Director, South West & Digital Inclusion (Swb38)

Director, South West & Digital Inclusion (SWB38)

Contract: Permanent, working 35 hours per week (Arts Council also recognises the benefit of flexible working as a valued part of the way we work, and welcome applications from individuals who require flexibility)

Salary: £58,192 per annum plus benefits including a final salary pension scheme, generous annual leave, and flexible and hybrid working. 

Location: Bristol (The role will be based at the Bristol office; however, we are operating a hybrid way of working and support our staff to make use of remote working options when combined with regular on-site contact days with other members of the team, normally 1-2 days a week) 

Now is an exciting and transformative point in our history as we work to deliver our vision for the future of creativity and culture in England. As the Director for the South West and Digital Inclusion, you will play a key role in developing our national ambitions whilst playing your part in a regional team to ensure that culture thrives in all of our communities, from Tewkesbury to Portsmouth, from Swindon to the Isles of Scilly.

As leader of the Arts Council’s work around Digital Inclusion, you’ll take ownership of an exciting new area of focus for the organisation. You will support the sector to use digital channels to engage underrepresented audiences. You will also devise pathways for underrepresented groups to participate in digital research and development and use digital tools for creative expression. You will track the evolving digital capabilities needed in the creative and culture sector and ensure those from underrepresented backgrounds have the digital skills and capabilities to participate in the workforce of the future.

Within the South West team, you will operate from our Bristol office and play a central role in our area management team, line managing senior staff, convening team meetings, and owning some critical sector relationships.

Arts Council England’s South West area extends from Hampshire and the Solent to Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. With 25% of England’s land, but only 12% of its people, our work embraces major cities such as Bristol, Plymouth, Portsmouth and Southampton, as well as very many market and coastal towns, together with dispersed rural communities.

Across the region, culture plays a critical role in placemaking, economic development and civic pride. In a typical year, we will invest more than £55 million in the South West’s cultural ambitions. As well as forging strong links with fellow arm’s length bodies and Lottery distributors, such as Historic England, the National Lottery Heritage Fund and the British Film Institute, we work closely with stakeholders in local government, higher education, business and the voluntary and communities sectors to maximise the potential of our investment.

This is an exciting and challenging opportunity for the right candidate – come and join us in creating a bold and inclusive culture for arts and culture.

Equality Diversity and Inclusion Statement: Arts Council are committed to building an inclusive employer and workplace and recruiting a workforce that is as diverse as the communities we serve. However, you identify, and whatever background you bring with you, we welcome you to apply for a role at Arts Council.

If there are any adjustments that would help support you in your application, please do let us know when you apply. If you are disabled Evenbreak are able to provide support with your application, for further information please visit their website at here

Disabled, D/deaf and/or neurodivergent people and those from Black, Asian and Ethnically Diverse backgrounds are underrepresented in our workforce so we particularly encourage applications from people in these groups. This role is also eligible for a similar scheme Arts Council England are piloting for Black, Asian and Ethnically Diverse applicants to guarantee access to our first stage of selection if they meet the minimum criteria. Therefore, applicants are asked to complete the equality monitoring information once your application has been submitted as part of their application and if there are any queries to please contact recruitment@artscouncil.org.uk)

About us: Arts Council offers a range of benefits to our employees including hybrid and flexible working, a generous annual leave allowance and the Arts Council Retirement Plan - a final salary scheme. To find out more, click here.

Please note that, we are currently consulting on our Staff Code of Ethics and changes which will avoid conflicts of interest. The changes would mean that employees of the Arts Council would not be 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 recruitment@artscouncil.org.uk

We believe our recruitment process should be inclusive and transparent. Find out what to expect with our application guidance and more about our commitment to diversity on our website here. 

To view the job description and further details about the role, please click here

Job ref: SWB38

Closing date: 12 Noon, Thursday 22 February

1^st Interviews: (virtual) Friday 01 and/or Tuesday 05 March

2^nd Interviews: (in person at the Bristol office) Tuesday 26 March

Please note: We do NOT accept CV’s or cover letters as part of our recruitment process. If you require any documentation in an alternative format, please contact recruitment@artscouncil.org.uk