Investment Officer, Music Hubs (COO16) in Manchester

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: £33,643 per annum plus benefits including a final salary pension scheme, generous annual leave, and flexible and hybrid working.

Location: Manchester. The role will be based in Manchester; 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 is responsible for managing the Music Hub programme on behalf of the Department for Education (DfE). The Arts Council has facilitated investment of over £101 million in new Hub Lead Organisations (HLOs) to ensure every child in England has access to high quality music opportunities in and out of school.

Role Details: Working closely with the wider Music Hubs team, you will support the smooth and effective operation of grant management for the Music Hub Investment programme. You will also maintain and develop our programme management tools and processes.

Responsibilities:

• Supporting the development of end-to-end grant management processes for both the revenue and capital grants, working with our Business Systems team as needed.
• Supporting the production of internal and external guidance documentation and resources.
• Supporting the delivery of internal and external briefings, training and events on specific elements of grant and investment processes.
• Providing advice and support for the performance and risk assessment of grants and applications.
• Provide timely, clear reports on compliance against our monitoring requirements, informing our reporting and assurance processes to the DfE and the overall management of the programme.
• Compile and analyse information, evidence and data on the activity of Music Hubs and produce clear, effective and accessible reporting on different aspects of the programme to help:

• fulfil fund holder reporting requirements to the DfE;
• share and advocate for the impact of the programme;
• inform future policy development – both for the programme and for broader music education policy;
• demonstrate our value as both fund holder and development agency for creativity and culture.

Collaborate with our Insight Teams (e.g. Data, Research). Supporting the timely and effective design and delivery of investment processes and procedures. Together with other Officers, you will also play a supportive role in ensuring the smooth administration of our programme and project management tools, working closely with the Senior Management Team to ensure they have a clear oversight of how the programme is functioning and delivering, including:

• Proactively ensuring tools such as our master timeline, Verto, CRM and other systems are regularly updated and cross-referenced, liaising with colleagues across the team as required.
• Providing effective management of our central inboxes for internal and external queries, and our internal Teams channels.

In all aspects of the role, you will ensure compliance with our published procedures, working with the Compliance and Improvement team to ensure compliance and improvements are identified and acted on. You will contribute to a positive working culture in the organisation by taking a proactive approach to learning, responding to change, inclusive practice, and environmental responsibility. You will reflect the Nolan Principles of Public Life and the Arts Council's values with a commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion.

Equality Diversity and Inclusion: 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.

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, please note: this description does not provide a live link. See recruitment pack for details.

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.

To view the recruitment pack which outlines more details about working for Arts Council please click here.

Job ref: COO16

Closing date: 09:00, Friday 13 February

Interviews: (virtual) Tuesday, 10 March

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.