all backgrounds;
- Capital Projects: Oversight of major building or infrastructure works (particularly in historic buildings);
- Finance / Business Leadership: Experience in financial and investment planning and /or expertise in business leadership with reference to large-scale project management.
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