Community Engagement Manager (32 hours per week) University of Atypical for Arts and Disability in Belfast

The Community Engagement Manager role is a fixed term contract to address the needs of the organisation’s community and stakeholder development initiatives. This role is funded by Belfast City Council until March 2027.

The Community Engagement Manager will support the CEO and Business Development Manager with initiatives that are designed to improve organisational capacity, support our membership, and deliver impact in terms of equality, access and inclusion to the wider arts sector. This is an administrative and operational role, that will involve engagement with stakeholders across our partnership programmes, organisational membership, funders and freelance roles. We are seeking a person who can contribute meaningfully to the organisation’s team, our membership, and our partnership connections. Excellent communication and organisational skills are essential.

• At least 3 years experience of working in an arts organisation with demonstrable experience of arts programme management and/or administration
• Third level qualification in a relevant discipline e.g. an Arts qualification, a Management qualification. If you have a qualification you feel is relevant or experience that is equivalent it is up to you to demonstrate that.
• Lived and/or professional experience of disability, the d/Deaf community or neurodiversity
• Knowledge of access and inclusion barriers and solutions
• Experience gained in organisations or working with organisations which demonstrate excellent access and inclusion - arts and disability programmes will be prioritised

• Evidence of leadership skills - including the ability to plan ahead, to problem solve, to offer solutions to difficulties, to encourage a positive team environment
• Evidence of project management skills including budget management, record-keeping, scheduling, and experience of delivering against intended outputs and impact
• Evidence of administrative skills - using IT to manage communication and records including Google based office systems or equivalent
• Evidence of confidence in networking, building opportunities and partnerships with others
• Evidence of planning, organisational and programme delivery skills
• Evidence of good communication skills – written, verbal and presentation skills
• Social Media and Internet confident

• Willingness to travel as an essential part of the role e.g. to conferences, meetings with partners and funders, project site visits, etc.
• Ability to commit to a working pattern inside core office hours Monday to Friday from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, with flexible start/finish between 9:00 am and 6:00 pm. There will be some requirement for evening work after 6:00 pm for events, and some weekend work especially during the Bounce Arts Festival (first weekend in October) is essential.
• Proof of legal right to work in the UK for the duration of the role. Any offer of employment will be conditional on a successful right to work check.
• If appointed, willingness to complete an Access NI check as required for programmes.

• Experience of working directly with d/Deaf, disabled and neurodivergent people
• Experience of working with Access and Inclusion provision within an organisational setting
• Experience of reporting on projects to funders and other interested partners
• Experience in marketing and engaging directly with the media for promotional purposes
• Experience in volunteer programme management or mentoring programme management
• Experience in Safeguarding policy and procedures
• A full clean driving licence and access to a form of transport that would enable you to carry out travel responsibilities of the post (access to personal transport is desirable and the staff member must have business insurance in place if role is accepted)

About the Organisation

University of Atypical for Arts and Disability (UofA) was established in 1993 as the leading sectoral organisation on arts and disability in Northern Ireland. UofA takes an empowerment-based approach towards d/Deaf, disabled and neurodivergent people’s involvement in the arts as audience members and as creative practitioners. UofA specialises in developing and promoting the work of d/Deaf, disabled and neurodivergent artists and in doing so engages with d/Deaf, disabled and neurodivergent audiences in a direct and meaningful way. We aim to increase opportunities for D/deaf, disabled and neurodivergent people to engage with the arts, working on a pan-disability basis providing participative and networking opportunities; exhibitions; the Bounce Arts Festival; the Ledger Studio arts and performance space; training; and other sectoral developments in equality, access and inclusion.