Job Description
General Manager - Arts Council Collection (Fixed Term to March 2023) Southbank Centre, London
Celebrating 75 Years of the Arts Council Collection
Arts Council Collection is the most widely circulated national loan collection of modern and contemporary British art spanning paintings, sculpture, prints, drawings, performance and moving image. With over 8,000 works and more than 1,000 loans made to over 100 venues a year, the Collection has been connecting art with people for 75 years. It supports and promotes British artists by acquiring art at an early stage of their careers and is seen by millions of people in public spaces from galleries and museums to hospitals, libraries and universities. Representing one of the most important collections of British modern and contemporary art in the world it includes work from a diverse range of artists from Barbara Hepworth, Tracey Emin, Anish Kapoor and Henry Moore to Mona Hatoum, Anthea Hamilton, Lubaina Himid, and Grayson Perry. Arts Council Collection founded in 1946 and is managed by the Southbank Centre on behalf of Arts Council England. www.artscouncilcollection.org.uk
Ensure you read the information regarding this opportunity thoroughly before making an application.
Our values
Champion Greatness
We seek out great artists and give them the space to present their best work
Take the lead
We make sure we’re at the forefront of the arts – provoking and inspiring, not just following it
Open up the arts
Not everyone will love everything, but we make sure there’s something here for everyone
Have fun
We’re serious about the arts – but not stuffy. Culture here can be playful, provocative, exciting and entertaining. It is a joy not a duty
This is an exciting opportunity for a General Manager to join the Arts Council Collection as we deliver the next phase of our long 75 year history. As the Collection prepares to move into a new store facility in Coventry, we are looking to consolidate and enhance our programming and collection care, grow our partnerships and develop our reach to ensure we connect as many people as possible with our national art collection.
The General Manager will support the Arts Council Collection Director on overall strategic leadership and management, as well as working closely with the wider Collection team. The General Manager will oversee the financial and operational delivery of the national Collection, working geographically across sites and supporting the new store move.
We are looking for someone who has:
A proven track record of successful operational management, team building, leadership and strategic planning with an innovative approach to problem solving
Significant experience of working in an operational and planning role at a management level in a cultural organisation
Proven track record of setting and managing complex budgets to ensure that projects are delivered within organisational financial parameters
Financial analytical skills
Experience in a role which involves the management of complex planning, administrative and operational processes.
Excellent administrative skills, both written and verbal communication skills and with strong attention to detail
Strong relationship building/stakeholder management skills and the ability to liaise and build engagement with a broad range of key internal and external stakeholders
Self-motivated, able to work both autonomously, and collaboratively with others
Experience of contracting for arts projects
Significant experience in managing complex negotiations.
Demonstrable people management skills with the ability to motivate, inspire, coordinate and support a multi-disciplinary team, translating strategic aims into practical plans
Strong problem-solving abilities
Proven success in managing partner and funding relationships at a leadership level.
Ability to manage conflicting priorities and deadlines effectively
A flexible, proactive and collaborative approach to work
Able to demonstrate an understanding of and commitment to the role that diversity and inclusion play in the activities of the Southbank Centre as a whole and in the work of this particular job.
We welcome applications from people from a Black, Asian or Ethnically Diverse background or those who are D/deaf or disabled. If you wish to discuss reasonable adjustments such as a BSL interpreter for your interview for this role please indicate this on your application form. Interviews are currently taking place via Zoom or Google Hangouts but if you require support to access these platforms someone from the HRteam will be happy to assist you. If you would like to speak to someone about any adjustments or concerns you can also email hrteam@southbankcentre.co.uk and we will be in touch with you to make the necessary arrangements.
By attracting people to work for us from a broad range of backgrounds with diverse attitudes, opinions and beliefs we can continue to look at the world with fresh eyes and find new ways of doing things. SC is a warm and welcoming place to work, with great aspirations and ambitions to create great and accessible work for all. We pride ourselves in building a supportive environment to enable the development of our staff.
If you feel you have just some of the required skills and experience but meet the person specification, we would still encourage you to apply; we are very open to continuing the training and development of individuals who are self motivated to acquire new skills and knowledge relevant to the role.
The Southbank Centre Way
The Southbank Centre Way is a framework that sets out how we want our people to work together. It describes the qualities that drive our ability to inspire, provoke and transform lives and illustrates behaviours that make Southbank Centre a warm and welcoming place to work, perform or visit. The language that forms the Southbank Centre Way comes from the people who work here. We have captured their words to help everyone we work with understand us.
Click to find out more about the Southbank Centre Way .
We reserve the right to close the advert early if enough applications are received.
The closing date for this job has now passed.