Head of Arts

Date: ‎26-Jun-‎2022
Location: Riyadh ‎11594, Middle East and North Africa, SA
Company: British Council
The British Council builds connections, understanding and trust between people
in the UK and other countries through arts and culture, education and the
English language. We work in two ways - directly with individuals to transform
their lives, and with governments and partners to make a bigger difference for
the longer term, creating benefit for millions of people all over the world.
We help young people to gain the skills, confidence and connections they are
looking for to realise their potential and to participate in strong and
inclusive communities. We support them to learn English, to get a high-quality
education and to gain internationally recognised qualifications. Our work in
arts and culture stimulates creative expression and exchange and nurtures
creative enterprise. We connect the best of the UK with the world and the best
of the world with the UK. These connections lead to an understanding of each
other's strengths and of the challenges and values that we share. This builds
trust between people in the UK and other nations which endures even when
official relations may be strained. We work on the ground in more than ‎100
countries. In ‎2019-‎20 we connected with ‎80 million people directly and with
‎791 million overall, including online and through our broadcasts and
publications.
The British Council is the UK's international organisation for cultural
relations and educational opportunities. We create friendly knowledge and
understanding between the people of the UK and other countries. We do this by
making a positive contribution to the UK and the countries we work with -
changing lives by creating opportunities, building connections and engendering
trust.

We work with over ‎100 countries across the world in the fields of arts and
culture, English language, education and civil society. Each year we reach
over ‎20 million people face-to-face and more than ‎500 million people online,
via broadcasts and publications. Founded in ‎1934, we are a UK charity governed
by Royal Charter and a UK public body.

Role Purpose:

The Head of Arts is the most senior representative of Arts in the country and
represents our work in Arts and creative industries externally. They lead
implementation of high-value, Arts and Creative Industry programmes in
country/cluster funded by British Council, other partners or client-funders.
They will have oversight of activities in country delivered through our Arts
four global programmes: Culture Connects, Spotlights on Culture, Creative
Economy and Arts Responds to Global Challenges.

They will lead a small specialist Arts team in country and manage sector
partner and stakeholder relationships. They provide Arts and Creative
Industries sector expertise at a country level and feed relevant insights to
MENA Regional Arts Director, based in Egypt. The role is an important part of
the country's leadership team as well as the Global Arts Management Team and
will work with colleagues in the region to influence decision making across
regional Arts programmes.

Main Accountabilities:

Sector/subject expertise

• Uses their own expert knowledge on the arts and creative industries, intelligence and insight from other sector stakeholders, opinion formers and funders to support the ongoing development of global arts programmes that meet the specific needs of the country/cluster while also providing value to a diverse range of UK arts and creative industry organisations.


• Through ongoing relationships with the Global Arts Management Team, builds and maintains good understanding of UK arts and creative industry sector priorities as well as Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), Department of Culture Media and Sports (DCMS) and other UK Government priorities.


• Represents British Council in country as a recognised, credible authority in Arts and the creative industries to external stakeholders and audiences.


• Provides up-to-date and well-informed senior-level briefings on current and emerging themes in arts and creative industries in country.


• Identifies and develops opportunities for the UK Arts sector to work in and collaborate with peers in country


• Identifies and develops opportunities for the UK Arts sector to work in and collaborate with peers in country


• Supports internal capacity building, ensuring that teams can access appropriate and cost-effective L&D opportunities and grow their sector knowledge and skills

Leadership & management

• Champions matrix working in the Arts network, empowering and enabling colleagues to collaborate on programmes, while promoting equity, diversity and inclusion


• Provides specialist input and design to ensure activities under the Arts global programmes are relevant to the Arts and creative industry sectors in country.


• Direct line management and matrix management support provided to Arts teams in country/across the region as required.


• May be Senior Responsible Officer for smaller Arts projects/programmes


• Monitors, reviews and ensures that the portfolio is achieving agreed impact measures, and monitoring, evaluation and learning and reporting is in place against Cultural Engagement's Strategy ‎2025 and FCDO key performance indicators.


• Leads an inclusive organisational culture where staff have opportunities for continuous professional development.


• Leads and inspires country arts initiatives which actively drive forward to the British Council's anti-racism action plan. Is accountable for Arts portfolio in country delivering to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) strategy (to mainstream EDI and become anti-racist in our cultures and practices within our organisation and in our programmes.)

Strategy and/or planning

• Leads on planning process for country arts portfolio within region


• Contributes to regional business strategy


• Strategic leadership of design, development, delivery, and closure of projects and or programmes as needed


• Develop and nurtures internal relationships across Cultural Engagement and in the wider organisation to ensure strategic objectives are aligned, understood and achieved


• Considers the role of digital products, services and channels in optimising the impact and sustainability of the portfolio, working with regional marketing and digital colleagues.

Relationship & Stakeholders

• Builds and maintains critical country funder and partner relationships relevant to the Arts, and wider cultural sectors, to maintain an excellent understanding of relevant themes and issues in the arts and creative industries. Uses this insight to identify new opportunities and partnerships for the British Council, influence agendas and build favourability for the UK.


• Builds and maintains a broad, diverse and dynamic network of key creative and cultural sector representatives in country, including artists, creative professionals, creative hubs, arts organisations, arts advocacy groups, intermediary and sector bodies, etc.


• Builds and maintains the government and sector institutional relationships that will help open doors for artistic collaboration, cultural exchange and creative economy work.


• Leads on relationships with a range of senior stakeholders and partners at a programme level, including representing and communicating about regional and global Arts programmes and the British Council at senior external level


• Represents the British Council externally and internally, including in x-British Embassy coordinating bodies as required

Brand and market positioning

• Promotes and positions the diversity of the UK arts and creative industries sector in country


• Ensures British Council's value proposition and support to the UK arts sector in country is clear, agreed and communicated.


• Works closely with colleagues and experts in the global team to feed market/customer insights into the programme development planning cycle, to ensure the British Council's offer is market relevant, demand-led and consistent with the British Council and FCDO objectives.


• Working with the Arts Marketing lead, contribute to the development of internal and external communications materials to highlight impactful stories from the country Arts portfolio

Business development

• Builds relationships with strategic clients/partners within area of influence.


• Uses insights to understand current and prospective business development opportunities for the British Council.


• Owns the arts pipeline for the country, ensuring high quality pipeline data and documentation feeds in to the partnership approvals process.


• Leads the development of bids, proposals and business cases in country.


• Leads and/or ensures appropriate assessment, technical and commercial quality assurance and evaluation procedures for programmes and tender submissions in country.


• Provides direction and support on contract negotiations and delivery on individual contracts.


• Ensures internal and client compliance including legal finance, procurement, contract management and reporting


• Working with the marketing and comms function, contributes to the development of internal and external communications materials to highlight impact and support positioning for new opportunities.

Programme management

• Leads on country portfolio planning working closely with operational programme management colleagues


• Leads on ensuring activities under the Arts global programmes are tailored to the specific needs of country/cluster, through collaboration with colleagues in globally dispersed programme teams


• Oversees finances of the country Arts portfolio and can interpret complex financial information


• Is responsible for addressing and acting on risks and issues escalated to them by programme management teams


• Holds delivery partners, team members and consultants to account including supply chain management


• Where applicable has responsibility for managing all country contractual obligations on programme or project


• Designs governance frameworks and manages compliance on a project


• Oversees procurement, grants management and due diligence on programmes


• Can manage budgets and project finances or supports Finance Manager on bigger projects

About You (essential requirements for the role):

• Specialist knowledge and understanding of current trends and practices in arts and creative industry in the country


• Experience of leading impactful high value national/ international arts projects


• Experience of building partnerships with a diverse range of arts and culture stakeholders in country - including governmental and funding partners (trusts, foundations, institutional donors)


• Ability to develop strategy & culture partnerships with stakeholders in-country and internationally.


• Skills at management level in KSA Arts & Culture sector and substantial networks.

Desirable requirements

Understanding and appreciation of current arts trends and practices in the UK

Further Information

• Role: Regional Head of Arts


• Number of positions: ‎1


• Pay Band: ‎8 - E


• Location: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia


• Contract type: Fixed Term contract


• Closing date: 11th July ‎2022 (‎23:59 Gulf Standard Time)

Please note:

This role may require domestic/international travel / attendance at some
evening or weekend events.
All applications should be submitted in English only.
It is advisable to apply in advance to avoid any technical issues at the
last moment

A connected and trusted UK in a more connected and trusted world.

Equality , Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Statement

The British Council is committed to policies and practices of equality,
diversity and inclusion across everything we do. We support all staff to make
sure their behaviour is consistent with this commitment. We want to address
under representation and encourage applicants from under-represented groups,
in particular, but not exclusively, on grounds of ethnicity and disability.
All disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria are guaranteed an
interview and we have Disability Confident Employer Status. We welcome
discussions about specific requirements or adjustments to enable participation
and engagement in our work and activities.

The British Council is committed to safeguarding children, young people and
adults who we work with.

We believe that all children and adults everywhere in the world deserve to
live in safe environments and have the right to be protected from all forms of
abuse, maltreatment and exploitation as set out in article ‎19, UNCRC (United
Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child) ‎1989.

Appointment to positions where there is direct involvement with vulnerable
groups will be dependent on thorough checks being completed; these will
include qualification checks, reference checks, identity & criminal record
checks in line with legal requirements and with the British Council's
Safeguarding policies for Adults and Children.

If you have any problems with your application please email
[email protected]

Please note: Applications to this role can only be considered when made
through the Apply section of our careers website. Our 'ASK HR' email is only
to be used in case of a technical issue encountered when applying through the
careers website. Emails with supporting statements and CV/Resumes sent to this
email address will not be reviewed and will be deleted.