Moesgaard Museum

Location: Aarhus, Denmark

Founded in 1861, the Moesgaard Museum, situated in Hojbjerg, Denmark is dedicated to the presentation of archaeology and ethnography. The collection is now exhibited in the dramatic setting of the Museum’s new building, designed by Henning Larsen Architects and the result of a 10-year capital project completed in 2014. The institution is unusual as it also has the archaeological responsibility for the local area around Aarhus, and at the same time has the status of a special museum, which means that the archaeologists there also conduct archaeological research at home and abroad. The museum has a strong independent research profile but also works in close collaboration with the Institute of Prehistoric Archaeology, Medieval and Renaissance Archaeology and Anthropology at Aarhus University, who are key stakeholders for the Executive Director and team.

The current Executive Director of Moesgaard, Mads Kahler Holst, joined the institution in 2016 and has been leading a cultural change and restructure to best place the Museum for the years ahead. This change has led to the development of a new, more streamlined leadership team, with three new director posts created to lead on specific functional areas: administration and budgets; visitor experience and commercial; and this new position of Videnschef, or Director of Knowledge, focussing on research and the collections.

The Museum are looking for a senior leader to head up and mould this newly formed Knowledge Section, and to serve as its Deputy Director. The museum relies on solid and robust research as a foundation for its exhibits and content programs, and in the coming years has the aim of increasing international involvement and impact through reinforced collaboration and cooperation, both internally in the museum and externally. The Director of the Knowledge Section will facilitate this by promoting a positive environment for the section’s staff that sees cohesion and coherence between the many different tasks that are undertaken within this area. Candidates will bring a track record of senior strategic leadership, with a strong interest in one the Museum’s core scientific fields: archaeology, ethnography/anthropology or history. They will need to be a natural collaborator and have strong stakeholder management expertise. The post-holder will need excellent people management and communication skills alongside the profile and gravitas to be an ambassador for the institution.

Saxton Bampfylde Ltd is acting as an employment agency advisor to the Moesgaard Museum on this appointment. For further information about the role, including details about how to apply, please visit www.saxbam.com/appointments using reference EAJAUA1. Alternatively telephone +44 (0)20 7227 0880 (during office hours). Applications should be received by noon Wednesday 1 September 2021.