Music Education Officer 2023

This is an exciting period in relation to Music Education with the government having published a new National Plan for Music Education in June 2022. The government also announced that the Arts Council England would deliver a new Investment Programme for Music Hubs. The new investment process will impact on the musical lives of children and young people for the next decade.

Location

Manchester, Leeds, Newcastle, Birmingham, Nottingham, Bristol, Cambridge or Brighton (The role will be based at one of the offices listed; 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 if the team, normally 1-2 days a week)

Role Description

This role is an opportunity to work as part of a team to deliver an open application process that will require organisations to (re)apply to become Hub Lead Organisations, as well as developing and improving systems and processes for granting and investing in current Music Education Hubs.

We are looking for someone who is able to support the development and delivery of funding programmes, with a highly organised approach and ability to plan and prioritise multiple tasks. You will have good interpersonal and communication skills and effective judgement. We are looking for someone who is able to self-initiate work, has strong IT skills and capacity to develop strong knowledge of our grant making software.

What You'll Do

You will assist the Senior Managers and Senior Officers in the Collaborative Funding (Projects) and Music Education (Policy) Teams to develop and improve systems and processes for granting and investing in Music Education Hubs. Your main duties will include:

• Working with colleagues to set up and manage Music Education Hub (MEH) grant processes effectively, including risk monitoring, funding agreements, annual feedback workflows and open application processes.
• Providing Business Systems and other colleagues with accurate information regarding individual MEH allocations, contact details and legal status, ensuring due diligence for audit purposes.
• Working with Data and Business Systems teams to request/create effective reporting on different aspects of process and policy.
• · Developing strong knowledge of Grantium to ensure effective delivery of current and future investment processes and procedures
• Working with Senior Officers and Senior Managers to develop elements of internal and external guidance, documentation and resources. · Deliver elements of training regarding policy, grant and investment process. · Coordinating and managing the team mailbox for all internal queries 
• Coordinating the delivery of stakeholder engagement and contact management for the programme ·
• Compiling and analysing information and data to fulfil fundholder reporting requirements and inform other key reports · Providing advice and support for the risk assessment of applications
• Co-ordinating grant process between National and Area offices. · Preparing business analysis reports on the impact of potential investment decisions
• Collaborating with our Insight (e.g. Data, Research) and Advocacy and Communications Teams In all aspects of the role you will ensure compliance with our published procedures, working with the Compliance and Improvement team to ensure compliance and improvements are identified and acted on
• You will contribute to the organisation’s commitment to diversity and its implications for arts and culture, promoting a diversity perspective in all aspects of your role’s objectives and activities. The post can be based in any Arts Council office outside of London. You may also be required to travel to other Arts Council locations across England

Requirements

• Ability to support the development and delivery of funding programmes
• Good interpersonal and communication skills – both speaking and in writing – and the ability to communicate in a confident and engaging manner with people from different backgrounds
• A highly organised approach with the ability to balance and prioritise multiple tasks, exercising effective judgement when organising, planning and managing complex tasks
• Ability to initiate work and perform according to self-imposed timetables
• Good analytical skills and the ability to synthesise large quantities of information and data, communicating them in a clear, confident and engaging manner
• Strong IT skills
• Ability to contribute to the organisation’s understanding of diversity and its implications for the arts and culture, promoting a diversity perspective in all aspects of the organisation’s objectives and activities

Desirable (Skills, Knowledge and Behaviours)

• An understanding of current issues in the arts and cultural sector
• Knowledge of process design and/or grant management processes
• Ability to use grant management systems
• Ability to use contact managment systems

Further Information

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.

Disabled, D/deaf and/or neurodivergent people, those from Black, Asian and Ethnically Diverse backgrounds are underrepresented in our workforce so we particularly encourage applications from people in these groups.

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.

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.