Communications Manager

We are recruiting for a Communications Manager at Nesta (Arts & Culture Finance)

About Nesta

Following our incubation within Nesta, in the next few months Arts & Culture Finance is becoming a new independent organisation, Figurative. Over time, our vision for Figurative is to be the leading innovation agency for the cultural and creative sectors (CCS). In the short to medium term, the organisation will build on the success of our existing work in social impact investment in the CCS as we raise new funds and develop innovation programmes around financial resilience. 

Examples of our work to date (as Arts & Culture Finance) include: 

• Our flagship £20m Arts & Culture Impact Fund, which provides loan finance to UK based arts, culture and heritage organisations delivering social impact; 
• The report Impact Investing in the Cultural and Creative Sectors: Insights from an emerging field, commissioned by the UK’s Creative Industries Policy & Evidence Centre, which explores how impact investment can be a transformative tool for the CCS; 
• The Creativity, Culture Capital essay collection, a collaboration between Arts & Culture Finance, Upstart Co-Lab (USA) and Fundacion Compromiso (Argentina) that provides case studies of how impact capital is supporting innovation in the creative economy.  Through Arts & Culture Finance, we’ve supported organisations from Birmingham Royal Ballet to Birkenhead’s Future Yard with social investment, and as Figurative we’re looking to continue our work and go from strength to strength, within the UK and globally. As Figurative undergoes its spin-out into an independent organisation, we are seeking a proactive and experienced Communications Manager to join our small team. The successful candidate will play a crucial role in implementing our communication strategy during this pivotal transition.

The role

Branding and new organisation communications:

• Support the leadership team and design agency as we establish Figurative's new brand identity act as brand guardian, ensuring all visual and verbal brand assets and implemented effectively across all touchpoints.
• Ensure that the new brand deliverables (logos, templates, assets) are implemented correctly.
• Develop and implement a comprehensive communication strategy to further the organisation’s strategic objectives.

Marketing:

• Promote the current open fund (the Arts & Culture Impact Fund) to appropriate organisations, ensuring that a healthy pipeline of credible enquiries is maintained.
• Proactively seek new opportunities to place advertising for the fund.
• Lead on new and existing media partnerships with sector press, conferences and appropriate media organisations including arranging relevant advertising for the open fund and regular promotion of the fund to umbrella organisations, trade bodies, conferences, and funding partners including Arts Council England.

Partnerships and profile-building:

• Manage communications relationships with funders and key contacts in finance, charity sector, arts and culture, government, and public bodies.
• Support the delivery and promotion of quarterly ‘Open House’ events offering advice about social impact investment and organisational development to arts, culture and heritage organisations
• Work to raise the profile of the organisation through conference presentations, keynote speeches, awards, events, thought leadership opportunities and articles.

Digital:

• Develop and manage new social media profiles and content plans for the new organisation, and write compelling copy for these.
• Promote existing digital resources (e.g. webinars, reports) to appropriate audiences in arts, culture, heritage, public sector, government and policy.
• Contribute to a content-led approach to marketing and communications, suggesting new ideas for content to meet demand.
• Contribute to the development of the new website, including writing and editing copy.

PR:

• To proactively manage Figurative’s media presence; writing, pitching and placing compelling, relevant copy for local, national and international media.  
• Monitor the media, online and offline, maximising opportunities for positive PR

The Person:

• Strong, versatile copywriting skills
• Good organisational, planning, and coordination skills
• Ability to multi-task and re-prioritize as needed
• Desire to take full ownership of assigned projects and can work independently
• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously
• Possesses a sense of urgency; is self-motivated and detail-minded
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to build collaborative relationships
• Good verbal presentation, group dynamic, and facilitation skills
• Proactive approach in resolving problems and issues
• Desirable: visual content creation (e.g. use of publication design suites, infographics, video editing, etc.)

Experience:

• Proven experience of developing and delivering relevant communications or marketing projects in the cultural and creative sectors
• Track record of successfully pitching and placing stories in trade media, in addition to national media. 
• Proven experience of managing and developing an organisation’s social media presence using social media (e.g. LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, etc.)
• Desirable: working in a start-up or similar early stage organisation/venture.

What we offer:

Salary: circa £46,000 pro-rated, plus array of benefits, including private medical insurance, dental insurance, the ability to buy and sell annual leave, eyecare vouchers and more

Location: This role is based in London, Blackfriars, hybrid working arrangement with a minimum of 1 days in the office. Please note the team will be relocating to Somerset House co-working space in Spring 2024

Term: Permanent.

Hours: Part-time, 22.5 hours; 3 days per week (Tuesday - Thursday, but open to discussion)

Making an application  

To apply for this role, please submit your application before 8:00am on the 12 February 2024.

Interviews will take place w/c 19th of Feb 2024.

At Nesta, we believe that a diverse workforce leads to an organisation that is more innovative, more creative and gets better results. 

We want our workforce to represent the diversity of the people and communities we serve. We also want our workplace to be one where different experiences, expertise and perspectives are valued, and where everyone is encouraged to grow and develop. 

This means that when we are recruiting, we actively seek to reach a diverse pool of candidates. It also means that we are happy to consider any reasonable adjustments that potential employees may need to in order to be successful. 

We recognise the importance of a good balance between work and home life, so we do everything we can to accommodate flexible working, including working from home, compressed or part-time hours, job shares and other arrangements.   

Please just let us know in your application or at any stage throughout the process (and beyond) if these are options you’d like to explore.