Marketing Manager – The Silk Museum & Paradise Mill

Job Title: Marketing Manager

Hours: 0.5 FTE / 18.75 hours per week

Terms: 15 month contract, either freelance or PAYE employee

Location: The Silk Heritage Trust, Macclesfield

Strengthening the Future of Macclesfield’s Heritage

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.

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: 12noon Thursday 18September 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 22 September

There will be in person second interviews for selected candidates during the week beginning 29 September

If you have not heard back from us by 26September, unfortunately you will not have been shortlisted for this role