Essential information
* Closing date: Wednesday 19th February 2025 at 09:00am
* Interview date: Tuesday 25th February 2025 (set date)
* Hours: Full Time
* Salary: £28k-£32k dependent upon experience
* Contract: 12-month annually renewable dependent upon performance
* Location: Based in Gods House Tower, SO14 2NY
* Reporting to: Director (line manager)
Role summary
An experienced communications professional is required to manage the charities communications plans to reach target audiences, promote cultural programmes and meet business objectives.
The role is responsible for devising, implementing and monitoring communication plans for cultural programmes and commercial activities across our project portfolio that includes the award winning Gods House Tower (GHT), the Arches studios, RIPE and Artist Resources.
The ideal candidate would have a strong work ethic, an enthusiasm for the visual arts and heritage locations along with the ability to work part of small and busy team whilst also building and maintaining relationships with external partners.
The Communications Manager is an important part of the organisations core senior team and plays a key role in growing commercial business along with attaining our charitable mission, delivering our programme and cultural objectives.
It is an exciting time to join the organisation and we look forward to welcoming a new colleague to the team.
Main roles and responsibilities (summary)
* Cultural: To devise and deliver communication campaigns that present and promote the organisations cultural programme to the public and target groups, along with promoting opportunities to artists. Successful campaigns will build public awareness of our activities, artists and projects across local, regional and national geography to build profile and recognition. This element of the role will work closely with the organisations creative team.
* Commercial: To devise and deliver communication plans that support commercial activities and drive income through private hires, corporate events, sponsorships, ticketed events and cafe/bar sales primarily but not exclusively for GHT. This element of the role works closely with the GHT Venue Manager to jointly meet and grow commercial income targets. N.B Cultural and Commercial activities are integrated into a holistic programme with the Communications Manager being a key role in developing and delivering this.
* Audiences: To develop and deliver communication plans that increase and broaden visitor numbers at our venues, including day and evening trade, opening nights, business focused events and ensure artists and delegate mailing lists are maintained and consistently used.
* Press and PR: To develop press and PR opportunities for the organisation with the aim of gaining coverage through utilising existing press contacts, pro-actively nurturing new contacts and working with partners to gain press coverage and develop the organisation profile.
* Copy: To write copy for posts and articles on our websites, across social channels, for news articles and press releases to promote events across a broad range of channels.
* Line management: To oversee the Content Creator role ensuring their work is planned, prioritised and coordinated in advance through regular one-to-one meetings that also support and develop colleagues across their professional journey along with ensuring well-being.
* Leadership: To lead the communications team and ensure responsibilities are appropriately shared with lead roles clearly assigned across projects to ensure an effective and efficient use of the communications team collective resource is deployed for the organisation. This includes being the main point of contact on specific projects cultural or commercial.
* Internal Comms: To ensure effective internal systems are maintained to allow for an effective flow of information from colleagues (cultural and commercial) to the communications team and in a format that enables all communications campaigns to be deployed by internal deadlines.
* Digital Comms: To lead on developing and implementing new digital strategies for the organisation that utilise and grow existing channels along with introducing new digital communications as required e.g. podcasts, along with maintaining and online business profiles.
* Website: To lead and manage the organisations websites and work closely with the Content Creator to coordinate copy, design, images and event bookings for news articles as required.
* Socials: To lead and manage the organisations social media channels and work closely with the Content Creator to coordinate copy, design, images and event booking links; this includes responding to messages and contributing to online conversations.
* Freelancers: To lead on any work with creative freelancers e.g. event photographers, videographers, website developers, etc and to ensure the freelancer is provided with an event brief, and that the organisation receives good value for money and high-quality products.
* Social responsibilities: To communicate the organisations social responsibilities to support increasing connections and partnerships with under-represented artists and communities.
* Audience Data: To support the collection of audience data/feedback (quantitative and qualitative) and to lead on analysing data to inform future communication plans and sharing insights with colleagues. The role will lead on ensuring the organisation collects and submits its quota of Audience Finder surveys to the Illuminate platform (an annual Arts Council England NPO requirement) - training can be provided on this platform.
Person specification (summary)
Experience:
* Experience of working in a comparable communications role, ideally in the visual arts or cultural sector, or the ability to demonstrate transferable skills from an alternative sector.
* Experience and evidence of devising and delivering successful communications campaigns for cultural projects, or evidence of transferable campaigns from an alternative sector.
* Experience of securing press across a range of outlets, digital and print, and experience of developing and delivering public relations.
* Experience of line management and methodologies that enable colleagues to deliver their best work and to support colleagues overcoming any barriers to achieving this.
Skills:
* Familiarity with Adobe Creative Cloud software including illustrator, photoshop and in-design, along with visual and audio editing packages. This is not an essential skill as the role is supported with a Content Creative who provides all creative assets.
* Familiarity of using and updating Wordpress based websites and maintaining.
Abilities:
* The ability to engage and work with colleagues in supportive and collaborative ways.
* The ability to communicate with team colleagues and external partners in a consistent, clear and coherent manner.
How to apply
Please email the following information to kalleesha@aspacearts.org.uk with the job title, Communications Manager, as the subject line:
* A completed Equal Opportunities form - https://typeform.com/a space_equal_opps
* A CV detailing all relevant career highlights, personal experiences and contact details
* A covering letter - maximum of one side of A4 (for alternative formats see below) outlining:
* Why you are suitable for the role?
* What motivates you to take on this role at this point of your life/career?
* How you would approach delivering the role in the first three months?
We operate a redacted recruitment process to ensure parity across all applicants with assessors not see your name, personal contact details, social media links etc submitted on your CV or covering letter until the shortlisting process is complete. Your application will be received and initially reviewed by a member of the team who is not on the interview panel.
Interviews
Interviews will be held at God’s House Tower, Southampton, SO14 2NY on the stated date only - Tuesday 25th February 2025.
Candidates will be asked to discuss a successful communications campaign they have delivered outlining why this was successful, what they learnt, and what they would change. The interviewers will also ask a short set of questions along with allowing time for you to ask any questions about the role and organisation.
Travel expenses to attend interviews will be reimbursed for people with caring responsibilities.
Access
As an organisation we actively look to reduce barriers for people applying for opportunities and offer a range of access support including audio and video application formats. Please contact us to discuss any individual needs to support for your application by emailing kalleesha@aspacearts.org.uk or calling 07824 326005
We encourage applications from all members of the community irrespective of peoples backgrounds and welcome applications from people of global majority communities, of any sexual orientation, gender or socio-economic background.
About ’a space’ arts - aspacearts.org.uk
Since our inception in 2000 we have come a long way. Established as an organisation ‘by artists for artists’ we retain an enterprising approach to developing a portfolio of projects that achieve our aims of supporting visual artists and inspiring audiences. Since our first gallery, a converted Victorian shop unit on Old Northam Road, we have since grown incrementally and strategically across multiple projects, culturally reanimating several buildings in the city, becoming a registered charity and an Arts Council England (ACE) National Portfolio Organisation (NPO). Our current project portfolio includes the award winning God’s House Tower (GHT), the Arches studios, RIPE based in Old Northam Road and a bespoke programme of Artist Resources.
For further information about our other current projects please see:
GHT - godshousetower.org.uk
The Arches Studios - aspacearts.org.uk/ArchesStudios
RIPE - ripesouthampton.org.uk
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