Job Details

Work Pattern: 37.5 hours per week. Worked across 5 in 7 days on a rota basis but will include a mixture of office hours, and evening/weekend work in line with the needs of the programme. We are open to discussing flexible working

Salary: £30,000–£33,000 per annum (FTE, dependent on experience)

Contract: Permanent

Line manager: Head of Programming

Responsible for: Inspirers

Holiday: 25 days per annum plus bank holidays FTE. Option to buy/sell some leave and gain additional days for continuous service after four years. Bank holiday working required.

Location: Usually Winchester Science Centre with occasional working required at Wonderseekers HQ, Eastleigh. Onsite presence is essential for the majority of this role.

Benefits: Cash health scheme, life assurance, buy/sell annual leave, long service holiday bonus, café 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, inflationary pay rise subject to charity performance and more.

Closing Date: Wednesday 28th January 2026 Please note, we’ll accept applications until the closing date, but we may start interviewing earlier - so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible.

Interviews:

Our interview process is designed to be relaxed and informative, and will include an in-person interview, tour and a brief task. Depending on the number of applicants, we may also arrange an informal Teams call prior to meeting in person. We look forward to getting to know candidates through a two-way process, so you’ll have plenty of opportunities to learn about us and what it’s like to work at Wonderseekers.

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.

The Role

The Creative Programme Producer is a dynamic and imaginative individual who brings projects from concept to delivery with creative flair and precision. Responsible for a portfolio of events, live demonstrations, exhibitions, and content strands, the role will inspire, entertain, and connect with audiences, particularly children and families.

The Creative Programme Producer plays a key role in embedding new exhibitions and spaces into the public programme, ensuring they deliver their intended objectives and remain fresh, engaging, and commercially effective. The role works closely with the Creative Learning Producer, Planetarium Officer, Business Development Officer, ECO team, and Children’s Voice steering group to ensure joined-up, inclusive, and child-centred programming across all areas of the visitor offer.

Key Responsibilities

Programming & Creative Design

• Design and deliver the creative vision of the public programme, ensuring all content is bold, imaginative, and of consistently high quality.
• Develop and produce shows, exhibitions, events, and digital content that align with organisational strategy.
• Seek out, negotiate with, contract, and collaborate with creatives, performers, and scientists to deliver innovative experiences.
• Support the transition of new exhibitions and capital projects into the live programme, embedding them into the visitor offer and sustaining long-term engagement.
• Work with the Children’s Voice steering group to test ideas, shape activities, and ensure young people’s perspectives are central to programming.
• Collaborate with the ECO team to ensure accessibility and inclusion are embedded across all activities, and that Inspirers are equipped and supported to deliver successfully.

Project & Production Management

• Lead projects from start to finish, managing planning, resourcing, scheduling, and delivery.
• Provide production oversight, ensuring technical, logistical, and creative elements are delivered on time, within budget, and to the highest standard.
• Collaborate with the Visitor Experience team to ensure seamless delivery and excellent visitor journeys.
• Ensure compliance with health & safety, safeguarding, licensing, copyright, and accessibility standards.

Audiences & Collaboration

• Use insight and evaluation to shape public programmes that respond to audience needs.
• Collaborate with the Creative Learning Producer to integrate science engagement and educational value into public-facing content.
• Work alongside the Planetarium Officer and Business Development Officer to deliver integrated programming across exhibitions, planetarium shows, learning offers, and events.
• Embed insights from Children’s Voice into evaluation cycles, ensuring their perspectives inform decision-making.

Finance, Evaluation & Growth

• Manage project budgets, ensuring effective and responsible use of resources.
• Identify opportunities and partnerships that deliver both mission and commercial value.
• Use data, evaluation, and feedback to evidence impact and inform future planning.

Leadership & Team Development

• Line manage the Inspirer team, setting objectives, monitoring performance, and supporting professional development.
• Lead cross-functional project teams, fostering creativity, collaboration, and accountability.

Skills & Experience

Essential

• Demonstrable experience producing or leading multidisciplinary creative projects from concept to delivery, working with artists, producers, makers and other practitioners to design and deliver innovative audience experiences.
• Proven experience programming or curating artistic or cultural content in an arts, culture, or visitor attraction setting, with a focus on creative collaboration.
• Experience commissioning new creative work, including developing briefs, selecting collaborators, negotiating fees and managing rights and licensing agreements.
• Proven ability to manage creative teams and contractors across multiple disciplines such as performance, installation, digital media and design.
• Experience negotiating and contracting with artists, producers, and external partners to ensure clarity of scope, deliverables and intellectual property ownership.
• Strong understanding of audience development, inclusivity and accessible programming, grounded in cultural best practice.
• Project management experience that ensures creative, technical and operational partners deliver their elements on time and within budget.
• Knowledge of production processes including staging, AV, installation and technical theatre practice, with the ability to translate creative intent into practical delivery.
• Budget management and financial reporting experience within creative or cultural projects.
• Excellent collaboration, communication and stakeholder management skills, particularly across creative and operational teams.
• Line management or leadership experience, including supporting creative freelancers and emerging practitioners.
• Deep commitment to creativity, culture and child-centred engagement, with an understanding of the role of art and culture in inspiring curiosity.

Desirable

• Experience embedding learning or science content in public programmes.
• Experience of fundraising, sponsorship, or partnership development.
• Experience with digital or hybrid programme delivery.

Additional Information

• The post-holder will be subject to an enhanced DBS check.
• Flexibility to support events or operational needs outside of standard hours may be required.

Ready to Apply?

Click here to visit our recruitment webpage. When you’re ready, please submit your application through our recruitment portal here for this vacancy.

You’ll be asked to share your contact details and answer a few short questions so we can get to know you better. Keep your responses clear and concise - this is your chance to really shine! After that, you’ll upload your cover letter and CV.

We’re always happy to chat about the role before you apply - just reach out using the details below.

If you need any reasonable adjustments at any stage of the application or interview process, please don’t hesitate to let us know. We want to make sure the process works for you.