Urgent Search Programme Director Creative Schools

A. Details
Position: Programme Director Creative Schools
Grade: Assistant Principal (Standard)
Whole Time Equivalent: Full-time (35 hours per week)
Duration: Permanent
Reports to: The Director
Role Closing date: 12 noon, Wednesday 4th of December 2024

B. Role Purpose Background
The Arts Council is the government agency for developing the arts in Ireland. We work in partnership with artists, arts organisations, public policy makers and others to build a central place for the arts in Irish life. We currently have an exciting opportunity for an experienced individual.

Initiated in 2018, Scoileanna Ildánacha/Creative Schools is led by The Arts Council in partnership with the Department of Education, Creative Ireland and the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media. The initiative is also informed by the Arts Council’s ten-year strategy (2016–25) Making Great Art Work: Leading the Development of the Arts in Ireland - see here:

Arts Council strategy (2016-2025), Making Great Art Work, Leading the development of the arts in Ireland | The Arts Council | An Chomhairle Ealaíon.

The initiative is contained in the Creative Youth Plan 2023-2027 also.

Creative Schools supports schools/centres to put the arts and creativity at the heart of children’s and young people’s lives. This initiative provides opportunities for children and young people to build their artistic and creative skills; to communicate, collaborate, stimulate their imaginations, be inventive, and to harness their curiosity. It empowers children and young people to develop, implement and evaluate arts and creative activity throughout their schools/centres and stimulate additional ways of working that reinforce the impact of creativity on children and young people’s learning, development and well-being. To date, more than 1000 schools across Ireland have engaged with the programme.

Background documents for reference:

- Arts and Cultural Participation among Children and Young People – insights from the Growing up in Ireland Study

- Arts in Education Charter, 2013

C. Required Outputs (including but not limited to)

- Delivery of the Creative Schools programme;

- The development of a five year Creative Schools strategy consistent with Making Great Art Work and all relevant art form and corporate policies of the Arts Council, in particular Young People Children and Education;

- The development and implementation of initiatives and/or projects that will support the development of the Creative Schools;

- The creation of and maintenance of excellent relationships with key institutional stakeholders and alumni;

- The maintenance of a well motivated and focused team to serve the priorities of the Arts Council as expressed within the work of the Creative Schools Programme;

D. Key Responsibilities

- Lead, motivate and manage the Creative Schools Programme, including staff and contractors, to ensure the delivery of key objectives as set out in the MGAW and optimum delivery within relevant policy areas;

- Develop, in conjunction with senior management, annual budgets and business plans for Creative Schools in line with Arts Council objectives and corporate plan in collaboration with other partners and manage performance against the budget and business plan;

- Select, in collaboration with the Creative Schools Team, the required advisers for the programme;

- Lead the Creative Schools Team in their responsibilities to achieve the Arts Council’s objectives and in the pursuit of optimum coherence of policy, development and grant/award recommendations within their respective art form areas;

- Identify, in collaboration with the Young People Children and Education Team and the Strategic Development Department, research or strategic development initiatives as required and act on findings of that research and advice pertaining to relevant art form areas;

- Develop and maintain effective work relationships with key institutional stakeholders, in particular the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Department of Education and Skills, the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth as appropriate;

- Manage the Human Resources, Professional Development and Performance Management, Child Protection and Welfare, Freedom of Information, Procurement, GDPR, Health and Safety and Information and Records needs of the Department;

- Collaborate with SMT to ensure optimum co-operation at every level between across the teams so as to ensure excellent service delivery to arts organisations and the arts community;

- Collaborate with Corporate Services Director so as to ensure co-operation at every level with Corporate Services in ensuring consistency in approved standards and protocols across the organisation, project delivery, corporate planning and team business processes;

- Collaborate with the Finance Director in his/her management of Corporate Governance so as to ensure that the Council complies with all relevant legislation and regulations pertaining to its work;

- Undertake other responsibilities as agreed from time to time with the Director.

E. Person Specification
Significant relevant experience at a senior management level in the arts and/or education of which at least three years should be management within an organisation operating at national level.

The successful candidate will have:

- A high level of credibility within the arts and/or education community;

- Excellent people skills evidenced through the ability to lead and motivate expert teams and to bring energy and focus to a disparate professional staff cohort;

- Well-developed abilities in listening, communicating and negotiating;

- A proven track record of management within the arts particularly in the Young People, Children and Education;

- A sound understanding of the arts and the business infrastructure of the arts;

- A substantial body of knowledge of national and international developments in the area of Young People, Children and Education;

- The ability to operate effectively at strategic and policy levels and to contribute analytical depth to the Arts Council’s strategy and policies;

- The ability to think and express complex issues clearly;

- The knowledge and experience to lead diverse activities through effective management systems and a sustained focus on long-term goals;

- The successful candidate will have a track record of significant relevant achievement which should include: proven ability to develop and implement strategies which deliver tangible outcomes;

- Evidence of excellent abilities in general management;

- Evidence of the effectiveness of sophisticated communication skills capable of influencing and negotiation at all levels within an organisation and with key external stakeholders.

Personal Qualities

- Natural leader with deep alignment to Arts Council values;

- Ability to think strategically and imaginatively;

- Approachable, empathetic manner;

- Equally confident/able to work as part of a team or on own initiative;

- Ability to develop good working relationships with staff at all levels;

- Willingness to undertake regular national travel, including occasional overnight stays;

- Resilience when faced with a high workload, deadlines and/or stressful situations.

F. Qualifications

- The successful candidate will be academically strong with at least a primary degree, and preferably relevant post-graduate or professional qualifications in a relevant area. A strong developmental background in the education and the arts is essential.

All Arts Council roles and responsibilities are subject to change in line with organisational requirements and strategic priorities.