Chief director in Birmingham

The Managing Director will provide the strategic, organisational and business leadership needed to take Soul City Arts into its next stage of development. Working closely with the Board and alongside the Artistic Director and Senior Producer, they will lead organisational strategy, financial sustainability, income generation, governance, people and organisational development, and build the high-level partnerships needed to unlock new opportunities, investment and reach. A key priority will be strengthening SCA’s business model, diversifying income and ensuring its artistic ambition is matched by effective systems, capacity, financial planning and risk management. This is a role focused on creating the conditions in which ambitious artistic work can thrive.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategy, Leadership & Organisational Development
  • Lead SCA's organisational strategy and business planning.
  • Ensure artistic ambition is supported by realistic organisational, financial and people planning.
  • Build clear accountability, effective systems and strong ways of working across the organisation.
  • Lead SCA confidently through its next stage of organisational development and change.
• Financial Sustainability & Income Generation
  • Hold executive oversight of SCA's overall financial position, budgets, forecasting, reserves and financial risk.
  • Lead SCA's income-generation strategy and develop a strong, diversified funding and investment pipeline.
  • Lead major funding bids and investment propositions, drawing together artistic, programme, financial and impact expertise from across the team.
  • Ensure SCA's ambitions are financially viable and support long-term organisational resilience.
• Strategic Partnerships & Growth
  • Build and sustain high-level strategic relationships that strengthen SCA's investment, reach, influence and future opportunities.
  • Develop partnerships across cultural, civic, public, education, philanthropic, commercial and community sectors.
  • Strengthen SCA's position in Birmingham and the West Midlands while supporting its national and international ambitions.
  • Represent SCA with funders, partners and senior stakeholders.
• Governance, People & Organisational Capacity
  • Act as the principal executive link with the Board and support strong governance, risk management and organisational accountability.
  • Provide leadership and line management across the core team, building a positive, inclusive and accountable organisational culture.
  • Ensure SCA has the skills, capacity, policies and systems required for its next phase.
  • Maintain appropriate HR, organisational and compliance arrangements, drawing on specialist support where required.

Person Specification

Essential Experience and Knowledge

• Significant senior leadership or management experience within an arts, cultural, charitable, social enterprise, public or other purpose-led organisation.
• Experience of developing and delivering organisational strategy and business plans.
• Strong financial literacy, including organisational budgeting, forecasting, cash-flow oversight and financial decision-making.
• A successful track record in fundraising, income generation and/or business development.
• Experience of developing significant funding bids, investment propositions or income partnerships.
• A strong track record of developing high-level strategic partnerships and stakeholder relationships.
• Experience of working effectively with a Board or governance structure.
• Experience of leading and managing people and supporting organisational development or change.
• Strong understanding of organisational risk, accountability and good governance.
• Ability to work successfully alongside artistic, creative or specialist leadership while maintaining clear areas of executive responsibility.
• Excellent written, verbal and interpersonal communication skills.
• Strong judgement and the ability to move confidently between strategic thinking and practical organisational decision-making.
• Commitment to equality, inclusion and culturally relevant practice.

Desirable Experience and Knowledge

• Knowledge of the UK arts and cultural sector and its funding environment.
• Understanding of Arts Council England investment and reporting frameworks.
• Knowledge of Birmingham and/or the West Midlands cultural and civic landscape.
• Experience within a founder-led or artist-led organisation.
• Experience of organisational transformation, growth or transition.
• Experience of developing public, private, civic or cross-sector partnerships.
• Experience of developing diversified income across more than one funding source.
• Understanding of socially engaged, community-rooted or interdisciplinary cultural practice.
• Experience of working with organisations operating locally while developing national or international partnerships.

Personal Approach

• Collaborative, while able to make and hold clear decisions.
• Ambitious and pragmatic.
• Able to build trust and strong working relationships.
• Confident working with creative people, ideas and processes.
• Able to constructively challenge as well as support.
• Entrepreneurial, curious and alert to opportunity.
• Financially responsible and comfortable making difficult choices when necessary.
• Clear and transparent in communication.
• Comfortable operating within a small organisation where senior leaders sometimes need to be hands-on.
• Able to navigate complexity without creating unnecessary bureaucracy.
• Committed to creativity, inclusion, community and cultural difference.
• Motivated by building sustainable conditions in which ambitious artistic work can flourish.

Full details can be found in the linked job pack.