Relationship Manager, Combined Arts (SEC8)
Relationship Manager, Combined Arts (SEC8)
Contract: Permanent, working 35 hours per week (Arts Council also recognises the benefit of flexible working as a valued part of the way we work, and 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: Cambridge (The role will be based in Cambridge; 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, normally 1-2 days a week)
Introduction
Arts Council England requires a collaborative and inclusive Relationship Manager with a knowledge of Combined Arts and an understanding of our Place based working to join our supportive South East team.
You should have a good level of experience and understanding within Combined Arts - this includes outdoor arts, carnival and mela, circus, festivals, spectacle, interdisciplinary work, live art and participatory and social art practice. It takes place in a diverse range of venues from established theatres and galleries to communal settings, cross-artform venues and arts centres, pop-up spaces and outdoor sites.
This role will include travel across the whole of Arts Council England’s South East region.
The successful post holder will become a member of the Norfolk & Suffolk sub-regional place group. This aspect of the role will require regular travel across these two counties to meet organisations and attend events. We are looking for candidates with previous experience of place-based working.
Role Details
We are looking for a highly communicative person with strong interpersonal skills and experience of working with external clients and developing effective relationships which include a monitoring role. Knowledge and expertise to work across the South East of England and travel in order to fulfil some of our key place based relationships and working. The Relationship Manager will ensure that we can effectively and credibly advise and support artists and organisations and will be someone passionate about broadening engagement in the arts and culture.
If you were currently doing this job, some of the areas you would have been working in this week would include:
• Giving funding advice, assessing grant applications, understanding project information, and monitoring performance
• Assessing financial information, identifying risk, and providing feedback on artistic and organisational plans
• Working as part of the Norfolk and Suffolk place based regional group, setting up funding surgeries or meeting with a Local Authority to discuss place based priorities, particularly in our Priority Places and other places of need.
• Working outside your specialism on a range of Arts Council initiatives
• Being a crucial part of the South East and national Combined Arts teams
To apply, you will need in-depth knowledge of Combined Arts practice and ecology within the arts and culture sector. You will also need relationship or stakeholder management experience, as well as an understanding of place-based working. At Arts Council England, we are looking for people who reflect the country's diversity today to help us shape and change the arts and cultural sector to make it more relevant to the diversity of the people, communities, and places we serve.
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
We participate in the ‘Offer an Interview’ scheme which means that we offer an interview to any disabled candidates who meet the essential criteria for the role they’re applying to, subject to the volume of applications received. Disabled candidates, those living with a long-term condition and/ or neurodivergent candidates may be eligible for this scheme. The scheme uses the definition of disability from the Equality Act 2010 to determine eligibility. More information is included in the application guidance.
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: How to apply and recruitment selection process | Arts Council England and more about our commitment to diversity on our website here.
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: SEC8
Closing date: 23:59, Sunday 14 June 2026
1st Interview: (virtual) 22 June 2026
2nd Interview: (virtual) 02 July 2026
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
