Job Description

Overall Purpose of the role
You will contribute to the Arts Council's role as the national development agency for creativity and culture. You will do this by building relationships across the cultural sector, attending events and engaging with a wide range of stakeholders to improve access to cultural opportunities. You will support the delivery of our investment programmes by assessing applications, making decisions on funding and monitoring awards.
Your sector expertise in one or more of the following specialisms will ensure our work benefits more people and enriches lives across the country as part of the delivery of our strategy for 2020-2030, Let's Create.
Specialisms: Business Innovation, Children and Young People, Combined Arts, Dance, Diversity, Engagement and Communities, Environmental Responsibility, Health and Wellbeing, International, Libraries, Literature, Museums and Cultural Property, Music, Music Education, New Technology and Innovation, Philanthropy, Theatre, Touring, Strategic Partnerships, Skills and Workforce, and Visual Arts.
Main day to day responsibilities
As part of your role, you may be asked to contribute to the following:
Deliver local, national, and cross team activity that champions, invests in, and increases access to creativity and culture.
Take a place-based, creativity-led approach to cultural development by working with local stakeholders in targeted places.
Support the development of a relevant specialism and share learning from the sector to inform future strategic, investment or inclusion priorities.
Monitor a portfolio of funded organisations, programmes, and strategic funds in line with the Arts Council's policies and processes.
Participate in decision making panels on a range of funding programmes and chair panels that consider applications up to 30,000.
Assess applications across investment and development programmes for individuals, arts organisations, libraries, and museums.
Deliver targeted advice to individuals and organisations. This includes support with funding applications, developing partnerships and measuring the impact of cultural activity.
To deliver your role you will:
Use data tools effectively to track impact and identify trends. You will manage data in line with data protection regulations and internal policies.
Contribute to a positive working culture in the organisation by taking a proactive approach to learning, responding to change, inclusive practice, and environmental responsibility.
Reflect the Nolan Principles of Public Life and the Arts Council's values with a commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion.
Key relationships
Directors, Senior Relationship Managers, other Relationship Managers, Communications and Operations colleagues to provide sector and specialist knowledge to Area management team and National colleagues.
National teams, actively collaborating with the relevant National Director(s) and Senior Manager(s) to support the delivery of national priorities. This may also include being a point of contact for the National Director of a particular specialism.
External stakeholders including local authorities, other funders and cultural partners.
Essential (Skills, Knowledge, and Behaviours)
You will have knowledge, work, or voluntary experience relating to Literature and / or other specialisms we support. This may be from the creative and cultural sector or in related sectors such as local government, education, health or similar.
You will be able to demonstrate an understanding of the needs, challenges, and opportunities of place-based cultural development work.
You will have experience in developing credible relationships with a range of stakeholders in one or more of the cultural, voluntary, public, or commercial sectors.
You will have experience using a variety of analytical, communication, and numeracy skills.
You will demonstrate a commitment to working in line with the Arts Council's duty as an arm's length public body. This includes an understanding of equality, diversity, and inclusion with a commitment to challenging discrimination of all kinds.
Desirable (Skills, Knowledge and Behaviours)
A good understanding of organisational dynamics and freelance practice including business models, strategic planning, financial management, agile working, and governance.
Knowledge or experience of grant giving and monitoring
We are a Disability Confident Employer and we participate in the 'Offer an Interview' scheme, which means that we offer an interview to any disabled candidates who meet the essential criteria for the role they're applying to, subject to the volume of applications received. Disabled candidates, those living with a long-term condition and/ or neurodivergent candidates may be eligible for this scheme.
Our Code of Ethics requires that employees of the Arts Council are not able to receive an Arts Council grant, investment or loan funding - either in person, as a member of a partnership, or for any organisation they own. There are also limitations on board or CEO positions employees can hold in organisations we fund. For more information on this, please talk to the recruiting manager or contact
Interview Date: Thursday 9 October online

Skills Required