Engage, the National Association for Gallery Education

Call for Applications -

Operations Manager

Permanent from September 2017

Based in Engage’s London office

Salary: £28,000-£30,000; Full-time

Application Deadline: 10am on Monday 7 August 2017

Engage, the National Association for Gallery Education wishes to recruit an Operations Manager to contribute to the efficient running of the organisation.

The responsibilities of the Operations Manager role include: taking a lead role with Engage’s membership strategy; coordinating Engage professional development programmes and events; providing executive and organisational support to the Director, including fundraising; supporting a Council of members and Area Representatives; taking a lead with HR, IT and the management of Engage’s London office and line managing the Communications Officer and Administration Officer.

This is an opportunity to be part of a small, enthusiastic team in a national visual arts education organisation. The postholder will be highly numerate and have excellent communication and IT skills. With the ability to be proactive and a flexible team player, they will have experience of managing events, budgets, staff, IT, HR, and of working in the arts, education or the third sector.

The Operations Manager is line managed by the Director and works closely with the Engage staff team. The role is office-based but includes occasional travel to support activities around the UK and internationally.

Engage isis the lead advocacy and training network for gallery education. We support arts educators, organisations and artists to work together with communities in dynamic, open exchanges that give everyone the opportunity to learn and benefit from the arts.With800 members in the UK and internationally across c.270 visual arts organisations. For more information see:

Should you need application details in another format please contact Engage on 020 7729 5858 / .

Role Brief

Engage, the National Association for Gallery Education wishes to recruit an Operations Manager to contribute to the efficient running of the organisation.

Job duties to include:

Membership

  • Taking an overview on membership, including strategy development and implementation
  • Updating Board on new members and support the Administration Officer to maintain monthly membership statistics
  • Leading Engage’s membership renewals
  • Line managing the Engage Administration Officer

Communications

  • Taking an overview on communications
  • Supporting the Communications Officer to review and update the website, including preparing and uploading content as needed
  • Proofing and style-checking a range of materials, including reports, evaluations and promotional materials
  • Line managing the Engage Communications Officer

Events and programmes

  • Taking a lead coordinating and monitoring the Engageannual Conference peer sharing and other events e.g. seminars
  • Taking a lead in supporting Engage Programme Coordinators in Scotland and Wales and freelance staff with events coordination
  • Supporting the Administration Officer with bookings, enquires and administration of Engage events
  • Leading on the coordination of other initiatives, e.g. the Marsh Awards for Excellence in Gallery Education

Executive support

  • Assisting the Director and other programme managers with writing and editing fundraising applications, reports and other internal and external communication
  • Attending briefings, seminars and events on behalf of Engage as required
  • Contributing to organisational planning and strategic development in support of the Director and Finance & Governance Manager as needed
  • Gathering and analysing data for reports to funders, stakeholders, Board and Council; developing and updating systems as required

Finance

  • Contributing to financial planning, working with the Director and Finance & Governance Manager to prepare annual budgets where relevant (e.g. for professional development events, Membership, Communications, Council, Office); reviewing budgets and income targets
  • Providing financial information for Project Coordinators and updating project spreadsheets as required

HR

Preparing contracts for staff and freelancers

  • Collating leave sheets and keeping staff informed of their leave allowance
  • Assisting with all aspects of recruitment, including developing job descriptions, shortlisting and conducting interviews, and giving feedback

General

  • Contributing to the day-to-day running of the office and Engage programmes e.g. Extend
  • Supporting other staff both in and outside of the office as necessary
  • Attending board meetings and reporting on areas of work for the team

Office administration

  • Liaising with the IT consultant on the maintenance of IT system, including ensuring systems are backed up and liaising on the purchase of material and software
  • Liaising with the landlord and suppliers re. office services and utilities
  • Ensuring the Engage office meets health and safety requirements
  • Taking overall responsibility for all office-related matters, including sourcing and supervising casual work and legal matters

Supporting Council of members

  • Attending Council meetings, taking and distributing minutes and papers, follow-up actions
  • Inviting external speakers to Council meetings
  • Confirming attendance at meetings
  • Following up actions from meetings

Supporting Area Representatives

  • Ensuring that information is circulated between area groups, attending some area group meetings and encouraging area groups to programme Continuing Professional Development activities

Person Specification:

Essential
Skills/Competences
  • Excellent written & verbal communication skills
  • Excellent attention to detail
  • Numeracy
  • Flexible and proactive team player
  • Ability to communicate with a range of stakeholders
  • Ability to manage a varied workload
  • IT skills, including Microsoft Office
  • Excellent administrative skills, with a demonstrably methodical, organised approach
  • Self starter - able to multi-task, balance workloads and deadlines, and work independently when necessary
/ Essential
Experience of
  • Coordinating events
  • Managing budgets
  • Managing staff
  • Managing an office
  • Sourcing and working with external suppliers
Committed to principles of diversity and equality, and implementing these within all areas of work.
Desirable
Experience of
  • Coordinating a large conference or other professional development event
  • Working in the arts, education or the third sector
  • HR/personnel experience
  • Managing IT provision
  • Updating a website and overseeing communications, including social media
  • Proofreading
An interest in and understanding of galleries and the visual arts

Terms

The salary range for the post is £28,000-£30,000. The starting salary will be dependent on experience and qualifications. The successful applicant will ideally begin duringSeptember 2017.

This is a full-time post and the Operations Manager will be expected to work 40 hours per week on average, between the core office hours of 9am-6pm Monday-Friday. It may occasionally be necessary to work outside these hours for specific deadlines or events. Staff are entitled to up to 1 hour per day (within the 40 hours per week) on average for breaks.

Engage is committed to offering flexible working where possible and by agreement. The post is based at Engage’s London office in Shoreditch. Occasional travel to attend events or meetings within the UK and internationally will be required. Normal leave entitlement is 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays. Engage does not pay overtime but operates a ‘time-off-in-lieu’ policy.

Application process

To apply for this role, please send the following documents to Vicky Scott at

  • A completed Application Form
  • A completed Equality & Diversity Monitoring Form
  • A Covering Letter, maximum of one side of A4, which should describe why you are interested in this role and how it fits with your experience to date, as well as any additional information that you feel is important to support your application

[The letter is an opportunity to provide information not already covered in the application form.]

The deadline for applications is 10am on Monday 7 August 2017 by email only to . Interviews will be held on Wednesday 16 August.

Applicants will be invited to attend an interview by 12pm on Thursday 10 August - if you have not heard from Engage by this date please assume that you have not been shortlisted on this occasion. Apologies, Engage are unable to offer feedback to applicants not shortlisted.

If you require more information about the post contact Jane Sillis on 020 7729 5858 /

Engage is committed to equality of access to its employment. We welcome applications from all sections of the community. Should you need application details in another format please contact Engage 020 7729 5858 /

About Engage

Engage is the lead advocacy and training network for gallery education. We support arts educators, organisations and artists to work together with communities in dynamic, open exchanges that give everyone the opportunity to learn and benefit from the arts.

With 800 members in the UK and abroad in c.270 organisations.

Engage is an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation, and receives funding for its programmes in Scotland from Creative Scotland and for the programme in Wales from the Arts Council of Wales. Funding has also been received from trusts and foundations, individuals and the corporate sector.

Engage currently works in four main strands:

  • Continuing Professional Development:an annual international conference, mid-career peer sharing events and the Extend cross-artform leadership programme for colleagues working in education and learning
  • Research and projects: including Children’s Art Week, Alexandra Reinhardt Memorial Award (ARMA), Max Reinhardt Literacy Award (MRLA) and programmes in Scotland and Wales
  • Advocacy: making thecase for education and learning in galleries with government and key partners
  • Dissemination: sharing practice through Engage’s website, publications and the twice-yearly journal

Engage has an active network of Area Groups across the nine regions in England, which provide peer support and professional development for members. There are active programmes in Wales and Scotland supported by programme coordinators and voluntary development groups.

You can find more information about Engage on the website

Engage Governance and Staffing

Engage is a limited company with charitable registration, governed by a Board (of 14Trustees), which meets quarterly, and a Council (of c.35 Area and Special Interest Representatives), which meets three times a year.

Engage’s staffing comprises:

London office
Director
Finance & Governance Manager (p/t)
Operations Manager
Communications Officer (p/t)
Administration Officer (p/t)
Office Assistant /

Other Engage staff and freelancers (not based in the London office)

Engage Scotland Coordinator (p/t)
EngageCymru Coordinator (p/t)
Engage Journal Editor (freelance)
Extend Coordinator (freelance)
Alexandra Reinhardt Memorial Award & Max Reinhardt Literacy Award Coordinator (freelance)

Engage is supported by: