Managers and directors organise and coordinate a range of activities in the cultural heritage sector. All heritage activities and organisations to some extent require the oversight of their business activity.
Managers can therefore oversee resources and work activities in areas such as:
- Accountancy
- Fundraising
- Publicity
- Organising exhibitions
- Customer care
- Managing people and buildings.
Managers/Directors provide this support for organisations such as galleries, museums, visitor centres. They also work within heritage bodies and institutions both at national and local level. In small organisations a manager will need to have specific knowledge of cultural values that support the institution
Managers' work varies considerably depending on the type and size of the organisation. For a small museum or heritage centre, they may be responsible for the whole day-to-day running of all aspects of the venue or organisation. For a large body, such as a National Trust regional office, they may need to understand the work of several departments. This could include knowledge of policy, personnel or finance. However, the manager may not be directly responsible for this sort of work. They might also specialise in one area, such overseeing the provision of information to the public.
Although the day-to-day work activities of individual managers vary, all are involved in managing people. This can be a demanding part of the job, as a manager may have to balance the needs of an individual against those of the organisation.
