Arts Council England
1x Relationship Manager, Diversity (MBN6) and 1x Relationship Manager, Communities and Engagement (MN15)
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Relationship Manager x 2
(specialist sector knowledge of Diversity or Communities & Engagement)
Contract:
- 1: Relationship Manager, Diversity (MBN6)
- Permanent, Full Time, working 35 hours per week.
- 2: Relationship Manager, Communities & Engagement (MN15)
- Permanent, Full Time, working 35 hours per week.
The Arts Council recognises the benefit of flexible working as a valued part of the way we work, and we welcome applications from individuals who require flexibility.
Salary: £38,689 per annum plus benefits including a final salary pension scheme, generous annual leave, and flexible and hybrid working.
Location: Birmingham or Nottingham. The roles can be based in either our Birmingham or Nottingham offices; 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.
Role Overview:
We are looking for candidates with specialist sector knowledge of Diversity or Communities & Engagement. We are also looking for candidates with previous experience of place-based working.
Two roles are available. Please indicate which role you are applying for as part of the application process.
As a Relationship Manager, you will act as the primary conduit and point of contact between regularly funded organisations and the Arts Council. You will broker internal and external relationships to ensure that organisations and individuals have access to appropriate sources of expertise and knowledge to support them in contributing to our interim strategic framework, Excellence for Everybody, Everywhere, in the context of meeting their business plans and operating effectively.
As a Relationship Manager, you can expect to:
- Manage a portfolio of funded organisations in the Arts Council’s National Portfolio, monitoring their performance against their funding agreement.
- Take part in decision-making processes through written appraisals and participation in decision-making panels for the Arts Council’s open funding streams.
- Effectively and credibly give funding advice to organisations and individuals.
- Analyse financial information, identifying investment risks, and providing feedback to applicants.
- Share your expertise internally and externally as well as working outside your specialism on a range of Arts Council initiatives.
- Contribute to our work across the region as part of the Midlands Area team.
About The Relationship Manager, Diversity Role:
As the Relationship Manager, Diversity (Midlands), you will act as the area lead for your cross-cutting specialism and work closely with the relevant national discipline team. You will share specialist knowledge and insights with other relationship managers across the organisation to support informed decision-making, strengthen strategic alignment, and ensure that regional delivery reflects national priorities.
You will be expected to participate in cross-discipline meetings beyond your immediate specialism to support the development of shared awareness and understanding of diversity-related themes, ensuring these are effectively embedded within the Arts Council’s strategic and development objectives.
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You will also lead on diversity-related development work to identify individuals and organisations requiring support to apply to our funding programmes, using learning and insights to contribute to the Arts Council’s strategic objectives for widening access to funding.
What you will bring to the role:
- Diversity & Inclusion Expertise: Proven experience in delivering projects or initiatives that directly improved outcomes for diverse or underrepresented groups.
- Sector Insight: A deep understanding of the structural barriers affecting diverse freelancers, practitioners, and cultural organisations.
- Collaborative Leadership: An ability to act as an area lead for your specialism, working closely with the national discipline team to share knowledge and support awareness of current issues.
- Strategic Alignment: Strong analytical, communication and presentation skills to effectively share insights with Relationship Managers and members of the Midlands Management Team, enabling data-driven decision-making and alignment with strategic priorities.
About The Relationship Manager, Communities And Engagement Role:
As the Relationship Manager, Communities and Engagement (Midlands), you will be a key member of the Midlands Communities & Engagement team and work closely with the national team. You will be the Relationship Manager for a mixed portfolio of organisations across the Midlands. Monitoring and supporting the progress of Creative People and Places programmes (CPPs) will be a key focus of the role.
You should have a proven track record in broadening engagement in culture and creativity through co-creation, co-production and empowering community voice so that everybody, everywhere has access to the benefits of a rich cultural and creative life.
You will be expected to support the development of shared awareness and understanding of best practice in community engagement, using your knowledge and experience of engaging communities from a wide range of backgrounds in culture and creativity, particularly those who may be less likely to engage.
You will identify individuals and organisations requiring support to apply to our funding programmes, using learning and insights to contribute to the Arts Council’s strategic objectives for widening access to funding.
You will share specialist knowledge and insights with other relationship managers to support informed decision-making, strengthen strategic alignment, and ensure that regional delivery reflects national priorities for communities and engagement.
What you will bring to the role:
- Specialist Expertise: Proven experience in delivering projects or initiatives that directly improve outcomes for underrepresented groups and communities.
- Sector Insight: A deep understanding of the structural barriers to access for communities across the Midlands.
- Collaborative Leadership: An ability to act as an area lead, working closely with the national team to share knowledge and support awareness of current issues.
- Strategic Alignment: Strong analytical, communication and presentation skills to effectively share insights with Relationship Managers and members of the Midlands Management Team, enabling data-driven decision-making and alignment with strategic priorities.
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You will also need to have:
- Awareness of current cultural sector trends and opportunities.
- A good understanding of organisational dynamics, including business planning, financial reporting, performance management and governance.
- Relationships development skills and experience with organisations at all levels and have strong communication and analytical skill to provide advice and support on artistic and operational challenges faced.
- Experience of working with a range of cross sector stakeholders towards common place-based goals.
- Experience at handling challenging conversations with senior leaders.
If you’re looking to make a positive impact and create change, possessing an inclusive and committed approach, you will be rewarded with an excellent salary and benefits package.
Equality Diversity and Inclusion Statement: Arts Council are committed to being an inclusive employer, building an inclusive 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 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 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.
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.
Our Code of Ethics requires that employees of the Arts Council are not 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.
Job Description:
To view the job description please click here.
To view the recruitment pack which outlines more details about working for Arts Council please click here.
Job ref: MBN6 and MN15
Closing date: Monday 10th August 2026, 12 noon
1st Interviews (Online): 26th/ 27th August 2026
2nd Interviews (In person – in Nottingham or Birmingham TBC): 4th September
Please note: We do NOT accept CVs or cover letters as part of our recruitment process. If you require any documentation in an alternative format, please contact recruitment@artscouncil.org.uk
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