Job Vacancy – Director (Maternity Cover)

Job Title: Director (Maternity Cover)

Duration: 9-12 months

Salary: £26,000 – £30,000 depending on experience

Hours: 40 hours per week plus occasional additional hours

The Post:

The Black Box seeks to employ a confident, very experienced individual for the post of Director (Maternity Cover).  The successful candidate will be self motivated and have a strong vision to continue taking the Black Box to new heights as the best alternative arts space in Belfast. Working closely with the Board and staff, the Director (Maternity Cover) will provide overall artistic and strategic direction for the Black Box, ensuring the effective management of the staff team, its operations, activities and finances and to work closely with the Board of Trustees, principally through the Chair.

Essential Criteria:

• Excellent current knowledge of artistic practice in the UK and Ireland.
• A minimum 3 years’ experience of leading and managing an arts organisation, project or autonomous division within a large organisation similar to the Black Box’s size and/or complexity with a track record of demonstrable success and experience.
• Educated to degree level. (if a candidate does not have a degree level qualification, they will be required to have spent at least three years of managing an organisation, or autonomous division within a large organisation, with a track record of demonstrable success and experience, rather than the two years for applicants who do have a degree level qualification.)
• Direct experience of providing artistic leadership with a track-record of successfully programming having an artistic and curatorial rationale, audiences and audience development potential, fundraising, marketing and PR in mind.
• Knowledge of the organisation demands of a busy building-based arts organisation serving a broad range of audience and visitors. Diary management
• An ability to lead, motivate and inspire a small team of staff and freelance contractors. You will have experience of managing staff on a day-to-day level including recruitment, line management, managing staff performance, recruitment and appraisals. You will be able to support managers in their supervisory role and ensure proper procurement and contractual arrangements and monitoring mechanisms for freelancers. You will be able to use a range of management styles and understand the value of working with staff in a participative way, involving them where possible and appropriate in the decision making process.
• Experience of working in creative and practical collaboration with artists, arts organisations and promoters to deliver a public programme of activities.
• Commitment to developing and actively promoting and implementing equalities and diversity policies in all aspects of the Black Box’s operations internally and externally.
• Excellent networking and communication skills, seeking out potential partners for the organisation and able to communicate with people at all levels verbally and in writing using negotiating and influencing skills very effectively and appropriate to the situation. You will have good self-awareness and understand the impact of your behaviour on people you come into contact with.
• A broad range of fundraising experience in public funding, trusts and/or sponsorship plus a proven track record of securing and managing bids that have been instrumental in the development of your work in a similar organisation.
• The ability to write reports for a wide range of audiences in a manner appropriate to the reader including funders, staff, colleagues and artists and incorporating evaluative material, financial data, analysis and arguments to support a case effectively.
• The ability to create and supervise a budget of at least £100,000 and supervise staff implementing financial systems. You will be able to scrutinise financial data and review budgets to take account of changing financial circumstances and its application to funding. You will also have experience of delegating budgets to staff.

Desirable

• The ability to devise, develop and implement a marketing strategy with expert help if necessary. The strategy should incorporate audience development, press, publicity, visual identity, communication elements and any other relevant areas.
• The ability to speak effectively on behalf of the organisation at a range of public events and with the media.
• Experience of working with a Chair and board and have a good understanding of the legal responsibilities of a registered company and charity and of its Trustees and members, how these affect the day to day running of the charity and knowing when to seek independent professional and/or financial advice.
• Experience of developing and leading commercial initiatives.
• Experience of setting up and managing a trading arm.
• Driving licence and access to a vehicle.

How to apply

To apply for the post please email [email protected] for an application pack.

Deadline for applications is Monday 25th April at Noon and all applications must be my email.