£101,830 + excellent pension. The Chief Executive may be eligible for an additional annual bonus, as directed by Welsh Government, upon the successful completion of all strategic objectives.
Cardiff, Carmarthen or Colwyn Bay. The Chief Executive will be expected to spend a minimum of 8 days per month in the Cardiff office.
Do you share our vision of the publicly funded arts as ‘for the benefit of all’? Do you see access and creative excellence advancing hand in hand? Then help us fulfil our vision – ‘A creative Wales where the arts are central to the life and well-being of the nation’
The Arts Council of Wales exists to support and develop the arts in Wales. It does so for the benefit of people throughout Wales and to promote Welsh arts internationally. Established by Royal Charter, it is also a Welsh Government Sponsored Body, a National Lottery distributor and a registered Charity.
The Chief Executive role offers remarkable scope and opportunity. There is a vibrant arts scene in Wales whose development needs visionary and collaborative leadership. The Arts Council is committed to mainstreaming the arts in Welsh society through a commitment to diverse inclusion and through outstanding, cutting-edge partnerships in the education and health sectors.
The Chief Executiveis the senior member of Arts Council staff. They lead the five-person Senior Leadership Team (SLT), the four other members being Directors. SLT is Council’s principal executive decision-making body. Its role is to shape the overall objectives and priorities of the Arts Council, and to lead the delivery of policy. SLT is also responsible for the effective management of the Arts Council’s finances, its resources and people, ensuring that Council’s business is being managed in an accountable and appropriate manner.
The four main current focuses of the role are:
- increasing equality of access to the arts across the communities of Wales and building the resilience and sustainability of the sector;
- embed a new Welsh language strategy in the work of the Council;
- to lead our next Investment Review which will deliver a new Arts Portfolio of revenue-funded organisations for April 2024; and
- develop our new Corporate Plan 2023-28.
This is a high‑profile public role that demands expertise, authority and resilience. We are looking for an effective communicator, able to respond dynamically to the strategic challenges facing the Arts Council and the arts sector, especially in relation to developing greater equality of access to the arts.
The successful candidate will have professional experience of operating at a senior management level within a complex financial and publicly accountable environment. Experience of working in the arts, creative industries or cultural sector is essential. Candidates should be familiar with the complexities and nuances of how a public body handles its relationship with key stakeholders, which in this case is the devolved administration in Wales. The successful candidate will need to show an awareness and appreciation of the distinctive features of Welsh society, including its bilingual culture. Welsh language skills are desirable rather than essential for this post. However, should the appointed individual not be a fluent Welsh speaker they will be encouraged and supported to make good progress in learning Welsh so that they could use the language in the ordinary course of carrying out their duties and at a level which goes beyond the use of a few basic phrases. We will provide access to Welsh lessons, training and personal support.
We offer a wide range of benefits including generous holidays and a final salary pension.
A comprehensive Recruitment Pack, including a timetable and details of how to apply, can be downloaded from https://www.aeminternational.co.uk/current-opportunities or https://arts.wales/news-jobs-opportunities
For further information about the Arts Council of Wales, please visit https://arts.wales/
Should you have any questions or seek clarification on any matter regarding this opportunity, please send your questions to HR@arts.wales by 5:00 pm on Wednesday 4 May. We welcome correspondence in both Welsh and English. All questions will be anonymised and published with their corresponding answers, bilingually, by 5:00 pm on Friday 6 May.
We recommend potential candidates do not submit their applications prior to the publication date for responses to questions as important information could be communicated up to that point.
Deadline for questions: 5:00 pm on Wednesday 4 May 2022
Closing date: 12:00 midday on Friday 13 May 2022
Interview dates: Tuesday 5 or Wednesday 6 July 2022
The Arts Council of Wales is an inclusive employer, and we wish to reflect the diverse communities we serve. Applications from culturally and ethnically diverse people and underrepresented groups are encouraged and warmly welcomed. Applications are welcomed in Welsh or English and we will correspond with you in your language of choice. Applications submitted in Welsh will be treated no less favourably than applications submitted in English. We aim to take positive steps to ensure that all candidates are selected for jobs solely on their suitability for the role.
If you have a disability, please indicate in your application whether you need any specific assistance or adjustments for any interview.