Step into a truly out-of-this-world opportunity with Winchester Science Centre as a Planetarium Officer! Home to the UK’s largest standalone planetarium, we’re looking for a talented individual to create and deliver awe-inspiring planetarium shows using Digistar.
As part of a passionate team, you’ll oversee the entire planetarium experience, ensuring high-quality delivery across a range of science engagement programmes. You’ll be at the heart of developing exciting content, managing a dynamic team, and ensuring our planetarium remains a cutting-edge, accessible venue for audiences of all ages. If you're a creative, forward-thinking professional with a love for science and accessibility, join us and help shape the future of science communication!
The Role
Winchester Science Centre is home to the UK’s largest standalone planetarium, and is committed in delivering outstanding quality planetarium shows, from all our audiences. We are seeking an individual with the knowledge and experience of creating and delivering planetarium show using Digistar. You will join our team of Officers who develop, coordinate, deliver and evaluate our different science engagement programs across the charity. The Planetarium Officer is primarily dedicated to ensure the whole planetarium offer is of a high quality and delivered seamlessly across all our programming streams.
This is a fantastic and unique opportunity to join a charity with a dedicated, friendly and supportive team, you will make an important contribution to the future development of this charity. The Planetarium Officer is part of the Programming Team, managed by the Head of Programming and will line manager some of our science communication team of Inspirers.
Our planetarium is a USP of the charity’s offer. We strive for our offer to be fully accessible, and the successful applicant must be an active advocate for accessibility and always looking to develop engagements with accessibility built in. The successful applicant will work with the Head of Digital Infrastructure to maintain the planetariums hardwear and the Head of Estates to maintain this important facility. You will ensure its current high standard is maintained, with regular live content development and regular training sessions for our Inspirer Team. You will have excellent knowledge of new planetarium opportunities from across the globe, to support the Head of Programming to develop exciting audience driven content for our charity. The post holder manages and implements day-to-day delivery and budget, supported by the Head of Programming.
The planetarium is an incredible events space, unique in the South Downs area, and sought after as a space for meetings, presentations, celebrations, and film screenings. We also host our own range of events throughout the year with shows and experiences in the planetarium being a key feature. Working with the Head of Programmes the successful candidate will help curate awe inspiring content for a range of different events along with training of inspirers to deliver the content.
Key Responsibilities
- Maintain, manage and develop the content for the planetarium, including creation of shows, delivery and evaluation on a daily basis, supported by the Head of Programming.
- Work with the Head of Digital Infrastructure to maintain the IT hardware systems within planetarium, ensuring any system issues are addressed quickly to ensure there is no planetarium downtime.
- Work with the Head of Estates to maintain the facilities of the planetarium.
- Manage a key contract relationship with Digistar, particularly to perform regular software maintenance including updates and backups.
- Act as Duty Manager, when needed, being responsible for the whole building.
- Maintain and develop scientific and public interest knowledge relating to space and in particularly earth sciences, share relevant information with the wider team and use it to curate an outstanding digital experience in the planetarium.
- Manage the planetarium budget, with support from the Head of Programming.
- Deliver inspirational science communication activities through a range of engagement methods, including planetarium shows, workshops, science shows, and exhibitions across all charity audiences
- Take an active role within our Programming Officer team, and support colleagues to achieve our charitable mission to build science capital for all.
- Line manage, grow and develop our team of Inspirer’s to become outstanding science communication and public engagement professionals
- Provide knowledgeable, fun and engaging training sessions for the department, to ensure high standards are met within our offers and share best practice across the team.
- Supervise and manage volunteers/interns who support our charity.
- Provide excellent communication, cross departmentally, to support our culture of close team work.
- To undertake other tasks as could reasonably arise within the remit of Planetarium Officer to include all levels of work within this team. The above should not be considered an exhaustive list.
Job details
Hours: 37.5 per week. Flexibility will be considered working a minimum of 30 hours per week (0.8 full time equivalent). Salary and holiday will be adjusted accordingly.
Work pattern: Usually Monday to Friday 9am-5pm, with regular evening and weekend work (around 1 in 4 weekends). The science centre and planetarium operates 7 days a week and therefore flexibility will be required.
Salary: £26,500-£30,000 per annum (full-time)
Contract: Permanent
Line manager: Head of Programming
Responsible for: Inspirers
Holiday: 25 days per annum plus bank holidays (full-time). 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.
Location: Between both sites - Winchester Science Centre, Winchester, SO21 1HZ and Wonderseekers HQ, Eastleigh, SO50 9DE.
Application deadline and interviews: The application deadline is Thursday 10th April 2025 at 9am with interviews likely to take place between 22nd – 29th April. We encourage interested candidates to submit their applications promptly, as we may invite suitable applicants for interview before the stated deadline. We therefore reserve the right to close the recruitment process early.
Please contact us if you’d like to arrange an informal chat or have any questions about the role before applying by emailing hr@wonderseekers.charity.
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.
Interview Process:
We look forward to getting to know you through our friendly and welcoming interview process. The interview is likely to include a pre-interview task and questions from our panel. Interview questions will be circulated in advance.
We can’t wait to hear from you! Please contact us if you’d like to arrange an informal chat, or have any questions about the role before applying on hr@wonderseekers.charity.
Ready to apply?
When you are ready to apply, please submit your application through our recruitment portal.
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.
