Job Description

Are you passionate about using audience and data insight to spark curiosity and inspire change? As our new Head of Audiences, you'll lead a bold, data-driven strategy that places audience understanding at the heart of everything we do - shaping programmes, experiences and campaigns that reach further, resonate deeper, and include everyone. You'll be joining a values-driven charity with a welcoming, collaborative culture, outstanding staff benefits, and a deep commitment to inclusion, wellbeing, and work-life balance.

Job details

Hours:

37.5 per week (flexible working considered, working a minimum of 0.9 FTE/33.75 hours per week)

Location:

Between both sites - Winchester Science Centre (WSC), Winchester, SO21 1HZ, and Wonderseekers HQ, Eastleigh, SO50 9DE. Onsite presence is essential for the majority of this role, however occasional remote working is possible for a small proportion of time - this can be discussed at the interview stage.

Work pattern:

Usually Monday to Friday working during office hours. Occasional out of hours work will be required. The charity operates 7 days a week.

Salary:

Between 40,000 - 43,500 per annum (1 FTE)

Contract:

Permanent

Line manager:

Chief Operating Officer

Responsible for:

Marketing Officer, Digital Content and Brand Producer

Holiday:

25 days per annum plus bank holidays. Option to buy/sell some leave and gain additional days for continuous service after four years. The post-holder will not usually be expected to work bank holidays however when duties require, time off in lieu will be available.

Benefits:

Cash health scheme, life assurance, buy/sell annual leave, long service holiday bonus, cafe and shop discount, electric vehicle salary sacrifice scheme, free tickets to WSC and partner attractions, family friendly leave, wellbeing policy, mental health first aiders, cycle to work scheme, financial loans, flexible IT, casual dress, staff events, enhanced pension contribution and pension salary sacrifice scheme, inflationary pay rise subject to charity performance and more.

Deadline:

Monday 25th August 5pm

Interviews:

1st and/or 3rd September

About our Charity

Wonderseekers (the Charity behind Winchester Science Centre) strives to engage all children with science so they can live happier, healthier and more sustainable lives and contribute to improving life on Earth. The Charity runs Winchester Science Centre - a vibrant, hands-on experience for young children. Promising an exciting day out for families, with curriculum-linked trips for schools and an evening events programme, the Science Centre welcomes over 170,000 visitors every year. Through our magnificent planetarium and live science experiences, science is brought to life in imaginative, fun and accessible ways that means everyone is included.

1. The Role

The Head of Audiences is a new leadership role in the Commercial Operations team designed to ensure that audience insight and segmentation are at the heart of everything we do. This role will lead on understanding who our current and prospective audiences are, how they engage with us and what they need now and in the future. You will use this insight to guide programming, marketing, visitor experience at Winchester Science Centre but as we evolve our Charity's reach and engagement you will play an important role in ensuring we fulfil our ambitious plans and reaching a diverse community. By building an inclusive and evidence-based audience strategy, this role will enable Winchester Science Centre to grow reach and engagement, deepen impact and fulfil its charitable mission to inspire a lifetime of curiosity in science.

The role is part of the Commercial Operations team led by the Chief Operating Officer and will work closely with the Head of Programming and Head of Visitor Experience. However, you will work with the wider leadership and their teams to ensure that both the community programme and on-site experience are insight-led, responsive to audience needs, and relevant to a wide range of segments. It plays a key role in championing access, equity and inclusion across all areas of the Charity's work.

As we embark on a chapter of significant growth, you will play a pivotal role in identifying the audiences and ensuring they sit at the heart of our decision making. You will work with key stakeholders across the business, including our Children's Voice, to ensure the Charity can achieve its commercial and impact objectives. At the heart of that conversation is a deep understanding of our audiences through geo-demographic and / or psychographic audience segmentation, that you will lead on.

You will lead a small team, with the potential for growth, comprising a Marketing Officer and a Digital Content and Brand Producer. Together, you will be responsible for driving bold, creative campaigns that are grounded in audience insight, developing engaging content across all channels, and supporting the evolution of our brand to reflect the diversity and ambition of our mission. As the team grows, you will shape its direction, nurture talent, and ensure alignment between strategy and delivery across all audience touchpoints.

2.

Key Responsibilities

Lead the organisation's audience strategy, embedding a data-led approach that informs programme development, marketing and wider organisational planning and offer.

Lead the audiences' team to deliver high impact campaigns that delivers on organisational objectives and visitation targets, that contributes to the continued brand development of Wonderseekers and Winchester Science Centre.

Use your expertise in audience segmentation to design, shape and oversee the delivery of multi-channel marketing strategies that maximises return on investment and successfully drives visitation and audience engagement targets.

Gather, analyse and communicate audience insight using internal data, commissioned research and external benchmarking to build a shared understanding of current and potential audiences.

Develop strategic campaigns to deliver audience growth with a focus on breadth (reach), depth (repeat engagement), equity (inclusive access) and impact (positive change).

Collaborate with the Head of Programming to ensure audience needs, motivations and barriers directly inform the content, tone and timing of all programmes.

Collaborate with the Development team to identify and align target audiences for new exhibitions and experiences.

Collaborate with the fundraising team to ensure audience alignment for fundraising activities.

Champion a culture of audience-centred decision-making across the organisation, ensuring all teams understand and use segmentation to shape their work and programmes.

Provide actionable insight to the marketing team to refine messaging, campaign targeting, content tone and channel strategy by segment.

Work in partnership with the Head of Visitor Experience to ensure audience insight and segmentation inform all aspects of the on-site experience including welcome, signage, wayfinding, service tone, flow and accessibility.

Ensure programme, marketing and visitor experience are aligned to deliver a coherent, satisfying and inclusive journey for every audience group.

Evaluate the audience experience across all touchpoints, using qualitative and quantitative feedback to support continuous improvement and operational learning.

Contributing with the Head of Equity, Community, and Outreach to access and inclusion planning, ensuring physical, cultural and digital barriers are identified and addressed through evidence and audience consultation.

Lead the piloting and testing of new engagement approaches, using segmentation insight to design and evaluate innovative offers across programme and experience.

Collaborate with the Head of Digital Infrastructure and our web developers to ensure CRM, ticketing and digital platforms support effective tracking, evaluation and personalisation by audience segment

Build internal capability by supporting colleagues to interpret and apply audience insight in their own work across programming, schools, visitor experience and marketing.

Report regularly to the Executive Leadership Team and Board, sharing insight on audience trends, performance, and opportunities for future growth.

Represent the organisation externally at relevant stakeholder events, networks and sector forums to share learning and maintain visibility.

Manage the department budget effectively, ensuring resources are allocated to maximise insight, impact, engagement, and visitation.

Actively participate in senior leadership meetings and planning processes, ensuring key audience insight is integrated into organisational decision-making.

Any other reasonable tasks commensurate with the position.

Special Circumstances

There may be occasional work, meetings and events in evenings, early mornings and at weekends which will be compensated by time off in lieu. Additional overtime would be arranged only with agreement of both the employee and line manager. Occasional travel may be required.

3. Person Specification

Essential skills and experience

Significant experience in using geo-demographic and / or psychographic audience insights in a cultural, visitor attraction or charitable setting to drive visitation and engagement. Expertise and experience in developing and applying segmentation models to inform marketing, visitor experience and programming strategies. Demonstrable experience in leading, creating and delivering audience-led marketing campaigns that have achieved significant step changes in engagement, visitation or other key performance outcomes. Demonstrated ability to turn complex data into actionable strategy and influence decision-making across teams. Experience in co-creating programmes or campaigns with diverse or underserved audience groups. Strong understanding of evaluation and impact measurement tools (e.g. surveys, focus groups, behavioural data, CRM analytics). Confident working across multiple departments and building organisational capability in audience understanding. Strong facilitation, presentation and reporting skills.

Core Competencies

Passionate about public engagement, access and inclusion. An infectious enthusiasm and commitment that drives change. Strategic and analytical thinker who can join the dots across insight and experience. Strong communicator and collaborator. Self-motivated and able to lead and influence a range of stakeholders. Values-driven with an enthusiasm for data-informed storytelling. A proactive, 'can-do' attitude with a willingness to take measured risks to deliver beyond the brief and mission of the Charity. Able to work in an agile and responsive way, adapting quickly to changing priorities, emerging insights and audience needs while maintaining focus on long-term goals.
In addition applicants will have:

A clean record on the Disclosure and Barring Service

Ready to Apply?

When you are ready to apply, please submit your application through our recruitment portal https://www.wonderseekers.charity/vacancies.

https://app.staffologyhr.co.uk/recruit/application/apply.aspx?cid=755-20997768-4FDC-4C0F-A6FD-0348D8F832B7&VacancyID=29520-E0EE18DE-0487-4232-89D6-B64B115A5157

You will be asked to submit your contact details and answer a few questions so we can get to know you. Please keep your responses concise, this is your opportunity to really stand out. After answering these questions, please upload your cover letter and CV.

Need information in a different format or would like to apply in an alternative way? Just get in touch using the email address above or call our office and book a call with HR on 07483 371391.

No recruitment agencies, thank you.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: 40,000.00-43,500.00 per year

Benefits:

Additional leave Bereavement leave Casual dress Company events Company pension Cycle to work scheme Discounted or free food Employee discount Enhanced maternity leave Enhanced paternity leave Flexitime Free flu jabs Free or subsidised travel Free parking Health & wellbeing programme Life insurance On-site parking Paid volunteer time Private medical insurance Sick pay Store discount Transport links Work from home
Work Location: Hybrid remote in Winchester SO21 1HZ

Application deadline: 25/08/2025