Art executive jobs in Manchester

Civis Foundation (UK) has partnered with AEA Consulting for the recruitment of the Programme Officer.

Civis Foundation invests in arts and letters, cultural preservation, and community development initiatives. Initially established in the US, the foundation is launching a UK-based charitable entity in 2026 to expand its mission across Commonwealth countries, with a particular focus on the United Kingdom, Jamaica, Barbados, and cities such as London and Liverpool.

The work of the Foundation is rooted in the belief that understanding "the other", both within ourselves and in our communities, is essential to personal fulfilment and social transformation. Through partnerships with artists, cultural institutions, municipalities, and community organisations, the Foundation creates opportunities for engagement that transcend boundaries, cultivating compassion and advancing justice.

The newly formed London office will serve as a hub for adaptive reuse of heritage buildings, artistic commissioning, and community investment throughout the Commonwealth. We view artistic expression as a starting point for rekindling democracy - work that urges us to consider the needs of the other, their lived experience, and perspective. We champion projects that address complex historical narratives and create space for genuine dialogue, helping us imagine how we might live together.

The UK charitable foundation will serve purposes including the advancement of education, cultural preservation, and the advancement of citizenship and community development.

Programme Officer (UK) – Role Description

Working closely with and reporting to the President and CEO of Civis Foundation (US and UK), the UK Programme Officer will support the Foundation with the launch and scaling up of its operations in the UK.

The Programme Officer will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of the UK Foundation, relationship development, and project management. The management of the initial activity of the Foundation in the UK will include:

• Relationship building: Extensive outreach to potential partners across arts, preservation, municipal, and community sectors in London, Liverpool, Jamaica, and Barbados. Secure introductions and meetings for the President and CEO, and explore potential programme collaborations.

• Partner collaboration: Work with strategic consulting partners to support business planning and programme development.

• Operating budget and core grant application development: Prepare a comprehensive grant request to Civis Foundation New York for initial capitalization, including a three-year operational budget.

• Financial management and reporting: Support preparation of annual accounts, supplier management and payments, and monitor budgets and cash flow.

• Operational and administrative support: Work with the President and CEO of Civis Foundation and other relevant staff and consultants on ad-hoc administrative support, meetings and diary coordination, and to put in place systems and processes for the full launch of the UK operations.

• Evaluation and monitoring: Develop a "light-touch" but effective framework for measuring impact and tracking relevant metrics.

Key competencies and required skillset to succeed in this role include:

• Demonstrate understanding of the UK non-profit landscape, specifically within social justice, arts, or community/urban development context, with at least 7-10 years of project and programme management experience in one or more of these fields.

• Bring a strong network in one or more relevant fields in the UK: social justice, arts, or community/urban development.

• Excellent project management skills, including fluency with software packages (MS Office, project management) and relevant AI tools.

• Financial literacy (including budgeting and cash flow management).

• Working knowledge of the governance and legal regulation in the UK charitable sector.

• Knowledge of and interest in the current agenda around civic and social development, education, and the role of arts and culture in social change, heritage preservation, and urban development.

• Comfortable working independently and across time zones.

• Clear and respectful communicator with excellent interpersonal and collaboration skills.

• Detail-oriented, proactive, and accountable.

• Self-motivating and willing to balance strategy with daily administration.

We expect this to be a part-time role for the initial 12 months of operations, with potential to scale up to a full-time role in 2027.

Compensation & Benefits:

Compensation: £60,000-£67,000 a year (Full-Time Equivalent), dependent on experience.

Actual Salary: £42,000-£47,600 a year for 25 hours per week (0.7 FTE) pro rata.

Working hours: 25 hours per week. Flexible, with some adjustment to both UK and US time zones.

Annual leave: 22 days (28 days including bank holidays, pro rata.)

Pension: 8% employer contribution.

Hybrid working: remote/working from home, with regular access to a coworking/office space in London and for attendance of in-person meetings in London.

Training and development: Annual budget for professional development, conference attendance, etc.

Application Process:

To apply, please submit your CV and complete three questions on the Applied platform.

Application deadline: 10:00am (GMT) on 2 February 2026

Provisional interview dates with shortlisted candidates: 16-27 February 2026

The selection process will follow three stages: 1. Online interview 2. Technical interview 3. Final presentation and interview with CEO.

Indicative start date: March 2026

We believe a diverse workforce is a stronger workforce. We encourage applications from all backgrounds, ensuring fair treatment and opportunity for everyone. Selection is based solely on merit, ability, and fitness for the role.

The Role

If you are passionate about the outdoors, have a "roll up your sleeves" attitude and are looking for a role where your event management skills will make a lasting impact on young lives, then this is the job for you. We’re seeking a dynamic individual who can lead our exciting portfolio of outdoor challenge events and help us take our fundraising to the next level.

The Youth Adventure Trust's outdoor challenge events are a vital source of funding for the charity, and the relationships we build with our participants and corporate partners are more important than ever. This is where you come in.

As our Challenge Events Manager, you'll be the driving force behind our exciting challenge events portfolio.You'll work on bespoke corporate team-building challenges, high-energy industry networking events like the Hike Bike Paddle for the sports and outdoor sector and the Housebuilders Challenge, and our popular open events like the Wiltshire 3 Peaks Challenge and the Somerset Cycle. 

Challenge events not only enable people to raise amazing sums for the charity, but are also a fantastic way to engage supporters with our work, giving them the opportunity to step outside their comfort zones, embrace the outdoors and achieve things they never thought possible - similar to our work with the young people on our programmes.

The Challenge Events Manager role is a varied position which would be perfect for somebody who has event management experience. You will be responsible for the full event cycle, from the initial planning, participant recruitment and stewardship to on the day event delivery and post event follow ups. You will be somebody who can spot opportunities, take on a project and run with it. You’ll be an excellent communicator, happy to pick up the phone to chat to event participants, deliver pre-event webinars or create engaging participant emails. You’re self-motivated, well organised, able to multi-task, a strong administrator, a fantastic team player, have excellent interpersonal skills and enjoy being outdoors. You should also have some fundraising experience, ideally in a paid capacity but in a voluntary capacity would also be considered.

You'll work closely with the Corporate Partnership Manager, who is highly experienced in delivering our challenge events, but needs time to develop new corporate partnerships which is why we have created this new role. You'll also line-manage our Events Fundraising Officer who plays a key support role on the events. You must live in or near the South West as there will be a semi-regular requirement to attend in person staff meetings, visit programmes and join event planning sessions.

About You

You’re a people-person, self-motivated and highly organised. You are as comfortable managing a budget and a CRM database as you are standing on a mountain side in your waterproofs! You’ll have:

• Event Expertise: A proven track record in delivering successful fundraising or challenge events.

• Fundraising Experience: You might be an existing fundraiser or somebody who has taken on fundraising activities in a voluntary capacity. You will need to be able to relate to the challenge participants and guide them on how to reach their fundraising targets.

• Agility: The ability to think on your feet and adapt plans dynamically when situations change on the ground.

• Leadership Skills: Experience managing staff or volunteers and the ability to motivate a team.

• A Passion for Adventure: A genuine love for the outdoors, comfortable in wellies and waterproofs with an understanding of 'the power of the outdoors'.

The Charity

At the Youth Adventure Trust, we use outdoor adventure to empower vulnerable young people from Swindon, Wiltshire and Somerset to fulfil their potential and lead positive lives in the future. We work with them to build resilience, develop confidence and learn skills that will last a lifetime, helping them to face the challenges in their lives. Dedicated support, guidance and mentoring from our staff and volunteers ensures young people receive the maximum benefit from our long-term intervention. Our aim is to make a lasting improvement to the lives of vulnerable young people. All our services are provided completely free of charge to the young people who are nominated by schools and other youth organisations to take part.

We’re proud to offer our programmes completely free of charge to participants, and with ambitious plans to help more young people over the coming years, our fundraising challenge events are more important than ever.

Why Join Us?

This is a unique opportunity to make a direct and lasting impact on young lives through your passion for the outdoors. You’ll be part of a small fundraising team with a big heart, with plenty of opportunities to visit our camps and see the tangible impact of your work. 

If this sounds like the perfect fit for you, please download the full Job Pack for more details, including the job description and person specification. All applicants must complete an application form and refer to the job description and person specification in their application.

The Youth Adventure Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of young people and expects all employees to share this commitment. The suitability of all prospective employees will be assessed during the recruitment process in line with this commitment. Full details can be found in the Job Pack.