Director Arts, China

Contract: 2 years (plus one-year extension by mutual agreement)
Location: Beijing, China
Salary: Senior Management & Professionals Pay Band
Deadline for Applications: 09 June 2019 (23.59 UK time)
 

DIRECTOR ARTS, CHINA 

This is an exciting opportunity for a senior Arts professional to set an imaginative and compelling vision and strategy for arts programmes in China; and inspire colleagues and partners to share in and contribute to this ambitious approach.

ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT/TEAM
In East Asia, we have a very strong arts team of 60 people in the region, of which more half has been recently recruited from the sector.
We deliver our countries’ shared agendas for international, innovative and inclusive growth, building opportunities, partnerships and trust across our education and creative sectors. The Arts are at the core of the delivery of the East Asia strategy.

WHAT YOU WILL BE DOING
You will represent the British Council as a recognised, credible authority to external stakeholders and audiences. You will build and maintain external networks to optimize partnership potential, providing professional advice to the UK about the Chinese cultural sector and vice-versa, to maximize the potential and success of international exchange

As a member of the China Leadership Team, you will contribute to the China country strategy, and deliver to a shared audience for our work in arts, education and English. You will develop and maintain strong networks which enable opportunity-spotting and effective brokering of collaborations with the arts sectors and relevant government departments through effective account management, both directly, through the dispersed arts teams, and in collaboration with the arts team in the UK.

As a diplomatic post in China, you will fully engage with the wider UK agenda in China, identifying opportunities that deliver against our arts strategy, our overall China strategy, and which may benefit the wider UK-China relationship in education, trade and development.

You will lead a dispersed arts team across China in implementing culture change and ensure staff have sufficient capacity and training to implement project management to required standards.

You will ensure that agreed activity is designed and delivered according to best project management practice, with clear targets for short and long term impact and appropriate evaluation in place.

WHAT IS INTERESTING ABOUT IT
You have the opportunity to position British Council China as a global lead on the use of digital technologies to bring arts to global audience, provide insight and broker connections. Take pride in leading and motivating a team of arts managers across the country to build and sustain a range of arts partnership between the UK and China, to ensure that research, market and audience insight drives what we do.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR
You will bring along proven experience in a leadership role in the arts - leading an arts organisation, institution or international projects of scale with a track record in partnership-building and complex relationship management. You should have a substantial network of professional contacts across art forms and sectors, ideally in the UK and in China. Experience of engaging with audiences digitally will be essential. You will have an understanding and appreciation of current arts trends and practices in both China and the UK to be successful in this role. Chinese language proficiency will be desirable.

Due to the diplomatic status of this role only British nationals will be considered.

BENEFITS OF WORKING AT THE BRITISH COUNCIL
- Flexible working opportunities
- Smart working (most of us hot-desk!)
- Enjoy more than 20 days of Annual leave
- Year-end bonus and annual bonus scheme 
- Professional development opportunities

Our work makes a lasting difference by building more inclusive societies and supporting people’s prospects.

Together, we can do more.

NEXT STEPS
For more information please see Role profile and British Council Generic Behaviours in our British Council job portal.
(Link provided below)

KINDLY TAKE NOTE

While various measures have been put in place by the government to help curb pollution in China, there are still potential health issues associated with the poorer air quality. The British Council does its utmost to provide a working environment that minimises employees’ exposure to pollutants, however, anyone wishing to work in the cities of Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou or Chongqing should be aware of the situation.
 

Valuing diversity is essential to the British Council’s work. We aim to abide by and promote equality legislation by following both the letter and the spirit of it to try and avoid unjustified discrimination, recognizing discrimination as a barrier to equality of opportunity, inclusion and human rights.

All staff worldwide is required to ensure their behavior is consistent with our policies.

The British Council is a full member of Keeping Children Safe (KCS) and has achieved level 1 child safe certification. We believe that all children have the right to be protected from all forms of abuse as set out in article 19, UNCRC, 1989 and that every child matters - everywhere in the world. In line with the British Council's Child Protection policy, any appointment is contingent on thorough checks including criminal record checks, in line with legal requirements.