Job vacancies
The Hepworth Wakefield has welcomed 3 million visitors since opening in May 2011 and is now established as one of the most successful public art galleries in the UK, attracting critical acclaim and audiences from around the world.
We present an ambitious programme of major exhibitions of the best international modern and contemporary art, alongside innovative displays drawn from Wakefield’s growing art collection. Central to our work is our learning programme that engages schools, families, adults and local community groups through inspiring creative learning opportunities.
In 2019, we opened The Hepworth Wakefield Garden, designed by Tom Stuart-Smith, to complement our David Chipperfield-designed gallery and provide an inspiring public garden, free for all to enjoy. We are currently delivering two capital projects to complete our wider waterfront site, including returning our much-loved playground and creating a workshop and yard space for our Gardener and her team of volunteers.
We are committed to improving diversity within our organisation and we welcome and encourage applications from candidates who are under-represented within the arts sector. Our inclusive recruitment practices include:
- Ensuring our jobs are widely advertised to reach a diverse range of applicants
- Using an anonymised application process for shortlisting where possible
- Applying positive action where legal and appropriate
- Actively monitoring the diversity of our applicants
- Ensuring our job descriptions are inclusive
- Ensuring shortlisting and interview panels are as diverse as possible
- Staff training
The Hepworth Wakefield is a Disability Confident Employer and any applicants who identify as disabled and meet the minimum criteria will be offered an interview. If you would like to declare you have a disability in order for this to be taken into consideration during shortlisting, or you require any reasonable adjustments for any part of the recruitment process, please contact Georgie Booth on georginabooth@hepworthwakefield.org.
The Hepworth Wakefield is proud to confirm we are a Living Wage Employer, certified by the Living Wage Foundation.
Benefits for contracted staff include:
- 25 days annual leave (plus bank holidays), rising to 28 days after 3 years of service
- Hybrid working for appropriate roles
- Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption entitlements
- Enhanced sick pay entitlements
- Employee Assistance Programme
- Occupational Health
- Free eye tests
- Group Pension Plan, including an employer contribution up to 6%
- Discount in The Hepworth shop and café
- Discounted travel schemes
- Discounted gym membership
- Free entry to a variety of national and international museums and galleries
Our mission is to create experiences that inspire, captivate, surprise and enhance everyone’s lives. Our team is bold, open and we embrace quality and innovation and we value all our staff and their commitment to driving our success. Read our Vision, Mission and Values here. If you would like to join our highly motivated team please see our current vacancies below.
Vacancies
Project Curator (Maternity Cover)
£35,250 per annum pro rata
Fixed-term contract to cover a period of maternity leave expected to last 12 months, July 2026 – June 2027
Part-time – hours negotiable dependent on candidate, minimum 2 days (15 hours) / maximum 3 days (22.5 hours) per week
Full-time (5 days / 37 hours per week) during install, May 2027.
Hybrid working options available
The Project Curator (Maternity Cover) will support the Artistic Director with the delivery of a major temporary exhibition, opening in May 2027, including researching, administrating, planning and installing the exhibition, and contributing to its publication as well as learning and public programmes which will run alongside.
This is a unique opportunity to work on an exceptional exhibition, if you’re a highly experienced Curator looking for their next project, we’d love to hear from you.
For more information about the role please see the job description Project Curator (Maternity Cover) JD . For details on how to apply, please see below.
Deadline for applications is 9am on Tuesday 5 May 2026
Interviews will take place on Monday 11 May 2026
Garden Trainee
£13.45 per hour
Fixed-term trainee position for 24 months, September 2026 – August 2028
Full-time – 37 hours per week
This new two-year Garden traineeship offers an exciting opportunity for a candidate starting out in professional horticulture, who is keen to gain exceptional practical training in two unique settings, alongside achieving their professional RHS or City & Guilds Level 2 or 3 Horticultural qualification.
The trainee will work alongside the Cultural Gardener to learn how to care for the garden, as well as being involved in visitor engagement, supporting volunteer sessions, and working with our public programme and learning teams to deliver outdoor creative activities.
To ensure an inspiring and comprehensive horticultural traineeship, The Hepworth Wakefield are partnering with Cliff Bank Nursery, a small specialist nursery in Huby, where the candidate will learn professional propagation skills and also help to grow a new range of Hepworth Wakefield plants for sale.
If you are looking to take your first steps into professional horticulture and seeking a unique and exciting opportunity to learn and develop, we would love to hear from you!
The Garden traineeship has been made possible thanks to generous support from The Julia Rausing Trust.
For more information about the role please see the job description THW Garden Trainee JD. For details on how to apply, please see below.
Deadline for applications is 9am on Monday 18 May 2026
Interviews will take place on Tuesday 2 June 2026
Sales Assistant
£13.45 per hour
Permanent
Part-time – 12 hours per week including a regular weekend day. Overtime often available.
Working in our gallery retail shop, you are often the last (and sometimes the first) point of contact for visitors, and as such play a key role in making everyone’s experience of The Hepworth Wakefield enjoyable and memorable. Our ideal candidate is motivated by providing great service, getting to know our customers and recommending products that will suit their every need.
Our successful candidate will be someone who enjoys selling and takes pride in building their product knowledge and customer service skills to help us make the most of every visitor. You will be self-motivated and responsible, with the attention to detail required to support us in running a successful and profitable business.
We are looking for someone who can primarily work weekends – these are the days where we see the greatest number of visitors through the door – with the potential for overtime to support seasonal activity and occasional off-site working.
For more information about the role please see the job description Sales Assistant JD. For details on how to apply, please see below.
Deadline for applications is 9am on Monday 18 May 2026
Interviews will be held on Wednesday 3 June 2026
Café Supervisor
£27,052 per annum pro rata
Permanent
Part-time – minimum 15 hours / up to 22.5 hours per week, including weekends.
Since bringing our café in house four years ago, we’ve seen year on year growth, as the gallery has driven increased visitor numbers to the site and our impressive menu converts more of those visitors to our customers. We’re anticipating more growth in the years ahead, which is why we’re looking to expand our café leadership team so we can maintain the highest levels of service and guest experience.
As well as being a key feature of any visit to The Hepworth Wakefield, our café is a destination in its own right, with people travelling for miles to enjoy our seasonal and sustainable menu that champions local suppliers, attend our catered public and private events and be part of our sell-out supper clubs.
If you take pride in supporting and leading a team to provide a memorable customer experience for all our visitors and are motivated to contribute to a vital income stream to fund the gallery’s work, we’d love to hear from you.
For more information about the role please see the job description Cafe Supervisor JD. For details on how to apply, please see below.
Deadline for applications is 9am on Monday 18 May 2026
Interviews will be held week commencing 25 May 2026
