HUB ASSISTANT: CULTURAL SKILLS, CREATIVE ECONOMY, CULTURE & DEVELOPMENT

Transcription

1 . HUB ASSISTANT: CULTURAL SKILLS, CREATIVE ECONOMY, CULTURE & DEVELOPMENT This role supports the work of Directors of Cultural Skills (CS), Creative Economy (CE) and Culture & Development (C&D) team and is the first point of contact for colleagues and senior external sector professionals. They will provide executive assistant duties including diary management for all three with internal and external stakeholders and management of UK and Overseas travel and itineraries; meeting logistics, preparation, follow-up and note-takings; managing administrative processes including managing logistics for internal and external events, processes contracts. The post will also have responsibility for managing projects for example team away days, joint endeavors with external partners 1 Cultural Skills Team and Personal Assitant

2 Role Information Role Pay Band Location Duration Reports to: Hub Assistant British Council Pay Band 6 Cardiff 6 months with possibility of extension Director Cultural Skills Role purpose To administer resources, processes and systems which underpin the smooth running of this Hub. Providing personal assistant support to Directors involving meeting planning, travel and logistics through effective, virtual communication (the Directors are based in Cardiff and Dundee). Strategic Business Unit overview: The British Council was founded to create a friendly knowledge and understanding between the people of the UK and wider world by making a positive contribution to the countries we work with, and in doing so making a lasting difference to the UK s international standing, prosperity and security. The programmes we use to do this are wide-ranging and cover the arts, education, English, science and society. Our UK Arts team works with the British Council s global network of offices to achieve significant impact and change by finding new ways of connecting and seeing each other through the arts. Our team in the UK has three main groupings: We have six art form teams; three cross-disciplinary teams; and three country-specific teams in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Our aim is to see stronger creative sectors across the world that are better connected with the UK. We believe arts and culture are vital to prosperous, secure societies, and that offering international cultural connections and experiences strengthens their resilience. We are uniquely able to make a difference thanks to our extensive and diverse networks in the UK and internationally, enabling us to respond to the individual context of each place we work in. Link to Vision on internet. Cultural Skills has been established for four years and is a cross-organisational support mechanism working in collaboration with colleagues across all three Strategic Business Units (SBUs) of the British Council: Arts, Education & Society and English & Exams to. In doing so, we aim to complement and fill gaps in our current skills provision, align areas of work and regional priorities and to cultivate joined up ways of working moving forward. The CS team draws on UK expertise in the area of cultural skills to identify opportunities to coinvest in strategic partnerships across the full spectrum of the cultural sector. We will position the British Council as a lead facilitator and convenor in the global provision of cultural skills, by forming partnerships with institutions and Governments globally. We co-create innovative, evidence-based programmes and products which strengthen cultural relations through shared activity and mutuality and grow the British Council s global cultural skills offer. In the Creative Economy team we develop new collaborations, innovation and enterprise with the rapidly-changing creative and cultural industries worldwide. We work in three main areas: Creative Technology, Creative Enterprise and Creative Hubs and Communities. Creative Technology: Our projects support people to use technology as a powerful creative medium and make connections with the spaces and communities around them. Creative Enterprise: A large proportion of creative companies are microenterprises (fewer than 2 Cultural Skills Team and Personal Assitant

3 10 employees), and many of these small businesses lack formal business planning processes. We re help people in the creative and cultural industries worldwide by giving them access to skills and networks which will help them build strong and sustainable enterprises. Creative Hubs and Communities: Makerspaces, incubators, pop-ups, labs and clusters: they allow inventive and enterprising people to share workspace and access experience, tools and investment.. Our programmes bring hub convenors together to share ideas, experience and skills to build stronger local creative economies. The British Council is developing a global Culture and Development framework of ambitious, innovative and impactful programmes that directly contributes to the building of creative, inclusive, open societies. The aim is to support and encourage innovative creative responses to development challenges and targeted social engagement through artistic interventions. British Council Arts and Education and Society Strategic Business Units have worked together to create a clear strategy and a coordinated and researched approach to: demonstrating and promoting the value of arts and culture for social development to working through the arts in conflict affected and fragile countries. Culture and Development is working towards two main outcomes: human rights and freedoms are realised, including diversity and freedom of expression; communities, institutions, and policies support creative, open, inclusive societies. it will do this through innovative arts and cultural activities that support capacity building, cross-cultural networks and improved wellbeing, which will lead to community cohesion, safe spaces for dialogue, inclusive institutions, and new models for creative and social enterprises Main opportunities/challenges for this role: Successful close working with Directors through working virtually. Managing competing demands on time and resource through proactive and effective diary management and forward planning. Keeping an awareness of the work of all three sub-teams; Cultural Skills, Creative Economy and Culture and Development in general and prioritizing workload to support several people. Building effective working relationships with colleagues both within the hub and across the global network and establishing a clear and effective styles of communication Identify and work towards meeting appropriate Equality Diversity and Inclusion Targets Dealing confidently and professionally with high-level senior contacts Management of specific small projects as and when required. Working with hub teams and other hub assistants. 3

4 Main Accountabilities: Programme and team administrative support Working closely with the Director of Cultural Skills to support all aspects of his role as Director for department and HUB leader within Arts Complex Diary management Outlook Intermediate to Advanced Requirement. Working in a co-ordinated way with colleagues, particularly in the CS to ensure the Director s diary works as efficiently as possible for the hub Under direction, uses agreed Arts and/or British Council templates to produce appropriate materials (across a variety of media) to help raise internal and external awareness of specific projects and programmes within designated areas of the Arts portfolio Management of all UK and overseas travel and meetings on behalf of the Director of Cultural Skills and some required travel for the two other Directors. Working on all aspects, including travel booking and visas, arrangements with overseas and UK colleagues and preparing travel itineraries and documentation. Provides general administrative and logistical support to ensure the smooth and efficient delivery of Hub activity Organising meetings and subsequent preparation on behalf of Directors and necessary communication and follow up Customer/market focus Takes responsibility for responding knowledgeably and professionally to enquiries about the work of the hub to ensure a high quality customer experience and maintain the team s reputation internally and externally. Sector/subject expertise Proactively maintains a sound working knowledge of major developments, issues and stakeholders within the relevant sectors to build professional credibility, confidence and market insight. Relationship & stakeholder management Develops good working relationships with appropriate colleagues throughout the British Council to facilitate effective development and delivery of hub work As required, represents the British Council related events to ensure appropriate support is given to partners and other stakeholders. Excellent communication skills and interpersonal skills Financial and contract management support Processes Directors expenses, both Tex Card and Cash. Administers British Council financial processes and procedures to enable effective budget and resource management for the team e.g finance and business systems, procurement and processes including preparation and issuing contracts, and production of regular financial reports Proficient in use of British Council Travel Booking/Visa and Hotel service providers Actively seeks to ensure value for money on behalf of the British Council for example when booking venues, travel and arranging services. Leadership & management Can successfully align own working priorities with those of Director s and take direction from Senior colleagues Plans and prioritises own work activities, responding to changing and at times competing requirements to ensure effective delivery of responsibilities and tasks Works with others (eg internal colleagues, external partners, freelance consultants) to complete activities in accordance with agreed project or programme milestones or 4

5 requirements Role Requirements: Threshold requirements: stage Passport requirements/ Right to work in country Person Specification: Qualifications EU passport/existing right to work in the UK stage Minimum / essential Desirable None Job Specific Knowledge & Experience Minimum / essential Desirable Experience of providing a range of secretarial or administration support for senior people, organising travel, finance, events and diary management. One to one PA Experience in a previous role Strong planning, organisational and prioritisation skills, with strong attention to detail and accuracy. Excellent interpersonal, communication skills Knowledge of skills development policies, particularly in the cultural sector Experience with organising travel and visas. Experience with using a system to process purchase orders and invoices. Virtual Working (if based in London) British Council Core Skills Communicating and Influencing Level 2 Displays good written and verbal skills, setting out logical arguments clearly and adapting language and form of communication to meet the needs of different people/audiences Planning and Organizing level 2 Able to organise own work over weeks and months, or to plan ahead for a team, taking account of priorities and the impact on others Using Technology Level 2 Works as an advanced practitioner in the use of office software and/or British Council standard and social media platforms and trains or coaches others in their use. Account & Partnership Management - Level 2 5

6 Experience of communicating regularly with stakeholders, customers and/or partners to build mutual understanding and trust British Council Behaviours Connecting with others (MORE DEMANDING) Actively appreciating the needs and concerns of myself and others Interview Being Accountable (MORE DEMANDING) Putting the needs of the team or British Council ahead of my own Interview Making it happen (MORE DEMANDING) Challenging myself and others to deliver and measure better results Creating shared purpose (ESSENTIAL) Communicating an engaging picture of how we can work together Working together (MORE DEMANDING) Ensuring that others benefit as well as me Shaping the future (ESSENTIAL) Looking for ways in which we can do things better Interview Performance Management only Performance Management only Performance Management only 6