Access and Grants Officer in Cardiff

Location: Any of the Arts Council of Wales offices (Cardiff, Colwyn Bay or Carmarthen) with Hybrid Working

Our benefits include 30 days annual leave, 2.5 privilege days, flexible working hours/pattern, cycle to work scheme and a final salary pension.

About the role

We are recruiting to the role of Access and Grants Officer on a full-time basis, to support the wider work of the Grants and Information team, and in particular, our access support work.

The Access and Grants Officer supports applicants who are experiencing barriers to accessing our funding, services and information with pre-application support. The role focusses on the design, delivery, evaluation and continuous improvement of the ways the Arts Council can ensure people can access our funds equitably. Our aim is to make our services as accessible and inclusive as possible.

The Access and Grants Officer will lead the day-to-day coordination and continuous improvement of pre-application access support. The role will administer access support requests, coordinate our support network and feedback mechanisms, develop accessible resources and partnerships, and provide direct applicant‑focused guidance where needed.

This will involve working with external partners and the sector to understand needs and best practices, and with colleagues internally to implement necessary change.

Working closely with these colleagues, partners, artists and arts organisations, the postholder will contribute to inclusive grants management, policy development, funding guidance, assessment and monitoring processes, while ensuring information is clear, current and accessible. The role also supports outreach, promotes understanding of Arts Council programmes, advocates for inclusive practice, and works in line with corporate policies, including data protection, our Strategic Equality Plan and Welsh Language Standards.

The postholder will also support Grants and Information Officers by providing the principal point of contact for individuals and organisations who want our help, support and funding. The provision of advice and information is one of our most important services and the quality with which we deliver this service has a key impact on our overall reputation and credibility.

Grant giving is at the core of our work and its effective delivery is at the heart of this team’s work. Grant and Information Officers are responsible for the assessment and monitoring of lottery project grants throughout Wales. Working closely with Relationship Managers, they will ensure the delivery of an efficient, streamlined service for individuals and organisations.

The Access and Grants Officer will support the Grants and Information team with core work, however, will focus on maintaining our current high standards as well as seeking new interventions relating to access support for applicants.

About you

The successful applicant will have a passion for, and strong knowledge of, the arts; a thorough understanding of equalities issues and their practical application to the Arts Council’s work, and a familiarity with financial and business issues. The successful applicant will have excellent communication and empathy skills and will be able to manage and execute a diverse programme of projects and tasks.

The successful candidate will bring an understanding of the importance of providing high quality and equitable support whether this be via lived experience or previous learnt experience of providing access support.

We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace and value the importance of lived experience as a Deaf, disabled or neurodivergent person and the unique perspective this brings. Therefore it is desirable that the successful applicant will bring this lived experience to the role.

Welsh language

We work in both Welsh and English.

Welsh language skills are essential for this role. You will need to be able to communicate in both English and Welsh in meetings, individually and in public. We are looking for an individual who understands the culture of Wales; the diverse relationship of the people of Wales with the Welsh language and who is committed to ensuring a progressive use of Welsh linguistically and culturally within the Arts Council and the wider sector. Everyone's story with the language is different and we recognise that Welsh language confidence levels vary from person to person. We welcome applications from individuals who want to increase their confidence and those who have learnt the language fluently.

Our commitment to inclusion

We're looking for fresh perspectives and new voices – whether you're D/deaf, disabled, neurodiverse, from different cultural and ethnic backgrounds, from the LGBTQ+ community or have taken unconventional paths to get where you are. Your lived experience matters here.

We are a Disability Confident Employer, committed to interviewing all disabled applicants who meet all essential criteria set out in the person specification.

We’ll support you as you settle into the organisation, even if some things are new to you. During your induction, you can also receive mentoring or training if you need it.

Flexible Working

We want to help staff balance work and life, so we welcome requests for flexible working or job‑share arrangements. We’re also part of the Happy to Talk Flexible Working initiative, which means we’re open to discussing flexibility from the moment you apply.

If you’d like to work different hours from those advertised, please let us know your preferences in your covering email when you apply.

Closing date: Thursday 30 July 2026, 12pm (midday)

Interview date: Thursday 13 August 2026