Job Description

We support peace and prosperity by building connections, understanding and trust between people in the UK and countries worldwide. For 90 years we have shaped brighter futures through education, arts, culture, language, and creativity.

Working with people in over 200 countries and territories, we are on the ground in more than 100 countries.

We connect. We inspire.

Head of Arts Ukraine

Location: Kyiv, Ukraine
Contract Type: Indefinite Contract

Pay Grade: 8

Closing date 23 July at 21:59 UK Time

Requirements: You must have the legal right to work in Ukraine at the time of application. We are unable to support with visa sponsorship and relocation.

About the position:

British Council Impact Categorisation Top 12

Cultural Engagement Income Category Accelerate

In January 2025 the UK and Ukraine signed a 100 Year Partnership that symbolically builds the connections between the two countries in a number of priority areas for the next century, including across education, social and cultural ties. Ensuring that Ukraine survives the ongoing war as a sovereign state - and that it emerges successfully from the recovery and reconstruction phase to follow - is of vital importance to the UK and Europe’s security and prosperity.

Ukraine is an Accelerate market for our Cultural Engagement programme and the postholder is expected to enhance our grant leverage in country through new partnerships and / or new client funded opportunities. In parallel he / she will support the high-quality implementation of existing contracts and projects in their sector of responsibility. While the context is dynamic, the current needs to which the British Council responds in Arts and Culture, Education and English in Ukraine include:

English We focus on improving the quality of learning, teaching and assessing English language skills, supporting the Ukrainian Government’s ambitious plans for English language reform. We work with British Embassy Kyiv to support for deliver high quality English language training of Ukrainian civil servants. We continue to scale up UK Examination Services and expand face to face English teaching where possible.

Education Our work in Higher Education focuses on the development of leadership capabilities across Ukraine’s top universities, supporting the reform agenda of the Ukrainian Government, and with a particular focus on women’s leadership. With support from UK government we connect hundreds of Ukrainian schools with schools in the UK, connecting teachers and pupils (7-14 year olds) to foster cross-cultural understanding and enhance language and communication skills. We work with the Ministry of Youth and Sport and networks of youth centres to upskill young people and empower them to rebuild their communities. Our ambition is to develop new activities in schools and teacher training, significantly boost our portfolio in Non-Formal Education and increase our reach in the Higher Education Sector.

Arts and Culture Building on the foundations laid by the UK/Ukraine Season of Culture we build relationships between individual artists and institutions across art forms and to strengthen cultural relations between the two countries. We support the continued development of Ukraine’s creative economy by sharing expertise and experience from across the UK. 2027 will mark the 35th year of bilateral relations between the UK-Ukraine, and the 35th anniversary since the British Council was established in Ukraine – the postholder will support the team in the planning and the launch of a refreshed Arts strategy in country.

Our Ukraine team operates from a new office in Kyiv, though the number of colleagues able to work there each day is capped for safety reasons. Some colleagues also work remotely from other parts of Ukraine.

Role Context - About The Team:

Cultural Engagement (CE) is one of two global strategic departments within the British Council. It brings together our work in Arts, Education, English & School Education and research. With a workforce of approximately 1000 globally and an income in 2024/25 of £200 million CE delivers impact through research and insight, sector engagement, policy dialogue and a mixed portfolio of commercial and Grant and Partnership Funded (GPF) work globally. CE delivers much of its work through a suite of global programmes/ programmatic frameworks aligned to the British Council’s strategic outcomes.

Our Arts teams in the UK and in our global network of offices, work together and with the arts and culture sectors to achieve significant impact and change by finding new ways of connecting and seeing each other through the arts and contribute directly to peace and prosperity. Our work is delivered through two global programmes. Art in Action connects UK and international artists and creative organisations, encourages innovative collaborations and supports them to access new markets and audiences around the world. We enable creatives to play a part in addressing global challenges and support under-represented groups to be heard. Creative Growth supports the UK and countries around the world to unlock inclusive and sustainable economic growth and innovation through advocacy, sector development and showcase programmes for the creative and cultural industries.

Role Purpose - The Job:

The Head of Arts is the most senior representative of Arts in the country and represents our work in Arts and creative industries externally.

They lead implementation of Arts and Creative Industry programmes funded by British Council grant, other partners or client-funders. These will be delivered through one or both of the Arts global programmes: Art in Action and Creative Growth.

They will lead a small specialist Arts team in country and manage sector partner and stakeholder relationships.

They provide Arts and Creative Industries sector expertise at a country level and feed relevant insight to the Country Director.

They are an important part of the country’s leadership team as well as the Global Arts Management Team and will work with colleagues including Global Programme leads, artform leads and colleagues in other countries to influence decision making across global Arts and Cultural Engagement.

Main Accountabilities:

Leadership & management

• Manages Arts portfolio in the country day-to-day ensuring global standards on programme and contract management are achieved
• Provides specialist input and design to ensure activities delivered through the Arts global programmes are relevant to the Arts and creative industry sectors in country.
• Direct line management of a small Arts team in the country.
• Senior Responsible Officer for some Arts projects/programmes
• Monitors, reviews and ensures that the portfolio is achieving agreed impact measures, and monitoring, evaluation and learning and reporting is in place against Cultural Engagement strategic and FCDO key performance indicators.
• Champions an inclusive organisational culture with opportunities for continuous professional development. Actively contributes to the British Council’s anti-racism action plan and EDI strategy. 

Strategy and/or planning

• Leads on planning process for country arts portfolio within the Arts global programme portfolio.
• Contributes to global Arts business strategy
• Strategic leadership of design, development, delivery and closure of projects and or programmes as needed
• Considers the role of digital products, services and channels in optimising the impact and sustainability of the portfolio, working with marketing and digital colleagues.

Sector/subject expertise

• Uses their own expert knowledge on the arts and creative industries in the country and external intelligence and insight to support the delivery and development of global arts programmes that meet the specific needs of the country/cluster while providing value to a diverse range of UK arts and creative industry organisations.
• Through ongoing relationships with global Arts team, builds and maintains good understanding of UK arts and creative industry sector priorities as well as FCDO and other HMG priorities.
• Represents British Council in country as a recognised, credible authority in Arts and the creative industries to external stakeholders and audiences.
• Identifies and develops opportunities for the UK Arts sector to work in and collaborate with peers in country.

Relationship & Stakeholder Management

• Builds and maintains critical country funder and partner relationships to maintain an excellent understanding of relevant themes and issues in the arts and creative industries. Uses this insight to identify new opportunities and partnerships for the British Council, influence agendas and build favourability for the UK.
• Builds and maintains a broad, diverse and dynamic network of key creative and cultural sector representatives in country and government and sector institutional relationships that will help open doors for artistic collaboration, cultural exchange and creative economy work.
• Leads on relationships with a range of senior stakeholders and partners at a programme level, including representing and communicating about British Council work at senior external level.
• Represents the British Council externally and internally, including in cross-Embassy coordinating bodies as required
• Develops and nurtures internal relationships across Arts, CE and in the wider organisation to ensure strategic objectives are aligned, understood and achieved.

Brand and market positioning

• Promotes and positions the diversity of the UK arts and creative industries sector in country
• Ensures British Council’s value proposition and support to the UK arts sector in country is clear, agreed and communicated.
• Works closely with colleagues and experts in CE to feed market/customer insights into the programme development planning cycle, to ensure the British Council’s offer is market relevant, demand-led and consistent with the British Council and FCDO objectives.
• Contributes to the development of internal and external communications materials to highlight impactful stories from the country Arts portfolio

Business development

• Builds relationships with strategic clients/partners within area of influence.
• Uses insights to understand current and prospective business development opportunities for the British Council.
• Owns the pillar pipeline for the country, ensuring high quality pipeline data and documentation to the Tripartite Approvals Board.
• Leads and advises on negotiations and leads, writes, supports or quality assures new proposals.
• Ensures internal and client compliance including legal finance, procurement, contract management and reporting
• Contributes to the development of internal and external communications materials to highlight impact and support positioning for new opportunities.

Programme management

• Has responsibility for developing, monitoring and successfully delivering the country programme management plan.
• Oversees finances of the country Arts portfolio and can interpret complex financial information.
• Responsible for addressing and acting on risks and issues escalated to them by programme management teams
• Where applicable has responsibility for managing all country contractual obligations on programme or project
• Oversees procurement, grants management and due diligence on programmes.

Requirements Of The Role:

Minimum/essential

• Specialist knowledge and understanding of current trends and practices in the arts and creative industry in the country
• Experience of leading impactful, high-value national/ international arts projects
• Active and up-to-date network of diverse sector contacts
• Experience in leading teams and championing inclusion and diversity of thought
• Experience in maintaining effective external and internal programme/project governance structures
• Experience of building partnerships with a diverse range of arts and culture stakeholders in country, including governmental and funding partners (trusts, foundations, institutional donors)

Desirable:

• Understanding and appreciation of current arts trends and practices in the UK

A connected and trusted UK in a more connected and trusted world.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Statement

We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion and welcome applications from all sections of the community as we believe that a diverse workforce gives added depth to our work. The British Council is a Disability Confident Employer. The Disability Confident scheme helps challenge attitudes, increase understanding of disability and ensure staff are drawn from the widest possible pool of talent. We guarantee an interview for disabled applicants who meet the minimum role requirements. We welcome discussions about specific requirements or adjustments to enable participation and engagement in our work and activities.

Safeguarding Statement

The British Council is committed to safeguarding children, young people and adults who we work with. We believe that all children and adults everywhere in the world deserve to live in safe environments and have the right to be protected from all forms of abuse, maltreatment and exploitation as set out in article 19, UNCRC (United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child) 1989. Appointment to positions where there is direct involvement with vulnerable groups will be dependent on thorough checks being completed in line with legal requirements and with the British Council’s Safeguarding policies for Adults and Children.

If you experience any difficulties with submitting your application, please email askhr@britishcouncil.org