Harris

Harris Your Place is a £12m capital project that will transform the Harris Museum, Art Gallery and Library into a leading cultural venue in Preston. Supported by local, regional and national partners, and generously supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Harris Your Place is part of the city’s ambitious regeneration plans.

Preston City Council’s Cultural Service now has an exciting opportunity for a dynamic Partnership and Development Officer to join the Business team at the Harris. As Partnership and Development Officer you will lead on and manage all aspects of fundraising for the Harris and Preston City events, developing and driving forward a fundraising and partnership strategy. You will also be responsible for developing and maintaining relationships with key funders, partners, stakeholders, and others to support the Harris, ensuring that our fundraising ambition contributes to a sustainable future. The role requires a confident fundraiser with excellent written communication skills, who is highly organised with an aptitude for building partnerships and generating fundraising in a cultural setting.

Preston has a dynamic and growing independent cultural sector including artist led studios, youth led arts organisations, place making experts and innovative community practice. With a partnership in place between Preston City Council, Lancashire County Council and the University of Central Lancashire, Preston is fast becoming a focal point for the arts, culture, and leisure. A bold and transformational approach is emerging, focussed upon culture and regeneration, concentrated in the Harris Quarter area of the city centre, our city’s cultural and civic heart. This will place culture firmly as a key catalyst for change in Preston, with the Harris at the heart of the Harris Quarter.

The Harris is recognised as one of the leading museums and contemporary art venues in the region. We combine working closely with our local communities with developing a national and international reputation for quality and innovative programmes. We are a major tourist attraction, welcoming over 350,000 visitors annually. The Harris is an Arts Council National Portfolio Organisation, Band 1.

As an employer we like to thank our employees for their hard work and commitment by giving them the opportunity to access a range of employee benefits including flexi time, hybrid working, a minimum of 30 days’ annual leave (plus Bank Holidays), family friendly policies, access to an Employee Assistance Programme, Local Government Pension Scheme, AVC’s, life assurance scheme, payment of professional fees, discounted parking, cycle to work scheme and discounted bus and rail fares.