Relationship Manager, New Technology and Innovation; MDNF

Contract:
Fixed term, 21 Hours per week until 31 January 2028 (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: £38,689 (pro rata) per annum Grade C plus benefits including a final salary pension scheme, generous annual leave, and flexible and hybrid working.

Location:
Manchester or Leeds ( The role will be based in Manchester or Leeds; 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) Relationship Managers are also expected to be present and active in the sector across the North

We are on a mission to make sure that the arts and cultural activities we fund are inclusive and that everyone in England has the chance to lead creative and cultural lives no matter what their background. Music, theatre, galleries, dance, digital arts, literature, museums, libraries – it’s about access to all of these and more. Can you help us?

This role - Relationship Manager, New Technology & Innovation - would suit someone who is passionate and knowledgeable about the arts and cultural sector, with either experience of digital arts, increasing digital and/or data skills, or digital inclusion. Digital Arts is the first new artform Arts Council England has introduced in decades, and the first time anywhere in the world that a public arts funder has taken thisstep.

At its core, Digital Arts is creative practice where digital technology fundamentally shapes how work is conceived, made, and experienced.

This is a busy and exciting time to join as we undertake the significant National Portfolio Investment Programme. This post will be a key part in supporting the north team over the assessment process, with the opportunity to contribute your expertise and develop your understanding of Arts Council grant-making.

Here are some of the things you could expect to do in this role:

• Manage a portfolio of funded organisations and giving funding advice to individuals and organisations, about Arts Council National Lottery Project Grants and other funds
• Support our decision-making processes, writing assessments and sit on funding panels
• Take a place-based, creativity-led approach to cultural development by working with local stakeholders in targeted places.
• Helping to improve the diversity of the projects we fund by giving feedback to applicants and looking to support a wide range of first-time applicants
• Assessing financial information, identifying risk, and providing feedback on artistic plans
• Help build a thriving digital arts ecology and digital skills offer in your area

As a Relationship Manager, New Technology & Innovation, it is essential that you will be able to demonstrate an in-depth knowledge of Digital Arts and the arts and culture sector’s use of new technologies. This could include experience in one or more of the following areas: the use of new and emerging technologies (e.g. XR, AI, decentralised technologies, spatial audio etc.)

in the creation of new work, the production and distribution of content on more mature technologies (podcasting, radio television, film), digital and data skills development or the use of digital technology in community/place-making or digital inclusion.

You’ll have a focus on building, empowering and enduring relationships with a portfolio of funded organisations, and helping to develop the sector in the north to maintain its vibrant, innovative and diverse range of opportunities.

You will also have a good understanding of the cultural sector in…