Cultural Development Officer

Cultural Development Officer

Countrywide

£28,052 to £33,003 per annum

Fixed Term, Full Time

Anywhere Worker

Please note this vacancy is available as a fixed term contract or secondment opportunity for up to 18 months.

The Opportunity

Essex boasts five Arts Council England (ACE) National Portfolio Organisations, an active ACE Creative People and Places programme and a vibrant and diverse cultural landscape of established and grass roots organisations. This is coupled with some under-engaged areas with arts and culture as per ACE’s Creative People and Places data. We therefore know there are some exciting opportunities and room to harness the cultural capital that Essex has to improve residents’ lives.

Culture and Green Spaces will support both ECC and the wider cultural and creative sector to deliver exceptional cultural experiences, demonstrating the benefit of Essex’s strategic location, and potential to grow as a cultural centre.

The Cultural Development Officer will support the development, and implementation of cultural strategies and programmes, widening access to cultural activities for residents of and visitors to Essex and contributing to the wider levelling up agendas of health and wellbeing, education and skills, families and communities, the environment, and the economy. With significant experience gained within a cultural or heritage field and an understanding of initiatives and issues within the sector.  The role requires project management experience, an ability to build strong relationships and partnerships and experience of writing funding bids.

What will you be doing?

• Create, maintain, and develop promotional materials and campaigns to support advocacy and promotional campaigns.
• Contributes to the delivery of business plan objectives and wider objectives of Everyone’s Essex, to improve and promote the identity of Essex, maintaining local communities at the heart of all activities, in support of the wider functional strategy.
• Build strong internal and external collaborative partnerships to enable joint delivery of projects, initiatives and commissions across sectors including economic development, regeneration/place, public health, skills development, community resilience and tourism.
• Work closely with district, borough and unitary authorities, voluntary, community, cultural and commercial sector to enable best practice and enhance service delivery.
• Develop and lead on key strategic programmes, which deliver innovative business models and maximise funding opportunities, including raising external income through bids and grants. Responsible for the recruitment and management of project managers and freelance/consultancy specialists.
• Responsible for collecting and reporting of economic, social and equality impact data, including academic research.
• Responsible for maintaining currency with new developments, good practice and funding opportunities within culture, linking to the wider social and economic agendas.
• Supporting the delivery of the Arts and Cultural Fund grants including evaluation and monitoring.
• Where required, chair strategic countywide partnership networks; represent Essex at regional and national meetings, networks and conferences within arts, heritage and museums. Provide information, advice and guidance in respect of arts, heritage and museums across the Council, external stakeholders, partners and the communities of Essex.
• Specific individual and shared targets and objectives are defined annually within the performance management framework.
• This role is one of two new roles covering Essex but which will have a specific emphasis on developing relationships across Epping, Chelmsford. Brentwood, Basildon, Maldon, Rochford, Castle Point .

The Experience You Will Bring

• Educated to degree level or equivalent by experience in an appropriate cultural field.
• Evidence of continuing professional development and expert knowledge in relevant professional area.
• Significant experience gained within a cultural or heritage field, with an understanding of initiatives and issues within the sector.
• Knowledge and understanding of project management and programmes of work with evidence of successful financial management.
• Experience of, or participation in practice relating to the heritage, arts and museum sector.
• Ability to build strong relationships and partnerships, both internal and external, which are collaborative and influential in nature and engender delivery.

Interviews

Interviews are scheduled to take place week commencing 26^th August 2024.

To read more about us please visit: Climate, Environment and Customer Services

Please note that the job role requires you to be mobile throughout an operational area. Therefore, the post holder will need to have a driving licence and access to a vehicle, or the ability to meet the mobility requirements of the role through other means.

Why Essex? Essex County Council has a location to be proud of. Our 1,300 square miles stretch from Constable Country to the Thames Estuary, from the dynamic M11 corridor to the traditional seaside resorts of Clacton and Walton. England’s oldest town, Colchester, and two of its newest – Basildon and Harlow – are right here. Along with the City of Chelmsford, the county town, they form our major population centres. It means real choice and makes Essex the ideal place for your career. Read more about us.

Essex County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. We’re committed to interview all disabled applicants who choose to apply under our Job Interview Scheme if they meet the minimum requirements of the job. Please speak to our Recruiters if you require any reasonable adjustments during the process.

We’re also committed to interview all veterans and care leavers, who meet the minimum requirements of the role for which they are applying.

As part of employment with Essex County Council (ECC) should your role require a DBS check you will be required to register with the DBS update service.  The DBS update service ensures all registered DBS certificates are kept up to date and allows authorised parties to view the status of your certificate.  This is an annual subscription, and you will be responsible for ensuring this is maintained.  For further information on the DBS update service please go to https://www.gov.uk/dbs-update-service

Essex County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults, and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.

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If you have queries on this role or require anything further, please email resourcing.team@essex.gov.uk

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