Jobs for the Arts, Culture and Heritage sector in west midlands

The Association for Cultural Enterprises (AfCE) supports over 500 member organisations across the UK and internationally, helping the cultural sector generate earned income through commercial activity. As an Arts Council England-funded organisation, AfCE delivers sector-leading training, benchmarking, data-led insights, events, and advocacy to drive financial resilience in arts, heritage, and culture.

AfCE runs a year-round programme of live training events around the UK and Europe, as well as its signature annual Cultural Enterprises Conference and Trade Show. We have ambitions to grow attendance at these events, as well as growing our membership.

The Association is a charitable organisation, which also has a trading company, Cultural Enterprises (Trading) Limited (CET).

We are looking for a new Finance Manager to join a small, friendly, and ambitious team, to review the day-to-day processes and policies and identify opportunities to improve reporting  and make operational efficiencies. The Association is growing, so now is an exciting time to join our team and work with our members across the cultural sector.

Job Summary

The purpose of this role is to provide sound financial management for the Association and CET through:

• Statutory financial reporting in line with Charity SORP/UK GAAP, including annual returns to Companies House and the Charity Commission

• Management accounting, reporting and analysis to funders, management, staff, and Trustees/Directors

• Preparation and maintenance of budgets, forecasts and plans, including cashflows and project budgets

• Supervision and control of day-to-day accounting transactions, including oversight of the finance aspects of the Apprentice role

• Oversight and implementation of robust financial systems, policies, and procedures

• Responsible for financial queries, working with the Apprentice as first point of contact for external contacts
   

Main Duties

• Supervise day-to-day accounting operations and ensure accurate financial record keeping, including coding, allocations, reconciliations, and tax accounting

• Oversee invoice generation and debt recovery processes

• Process payments and staff expenses for authorisation

• Produce regular management accounts on an accruals basis, providing interpretation and advice to the Executive Team, Finance & Risk Committee, Trustees/Directors, and funders

• Lead on budget preparation and forecasting, including project-specific budgets; monitor and reforecast as needed

• Prepare statutory accounts in compliance with charity SORP and liaise with external auditors and the Treasurer

• Manage contracts with financial services providers, including bookkeepers, auditors, banks, and investment managers

• Attend AfCE and CET Board meetings

• Fulfil company secretarial duties, including:

  • Filing confirmation statements and annual accounts for ACE and CET with Companies House and Charity Commission

  • Filing changes in Trustees/Directors

• Complete Arts Council England (ACE) returns, including provision of financial information for quarterly payment processes when required

• Negotiate and implement insurance policies including:

  • General insurance

  • Cyber security

  • Life assurance

  • Staff sickness policy

  • Trustees’ liability

  • Conference insurance

• Oversee monthly payroll, including statutory payments to HMRC and pension providers, and liaise with bookkeepers for payroll updates or changes

• Review VAT returns for accuracy before submission to HMRC
   

Note on External Bookkeepers
External bookkeepers currently provide support limited to payroll and VAT processing.

Person Specification

Personal Qualities

• Self-disciplined, organised, proactive and self-motivating

• Logical and methodical approach to finance and administration

• Trustworthy, honest, reliable and conscientious

• Confident, professional, and personable, able to communicate easily within a small team and with external stakeholders
   

Professional Competencies

Essential

• Professional accounting qualification such as ACA, ACCA, or CIMA

• Strong knowledge of charity SORP and charity finance regulations, including VAT and Gift Aid

• Experience with Xero or equivalent cloud-based accounting systems

• Strong reporting skills

• Team player with excellent interpersonal skills

• High level of accuracy and attention to detail

• Experience producing management accounts and supporting senior leadership and boards

• Ability to interpret financial data for non-financial colleagues
   

Desirable

• Experience working in a small charity or business

• Understanding of the cultural or charitable sector

• Experience of remote working
   

Benefits

• Unlimited holiday policy

• 5% employer pension contribution

• Life insurance

• Flexible working arrangements by agreement with the CEO

We are an inclusive, equal opportunity employer and value diversity. All employment is decided on the basis of experience, merit and organisational need.

Are you passionate about music, inclusion and making a real difference?  The OHMI Trust is looking for someone to lead our Instrument Development programmes.  The heart of our mission is to make music truly inclusive for people with physical impairments and in this role you will be driving forward the development and delivery of adapted musical instruments.  It is creative, purposeful work and we are looking for someone who cares deeply about the impact that music can have.

Our team is looking for someone who lives and breathes our passion as much as we do and will put the work (and the miles) into bringing our mission to life. You will do this through:

• Developing a strategic approach in how we can increase the range of instruments and supportive apparatus available, working with instrument makers and technologists where necessary. 
• Identifying potential entrants for our OHMI Competition, which is where we challenge developers and instrument makers to adapt or create instruments that can be played without the use of one hand and arm.
• Supporting our OHMI Music-makers, a project that works with partner organisations to bring music lessons to individual students or a whole class by providing adapted instruments.
• Making sure we are communicating with our funders and Board of Trustees about our progress and impact.

And as a key member of the team, you will support us in promoting our great work at various key conferences and workshops.

No two days look the same here at the OHMI Trust, but a week could look like this:

· Arranging meetings with student groups working on instrument related engineering projects.

· Joining an online meeting to develop the strategy for overcoming a specific instrument production challenge.

· Writing an application for funding towards the next instrument/piece of equipment that is needed.

Hours: 18.75 per week, but flexible. Some weekend and evening work will be expected, as circumstances and opportunities require. This post is subject to a 6-month probation period.

Location: flexible within the UK – this is a home/remote working role but there will be travel throughout the UK and there is an advantage in being located within easy commuting distance of the West Midlands, where the rest of the staff are currently based.

Deadline for application: 5pm 4th July.  Interview date: 23rd July in person.

Accountable to: OHMI's General Manager and, through her, the Board of Trustees

What we are looking for:

Essential

• A passion for improving inclusion in music-making, including an understanding of the barriers to participation for those with physical disabilities
• Strong organisational skills, including an ability to prioritise workloads effectively, manage multiple tasks and work flexibly as part of a team
• Excellent communication skills, written and verbal, with the ability to adapt style and content to a range of different audiences and contexts
• Familiarity with standard office software (e.g. Microsoft Word and Excel) and an ability to build knowledge of new systems effectively
• Willingness and ability to travel throughout the UK as required for the job (travel expenses covered)

Desirable

• Technical skills - experience of working with instrument makers, designers or manufacturers
• Disability confident - experience of working with people with physical disabilities

If this role sounds like a great fit for you, we would love to hear all about it!  Tell us why you are interested and what skills you can bring to this position by sending a written statement along with your CV to Rachel Wolffsohn.  We will be holding in person interviews on 23rd July in Birmingham so please hold that date in your diary. 

You can find out more about us and our work on our website and if you have any questions about the position, please get in touch with Rachel.

We are a Disability Confident Committed employer and as such commit to offer an interview to all disabled candidates who meet the Essential criteria.

Senior Trusts Officer (1514)

Do you have a demonstrable track record of raising funds from trusts, foundations and statutory funders? Can you write compelling and persuasive applications? Do you have a keen eye for accuracy and the ability to work to deadlines? Are you target-driven and able to meet and exceed fundraising targets?

We are looking for a Senior Trusts Officer to develop and manage a portfolio of small and medium-sized trusts to raise revenue and capital income to support the strategic aims of the RSC for our work on and off-stage.

It is an exciting time to join the RSC with world-class productions on stage in Stratford-upon-Avon, London and worldwide, our education programme positively impacting the lives of over 500,000 young people in schools across the country and cutting-edge digital research projects (as part of our Independent Research Organisation status) exploring the future of creative and cultural practice. You will be joining a high-performing trust team at a world-renowned theatre company.

Reporting to the Senior Trusts and Foundations Manager, key areas of responsibility include (please see the full job description and person specification for the comprehensive list):

• Preparing and submitting high-quality applications and impact reports to small and medium-sized Trusts (in the region of £1,000 to £50,000).
• Growing, managing and stewarding a portfolio of Trusts, including maintaining existing supporters and identifying new prospects.
• Building and managing long-term meaningful relationships with grant administrators, managers, trustees and stakeholders.
• Undertaking effective prospect research to build a pipeline of trusts.
• Represent the RSC and support Development colleagues at a range of events in London and Stratford-upon-Avon.

To be suitable for this role, it is essential that you have:

• Demonstrable experience of raising funds from Trusts and Foundations
• An excellent and persuasive writing and communication style
• A keen eye for detail and accuracy
• Experience in managing multiple deadlines
• Demonstrated experience in budget management, including building, monitoring, and reporting on budgets.
• Enthusiasm for fundraising in the performing arts

This is a full-time, permanent position which can be based in either London or Stratford-upon-Avon, with travel between sites for events and meetings.  You will be working 35 hours per week, although occasional weekend and evening work will be required. The RSC offers flexible/hybrid working.

Do you have experience in generating and sustaining charitable giving from individuals and nurturing a Friends scheme in the Arts education sector? Are you passionate about choral singing and its power to change the lives of children and young people and can you successfully advocate on our behalf to potential major donors?

The primary focus for the new role is to generate sustainable charitable giving from individuals, maintaining and growing our Friends memberships and developing significant income from major donors. We will also welcome input on stewardship of trusts and foundations if this is also your area of expertise.

We are a leading choral singing organisation and run residential summer courses for children and young people. Our artistic director, Ralph Allwood, founded the organisation 45 years ago, since when over 10,000 young people have benefited from our life-changing courses. Nowadays, around one third of students receive generous bursary support to attend a course and we also work with a range of partner organisations to encourage even more young people from diverse backgrounds to take part in our choral singing courses. We want to secure the future of the organisation and increase the number of students we can support by significantly growing our individual  giving.

We are looking for an experienced fundraiser to work up to 2 days per week on a freelance basis to help us move up a gear or two in terms of our fundraising, specifically to develop private giving from our extensive alumni network and the many successful individuals who feel music education at a young age made them the person they are today.

We have an office in central London but the job can be done remotely with occasional meetings with the General Manager, either in person or virtually.

Key information

Position: Head of Development, Friends and Major Donors

Reports to: General Manager

Key relationships: Artistic Director, Operations Manager, Assistant Director Rodolfus Choir, Communications Manager & Artistic Adviser, Chairman and Trustees

Location: Working from home with occasional visits to the office at King’s Place, London and meetings with donors c. weekly

Main goal: To launch our 45th anniversary year development appeal and manage fund raising through individual giving, Friends memberships and legacy donations and pledges, growing our charitable income in line with our strategy. 

About this role:

The main duties and responsibilities for the Heads of Development role are as follows:

INDIVIDUAL GIVING

· Maintain and build relationships with our donors, and identify new individuals who would like to see the Rodolfus Choral Foundation thrive

· Use our extensive alumni list to source and maintain donors

· Use contacts from the artistic director and trustees to generate new donors

·  Ensure that our top and potential donors are well looked after and researched, passing on key information to the Artistic Director and, where appropriate, arranging meetings between him and our donors

· Organise and co-host special donor events in unique venues

· Plan and help organise membership events for donors

· Help establish a legacy giving scheme for Rodolfus

· Have overall responsibility for reaching individual giving targets

· Ensure that data is accurately kept in our database in line with GDPR, and is harnessed to support our fundraising efforts

STRATEGIC PLANNING & REPORTING

· Develop a five-year Fundraising Strategy

· Set ambitious but achievable targets for each year, within the overall Rodolfus budget

· Contribute new ideas and find new opportunities for fundraising

· Produce quarterly fundraising updates for the Trustees

· Produce a fundraising report for the annual accounts, identifying strengths, weaknesses and areas for development in the Fundraising Strategy

TRUSTS AND GRANT-MAKING BODIES

· Liaise with the General Manager to ensure a coordinated fundraising plan and targets, in keeping with the artistic vision for Rodolfus

· Proof and submit applications and be the point of contact for Trusts and Foundations (this work is currently supported by the General Manager and a fundraising consultant)

GENERAL

· Attend Team and Board meetings as required

· Be a passionate advocate at all times for Rodolfus

· Adhere to all legal requirements relating to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) as well as all other company policies and procedures

· Create a positive work environment, underpinned by the organisation’s values

· The list of responsibilities is not exhaustive and may be reviewed from time to time by the Trustees.

· The appointee may be required to perform duties outside of this as operationally required and at the discretion of the Board.

ABOUT YOU

We are looking for someone who:

· Is able to foster excellent relationships with major donors

· is positive, proactive, hard-working, innovative and ambitious

· is numerate, analytical, organised and has attention to detail

· is friendly, approachable and collaborative

· happy working in a small but dedicated team

· happy to travel regularly when required for donor and team meetings

Essential Criteria:

· excellent interpersonal skills

· experience of developing positive relationships with donors

· proven success in securing major donations

· experience of prospective donor identification and initial approach

· outstanding communication skills, both spoken and written

· experience in budget management

· good attention to detail

· excellent personal organisation and time management

· experience of working efficiently and effectively on their own as well as in a team

· understands the arts sector

Closing date: Midday on 23rd June 2025

Interviews: First round interviews will be held online on w/c 30th June 2025

Second round interviews will be held w/c 7th July 2025

The Director of Finance and Resources is responsible for managing the charity’s finances efficiently and accurately, ensuring that all financial activities are carried out in compliance with statutory, regulatory and contractual requirements. Playing a key role in strategic planning, including planning for future budgets and allocation of resources in collaboration with the CEO and Board, the Director of Finance & Resources also leads on HR and IT for the Trust and supports the implementation of good governance practices. The role oversees the production of monthly management accounts, line-managing the Finance Officer who takes care of day-to-day financial functions. You will provide financial recommendations to the Finance & Audit Committee (which meets quarterly), ensuring that the Trust’s financial practices adhere to statutory regulations and legislation. The Director of Finance & Resources also leads on the Trust’s annual audit and production of Annual accounts, filed with the Charity Commission. For this role you will need to have strong experience in finance, accounting or a related field, demonstrating excellent analytical skills and numerical proficiency alongside capability to think strategically and facility to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing.

Everyone associated with the Trust works remotely and has always done so. Our team, Board, volunteers and partners are UK-wide and so meetings and events are held regularly in London and across the country. You will report to the CEO and line manage the Finance Officer. As a member of the Senior Management Team, you will regularly collaborate with our Board of trustees and, particularly, the Chair and members of the Finance & Audit Committee.

Some core hours will be required but a degree of flexible working will be possible. Some travel will be expected in order to attend in-person meetings. The Trust is committed to each team member’s professional development and offers regular opportunities to undertake formal and informal training.

Operations Manager

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced Operations Manager, who thrives in a dynamic and creative environment, to join the team in this hybrid, flexible working role.

If you want to work for an organisation with a mission to inspire and transform young lives through music, then apply today!

Position: Operations Manager

Location: Gloucester/hybrid working

Hours: Full time, 37.5 hours per week with flexible working

Salary: £35,000 per annum

Contract: Maternity cover, with a possible extension

Closing date: Sunday 15th June

Interviews: 25th and 26th June

The Role

We are looking for a highly organised, strategic problem-solving professional to step into this role and maintain operational excellence across the organisation.

In this comprehensive role, you will oversee these key areas:

• Volunteer Programme
• HR , Learning & Development
• Recruitment & Onboarding
• Policy, Safeguarding & Compliance
• IT & Systems Management

About You

You will have strong leadership skills, experience in managing multiple systems, excellent people management abilities, as well as a strategic approach to compliance and policies. You'll report directly to the Director of People while line managing three team members. This is an excellent opportunity for an ambitious individual looking to broaden their existing operational management experience and take the next step in their career progression.

Ideally, we’d also love it if you have:

• A previous role in an arts, culture or charity sector
• Experience with monitoring and evaluation platforms e.g. Upshot
• Experience working in an HR role
• Experience of policy development
• Experience of managing budgets
• Line management experience

If you're passionate about empowering young people, have exceptional organisational skills, and can hit the ground running in a temporary but crucial leadership role, we'd love to hear from you.

About the Organisation

With a mission to inspire and transform young lives through music, the organisation aims to break down barriers and build confidence, self-belief, and motivation among young people, enabling them to reach their full potential in both music and their lives. This work focuses on inclusivity and diversity, engaging with under-represented young people, particularly those from challenging circumstances.

Benefits include:

• Pension is 3% of basic salary
• Flexible working
• Lots of staff training and development opportunities
• Cycle to work scheme 
• Enhanced maternity policy
• Wellbeing and social programme for staff
• Annual leave entitlement: 22 days plus bank holidays plus all the days between Christmas and New Year
• Staff can request additional unpaid leave throughout the year
• An amazing staff team and culture 

You may also have experience in areas such as Operations, Operations Manager, Director of Operations, Operations Director, Head of Operations, Deputy Head of Operations, Assistant Director of Operations. #INDNFP

PLEASE NOTE: This role is being advertised by NFP People on behalf of the organisation.