AN open air museum is offering a job opportunity with the chance to make history.

The search is on for a construction manager to take on the unique challenge of building the past, including a 1950s town, farm and Georgian coaching inn where visitors can stay overnight at Beamish Museum, near Stanley.

The role is among the first of 100 new jobs and 50 apprenticeships set to be created by the £18m Remaking Beamish project, supported by £10.9million from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF).

More than 30 new exhibits will be built over the next four years and the museum is looking for the right person to join its existing talented team.

Paul Marron, buildings team leader in masonry, said: “You’ll need to have traditional skills as well as new, understand historic buildings and work as a team. You’ll be building everything from a coaching inn to 1950s buildings.”

Shaun Kay, Buildings Team Leader – Joinery, said: “The project is a fantastic opportunity to work on the North East’s heritage. You’ll be giving something back to the community, building something that’s going to be here for many years to come.

“We’re looking for people who are passionate about what they do, somebody who can give exceptional quality and attention to detail because that’s what we’re all about at Beamish.”

Michelle Lagar, Remaking Beamish Project Officer (Skills), said: “We are undertaking the design and build of the project in-house with the support of an experienced team that has worked on other successful museum-led projects.

“The scale and ambition of the Remaking Beamish build will give us the opportunity to grow our current construction and design team.

“The Construction Manager will be responsible for leading an exciting project to deliver a unique construction programme creating translocated buildings, replicas of existing North East buildings and original designs based on extensive historical research within the grounds of a growing open air museum.”

Closing date for applications is noon on Friday. For more information visit www.beamish.org.uk/vacancies.