Interim Head of Cultural Services

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Salary: 
57-69k per annum
Application Deadline: 
3rd September 2019

 

Head of Cultural Services - Salary £57-69k per annum

Gloucester City Council is seeking to recruit an interim Head of Service to lead the City’s cultural services at an exciting, pivotal and challenging time.  This is a great opportunity for someone who:

can bring their knowledge and experience to help us shape our thinking and approaches

has the creativity and imagination to find and implement pragmatic solutions

has the confidence, credibility and personality to help build and maintain partnerships and work collaboratively

has the skills to lead teams with a real passion for the City and the services they provide.

The opportunity is exciting because Gloucester is heading towards the final year of a 3-year ACE/HLF/HE Great Place programme delivering real cultural change in the City, including the creation of a new cultural entrepreneurs’ hub in the City centre.  A recent Venues Feasibility Plan lays the groundwork for what we must do to develop audiences, build partnerships and relationships, utilise meanwhile spaces across the city and engage more with young people.  We have a strong partnership with the Roundhouse, Camden to develop talent in Gloucester and support existing arts organisations including the Gloucester Guildhall.  And we are serious about bidding for City of Culture in 2025.

The opportunity is pivotal because you’ll help drive the Gloucester Roundhouse Exchange with a particular focus on building capacity and skills at the Guildhall, you’ll work with the Gloucester Culture Trust on the City of Culture bid and delivery of Gloucester’s Cultural Strategy and Vision 2016-2026, you’ll craft the Council’s response to the Venues Feasibility report.  You’ll lead the implementation of the emerging Guildhall and Blackfriars Development Plans, shape our thinking about the potential to create a Trust to operate our venues and develop a new Museums Development Plan. 

The opportunity is challenging because there is so much to do.  Your first job will be to identify the priorities and work to a deliverable plan.  Unlike many places, Gloucester is investing in Culture and we have the active support of major funders like ACE and HLF, but money is always tight so fundraising, income generation and budget management will be features of your role.  We are also transferring our former Museum of Gloucester Life buildings to the Gloucester Historic Buildings Trust and the Gloucester Civic Trust to enable the creation of a new Heritage Hub in the City.

Because we need to be flexible in our response to these opportunities, we are seeking to recruit an interim Head of Service for a 12-month period.  The successful candidate will manage teams at Gloucester Guildhall, Blackfriars and the Museum of Gloucester as well as our decant from the Museum of Gloucester Life.  You will work closely with the Gloucester Culture Trust on the delivery of the Great Place Programme and the City’s Cultural Vision and Strategy.  You’ll develop, maintain and enhance our relationships with the Roundhouse, Marketing Gloucester Ltd, Great Place partners, cultural organisations, funders and the people of Gloucester.

We know that we are asking a great deal.  We also believe that this is a unique opportunity to influence and deliver the City’s cultural ambitions.  To make sure we get the right person for the role we are happy to be flexible in considering secondments, interim appointments, job sharing and anything else that would help you bring your talents to Gloucester.

Gloucester City Council is transforming the City and itself.  We’ve implemented an ambitious transformation programme, creating an agile workforce, a culture open to change and a structure which offers opportunities to work across a range of services from regeneration, culture and heritage to city centre and community wellbeing. 

If you’d like to discuss this opportunity, please contact Jonathan Lund (Corporate Director) on 01452 396276 or email me at jonathan.lund@gloucester.gov.uk