| Job Title | North Area Director |
| Department / Area | Leadership Team / North Area |
| Location | Manchester, Leeds or Newcastle |
| Salary / Grade | £89,968 per annum |
| Hours | 35 |
Who Will You Report To?
- Deputy CEO, Places, Engagement and Libraries.
Direct Reports
- Director, Northern Economy and Leeds.
- Director, Skills and Workforces, and Newcastle.
- Director, Combined Arts and Manchester.
- Head of Advocacy & Communication, North.
- Senior Manager Operations, North.
- PA to Area Director.
Overall Purpose Of The Role
You will form part of the Arts Council’s national leadership team and take a key role in the delivery of our 10 year Strategy in the North.
You will ensure that the North Area contributes successfully to our national strategy by delivering on its outcomes and investment principles and will have responsibility for the North area budget.
You will bring a high level of area-based political, sectoral and stakeholder insight to the Arts Council’s national leadership.
You will also be a member of the wider Arts Council leadership team contributing to the formulation, delivery and evaluation of our strategies, goals and priorities.
Main Day To Day Responsibilities
This is a strategic role with accountability for developing arts, museums and libraries across your area and contributing nationally. Working with your leadership team you will develop an action plan to deliver against our national strategy and to support, develop and grow arts and culture locally; whilst helping to shape the national overview.
As part of the national leadership team, you will, on occasion, be leading on national projects, or external relationships which will require you to work with Government Departments and national agencies.
You will be responsible for building and maintaining constructive and collaborative relationships with the senior leadership of key local partners; e.g. combined authorities, local authorities, Universities and key cultural organisations.
As the Area Director you will be also responsible for managing, developing and empowering your senior team, in order to achieve agreed objectives and outcomes: particularly when working in a collaborative, interconnected structure wherein individuals have dual roles and a range of accountabilities.
You will use your team to actively gather intelligence across the sector and feed this up and across the appropriate people/channels within the organisation, ensuring you always have your finger on the pulse locally.
You will act as an advocate for the Arts Council and act as the spokesperson for the North area with the media. You will communicate national objectives and make sense of them locally, ensuring effective and appropriate delivery.
You will be accountable for your team working in a collaborative environment, with expertise both within and outside of the organisation, ensuring the development and delivery of cultural and strategic priorities. You will be responsible for working with your teams, coaching your direct reports and empowering people to deliver on their priorities and develop their careers.
You will have the overall responsibility for North area budgets and will be accountable for budget setting, investment decision making, strategic planning and managing the overall performance, against agreed outcomes.
You will play a lead role in developing and managing external relationships with key senior partners and stakeholders, advocating for the arts and cultural sectors in order to meet our 10-year strategy. You will work closely with a key external stakeholder group (North Area Council).
You will be expected consistently to demonstrate and champion our values: role- modelling a way of working that brings them to life.
Finally, you will actively contribute to and champion the organisation’s commitment to diversity and inclusivity and its implications for culture, promoting a diversity perspective in all aspects of your responsibilities.
Key Relationships
You will be responsible for developing and managing key stakeholder relationships at Chief Executive and board/elected member level maintaining a high profile as the local lead representative of the Arts Council; interfacing with local partners; and maintaining a close working relationship with other Directors and Executive Board.
You will develop a strong relationship with the North Area Chair and with them be responsible for leading the engagement, management and coordination of North Area Council.
You will work closely with other Area Directors to ensure effective planning and development across the country to achieve our national goals.
Organisationally, we must operate as a fully interconnected structure and you will be expected to work effectively in an environment that relies on collaboration, flexibility and the ability to manage both formal and informal reporting relationships.
Government Departments and National Agencies
You will be responsible for building and maintaining good relationships with the leadership of key local partners – e.g. combined authorities, local authorities, higher education institutions etc.