Heather McGuicken

Heather McGuicken is the Director of the Northern Ireland Museums Council (NIMC). She is responsible for upholding the organisation’s reputation for delivering high-quality advice on museums and heritage, while also cultivating relationships with local, national, and international partners.

Her previous roles include Collections Operations Manager at National Museums NI, where she oversaw the management and transport of collections held in both on-site and off-site storage facilities. She also managed North Down Museum for ten years, with responsibilities spanning staff leadership, budget oversight, policy and procedure development, exhibitions, events, and capital projects. Earlier in her career, Heather served as Development Officer at NIMC for 14 years, supporting museum Accreditation, professional training, and communications.

In addition to her current role, she is a tutor in Collections Care and Management on the MA in Museum Practice and Management at the University of Ulster and serves as an Accreditation Assessor for the Museum Standards Programme for Ireland (MSPI). She has also sat on the Arts Council England Accreditation Panel and the Heritage Council taskforce reviewing the MSPI scheme.

Heather McGuicken was elected to the IMA's board of directors in May 2025.