Senior Relationship Manager Visual Arts

Transformation has resulted in changes in skills requirements, roles, and numbers of roles required in the new operating model. The roles in the new operating model will be restricted to employees in the selection pool in the first instance. Selection for any jobs that remain unfilled following the agreed selection process will be conducted in line with the Global Recruitment policy.

Purpose of Role:

Our mission is to support the UK visual arts sector to connect and collaborate internationally and to provide opportunities for modern and contemporary British art to challenge and change mindsets for a more inclusive and sustainable future through our exhibition and curatorial training programmes.

We are looking for a Senior Relationship Manager to lead the Visual Arts Programme Team in delivering our vision and five-year strategy across British Council global priority regions, with particular emphasis on developing partnerships and programmes in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa.

With extensive UK sector experience and a wide network of contacts, as well as knowledge of UK contemporary art curatorial practice and strategic partnership management experience, the role will create opportunities for collaborative international programmes centring primarily on the British Council Collection of more than 8700 works of modern and contemporary British art. Our programmes include exhibitions and emerging curator programmes as well as biennial collaborations, delegations and digital/online projects.

Working closely with the Director Visual Arts, this role is responsible for managing and motivating a small Visual Arts relationship management team and ensures that Visual Arts programmes respond to sector needs and local and global cultural relations requirements.

About You

As the ideal candidate, you will have:

• A good knowledge of UK contemporary and modern visual arts practice, and the ability to make critical judgements across different genres
• Knowledge of the challenges and opportunities faced by the UK visual arts sector in their international ambitions
• An extensive network of contacts across the UK contemporary and modern art public sector
• Substantial recent professional UK public sector experience in partnership management and in overseeing the delivery of collaborative visual art projects (e.g. exhibitions, touring, curatorial programmes, commissioning etc).
• Extensive project management skills including contracts, stakeholder management, budget, risk and resource management as well as experience of managing a project team.
• Excellent writing and editing skills
• Strong business planning and financial reporting skills
• Highly developed leadership and people management skills and experience

Main Accountabilities:

Strategy and planning

• As a senior member of the global Arts team, contributes to the strategy for the development of Visual Arts programmes and projects within the Arts Global Programme portfolio, helping to establish medium and long-term development plans
• Connects with teams in countries across the global network to ensure the developing portfolio of Visual Arts programmes and projects aligns to strategic aims and objectives of the Arts Global Programme portfolio.

Sector/subject expertise

• Maintains an authoritative knowledge of the UK's strengths, reputation and capacity in the contemporary visual arts sector developing long-term partnerships at the highest level with relevant organisations to ensure programmes and projects will deliver according to the British Council's cultural relations objectives.
• Provides guidance and expertise on exhibition touring and curatorial practice across the British Council.
• Contributes to the development and delivery of the thought leadership strategy for Visual Arts, so that the British Council is recognised by external stakeholders and audiences as a respected, credible authority with regard to the role of contemporary visual arts in cultural relations.
• Represents the Visual Arts portfolio of programmes and projects within British Council and externally to enhance its reputation and to promote collaborative opportunities.
• Builds and maintains external networks in order to access, absorb and apply professional best practice to the portfolio of Visual Arts programmes and projects .

Programme management

• Contributes to the on-going planning and design of the Visual Arts programmes and projects ensuring all the elements are specified and designed to high professional and technical standards, and crucially are designed with a view to attracting fundraised support and contributes optimally to achieving the programme objectives.
• Provides design support and quality assurance advice to the programmes and projects ensuring that they are pursuing identified objectives whilst reflecting the needs of UK stakeholders and demonstrating cultural sensitivity.
• Supports the effective and consistent monitoring of programmes and projects across the global network with regular management checks to ensure internal compliance and that programmes are effectively responding to KPIs and other targets
• Develops a full understanding of the Visual Arts portfolio to identify and communicate the work and to contribute to commercial performance and/or cultural relations impact
• Provides advice and support to colleagues on connections and the development of long-term, co-designed sustainable programmes

Relationship & stakeholder management

• Develops trust-based relationships with key partners, network-organisations, opinion formers and stakeholders to promote the Visual Arts projects and programmes as activity that supports the partnership work in the UK and that will offer opportunities for UK organisations.
• Focuses on development and maintenance of relationships with potential programme delivery partners in the UK sector.

Leadership & management

• Leads on shaping the content and design of Visual Arts programmes and projects making full use of the British Council Collection and holds an overview of the Visual Arts programme portfolio.
• Contributes to effective decision-making and oversees planning and management of Visual Arts programmes and projects, working closely with the entire Visual Arts team, the Arts programme management hub and colleagues in the arts network.
• Formally line manages the Visual Arts programming team by ensuring consistent quality and high standards in programme design, timely delivery and consistency and coherence within the global programme.
• Mentors and guides internal and external colleagues in shaping collaborative projects and procurement of delivery partners, signing off all written texts for programme use as necessary.
• Actively contributes to an inclusive and anti-racist organisational culture, being aware of own biases, and taking action to mitigate against these. Ensuring people feel valued and are treated equitably, with support for people's well-being and mental health.
• Understands the British Council's approach to equality, diversity and inclusion and how it applies to role and make time for learning and development relating to EDI and anti-racism.

Business development

• Provides support to Arts fundraising, including ensuring timely and comprehensive communication of opportunities, provision of specialist advice and cooperation with delivery of supporter benefits by the Development team.
• Collaborates with the Development team to ensure that programme design is informed by fundraising considerations.
• Organises the production of materials to support the submission of high quality, market responsive sponsorship appeals, ensuring timely and appropriate input from all necessary internal stakeholders. Ensures compliance with agreed internal governance, review and sign-off arrangements.
• Represents the British Council at partner presentations and negotiations, ensuring the strategic interests and professional reputation of the organisation are protected and promoted.

Commercial, financial & resource management

• Uses agreed British Council systems and processes to lead the planning and management of budgets as necessary for a range of medium to large projects and programmes

Risk & compliance

• Ensures risk is monitored and recorded regularly across all projects and advises, resolves or escalates accordingly. Ensures appropriate contingency plans are in place and implemented promptly to manage delivery safely and effectively in challenging or high-risk circumstances.
• Signs off partner or supplier contracts drafted by Relationship Managers
• Investigates any reported instances of non-compliance with agreed corporate risk management policies (e.g. child protection, security policies, financial protocols, anti-fraud measures), and takes appropriate remedial action, including escalation to more senior colleagues as required.

Further Information

Pay Band - Pay band 8 / up to £45.000 yearly gross salary - plus £3,300 yearly gross London allowance

Contract Type - Indefinite

Location - United Kingdom

Requirements - Candidates must have the legal right to work in United Kingdom

Closing Date - 16th of October 2022

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