recruitment
Strengthening the Future of Macclesfield’s Heritage
Marketing Manager
Salary: £32500fte
Contract: 0.5, 18.75 hours per week
Term: This is a 15 month contract, funded through the National Lottery Heritage Fund; to start as soon as possible, …………………………….with the aspiration to make this permanent if resources allow.
…………………………….We are happy to consider this as a freelance / self employed contract or as a PAYE employee. Please indicate how …………………………….you would like to be contracted if appointed.
Hours of work: Working pattern flexible and negotiable; with occasional weekend and evening working to cover special events.
Leave: Statutory Leave allowance including Bank Holidays pro-rata
Location: The Silk Museum & Paradise Mill, Macclesfield; plus working from home and off site
BACKGROUND
Thanks to generous funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, The Pilgrim Trust, The Headley Trust, Granada Foundation & Arts Council England, The Silk Museum and Paradise Mill are embarking on an ambitious development programme Strengthening The Future of Macclesfield's Heritage.
The Silk Heritage Trust is working to establish The Silk Museum and Paradise Mill as a centre for silk heritage and heritage textile crafts. Strengthening The Future of Macclesfield’s Heritage will move the Trust towards this, by strengthening audiences and income generation, to provide a strong foundation for future plans.
The Silk Heritage Trust is looking for an ambitious Marketing Manager, to rebuild visitor numbers, particularly from Group and Tourist markets, and increase primary and secondary spend on site. This is urgent, as we launch new interpretation of Paradise Mill and, by early 2026, the Jacquard Studio – a new part of our offer, creating access to our remarkable collections of Pattern Books. We will be extending interpretation to link the Museum and the Mill, as well as programmes delivering exciting exhibitions.
You will oversee the development and delivery of the Museum & Mill’s marketing strategy to shape the future of our organisation: raising its profile, securing regional and national attention for our heritage offer and activities, generating audiences and helping position the Museum and Mill as an unmissable destination. Your work will focus on development and delivery of strategy as well as being aware of and have an ability to respond to visitor trends and insights This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced individual to participate in the development of an ambitious museum with audiences at its heart.
ORGANISATIONAL RELATIONSHIPS
Reporting to: Director (Development)
Working with: Group Bookings Officer (Front of House); freelance Communications (social media) support; Curatorial team, …………………………….Learning Officer, Community Engagement Programmer, Visitor Services & Enterprises Manager, Operations ……………………………Manager, Finance Manager
Managing: Volunteers and Placements as appropriate
HOW TO APPLY
Please submit your updated CV with a covering letter (no more than 2-sides A4) outlining your interest in the role and setting out how your skills and experience meet the requirements of the post, to: director@silkmacclesfield.org.uk
In your application, please indicate how you would like to be contracted if appointed – on a freelance or contracted PAYE basis. Please also let us know how soon you could start if appointed.
We want our recruitment processes to be inclusive and accessible to all candidates, including those with disabilities. Please let us know if you have any access needs in making your application.
Deadline for applications: 12 noon Thursday 18th September 2025
If you have any queries about this role in advance of the deadline, or if you have any access requirements please do not hesitate to email: director@silkmacclesfield.org.uk
INTERVIEWS
We expect to hold initial interviews – online – during the week beginning 22nd September.
There will be in person second interviews for selected candidates during the week beginning 29th September.
If you have not heard back from us by 26th September, unfortunately you will not have been shortlisted for this role.
young trustees, Silk Heritage Trust Voluntary role
c. 7 days per year, Meetings held in Macclesfield and online
We seek to recruit three new Trustees, aged 18-30, to diversify the age range of our existing Board.
“The Silk Museum and Paradise Mill tell stories of Macclesfield’s industrial past and artistic present, and the Heritage Centre is a space for small businesses. Our aim is to celebrate this creative town. We want to offer an enjoyable and thoughtful cultural experience to Macclesfield’s residents and visitors.
Our Museum should make everyone feel represented. To do this we need to be run by a broad range of people. That’s why we’re recruiting Young Trustees. After all, we have worked with young people since the Trust was founded, in 1987, and it’s time they had a say in our governance.
Being a Trustee can be a very rewarding experience. I’ve learned so much about how a Board works since I joined the Trust in 2019. I hope, if you join us, that you will too. But there are plenty of other interesting things to get involved with when you’re a Trustee. Thank you for your taking the time to look at this recruitment pack, and I hope you will apply to join our Board.”
Hannah Williamson, Interim Chair of Trustees, Silk Heritage Trust
More information about the role can be found in the Information Pack below. You are also invited to come to one of
information sessions to discuss the role.
In person: at the Silk Museum: Saturday 18th October 12 noon - 1 pm. No need to book, just turn up.
Online: Tuesday 14th October 6-6.40 pm. Please email Natalie in advance for a Zoom link: education@silkmacclesfield.org.uk
HOW TO APPLY
Send a cv and a supporting statement of not more than about 500 words. Your application does not have to be in writing: we also welcome video or audio submissions. Please tell us about any experience you have that makes you suitable for the role.
Natalie Lane, Community Programming Officer,
education@silkmacclesfield.org.uk
The Application Process
Deadline for applications: midnight, Sunday 2nd November 2025.
We will acknowledge receipt of your application. We will contact all applicants to let them know if they have been shortlisted or not by Friday 7th November.
To request feedback on your application, please contact Natalie: education@silkmacclesfield.org.uk
We will invite shortlisted applicants to interview at a time to suit them, probably during the week beginning 17th November.
We will invite successful applicants to introduce themselves at the next meeting. This will be 15 January 2026, 6-8 p.m.
Trustees
Do you want to make a real difference by helping to save part of Macclesfield’s heritage as a Trustee of the Silk Heritage Trust?
Do you have digital and social media skills? - Could you bring those skills to help us develop and optimise our strategy to achieve our objectives to reach new audiences and generate income?
Do you have retail experience? - Can you help guide how can we enhance and improve our footfall and increase our income per visitor?
Do you have fundraising experience? - How can we best approach this to make the most of what we can raise from local philanthropists and individual supporters.
Do you have financial planning experience? - Could you bring fresh, brave thinking to managing how we strengthen our financial position and resilience?
Sounds like your cup of tea? Well, please get in touch, we’d love to hear from you!