ARK SCHOOLS

Programme Manager

Reports to: Head of Creative and Extend Curriculum

Location: West London – currently operating an agile working policy with two core days (Mon and Weds) in the office

Contract: Permanent

Pattern: Full Time (standard hours 9am – 5.30pm)

Closing date: 16/02/2024 at 12pm

1 st round interviews: 20/02/2024 (virtual)

2 nd round interviews: 26/02/2024 (in person)

Salary: £40,000 to £45,000 (depending on experience)

About the role:

We champion the idea that creative opportunity and music-making can have a hugely positive impact on life and on a child’s time in school. The Music Programme Manager is crucial in creating an enabling environment which ensures every pupil in an Ark school can enjoy a life enriched by music.

A committed and collaborative individual, the Music Programme Manager will work alongside programme leads to manage the day to day running of our annual programme of activity, as well as more strategic areas of operations. They will be the first point of contact for Ark Music and an integral part of our leadership team.

Key Responsibilities:

• Work collaboratively with colleagues on key areas including strategy, funder reporting and key bids
• Lead the practical implementation of all aspects of programme activity including our primary schools programme, network ensembles, events and residentials, delegating to freelance Project Managers as appropriate
• Own and drive our evaluation strategy, ensuring it clearly demonstrates the impact of our work
• Lead on in-person activity, including responsibility for venues liaison, musical equipment, transport, and timetabling, delegating to the relevant Project Manager in line with their roles
• Recruit, develop and support Ark’s diverse freelance workforce which includes Artists in Residence, young music mentors, freelance project and ops managers, and Ark Alumni
• Manage all aspects of this team ensuring continued positive relationships across the board. This includes but is not limited to: contracting and onboarding, supporting with invoices and ensuring our rates of pay are inline with industry expectations
• Line-manage freelance operations and project managers including through regular 1:1’s, contract appraisals and training

Key Requirements:

• Experience of diverse music education programmes, their needs, and logistical requirements
• Experience of recruiting and developing Artist educators, with experience of finding, connecting and supporting those who are traditionally under-represented in the music education workforce
• Experience of creating and managing significant budgets, contract negotiation and fundraising
• A willingness and ability to be fully aligned to, and an advocate for, Ark Music’s purpose and ambition across all areas of work

About Ark

We’re an international charity, transforming lives through education. We exist to give every young person, regardless of their background, a great education and real choices in life. In the UK, we’re a network of 39 schools, educating around 30,000 pupils in areas where we can make the biggest difference and we’re recognised as one of the highest achieving academy groups in the country. We want to change the lives of children everywhere, not just in our own schools. So, we create and incubate Ventures designed not only to help pupils in Ark schools, but also to improve education systems.

You’ll be joining a group of like-minded, ambitious individuals who work collaboratively and are all committed to our core mission, that every child has the potential to succeed. Having just celebrated our 20 th anniversary, we are shaping our goals for the next 20 and there has never been a more exciting time to join us.

Benefits

• 27 days annual leave plus bank holidays, rising with each year of service up to 30 days after 3-years’ service. This entitlement is pro rata for part time employees. This entitlement excludes bank holidays
• Full office closure between Christmas and New Year
• Hybrid working, with currently two days a week in our state-of-the-art office in West London working alongside colleagues
• Regular social events, monthly free breakfast, and daily fruit
• A flexible approach to working with understanding and consideration for work life balance and personal commitments
• As an Ark employee, you will have the opportunity to be part of the TPT (The Pension Trust) scheme, our workplace pension scheme where we make an 11% contribution; you are not required to contribute towards this scheme unless you choose to. Depending on your role you may also be entitled to LGPS which is a defined benefit scheme where you contribute a percentage based on how much you earn (as do we) in exchange for a guaranteed amount in your pension pot every year
• Access to high-quality professional learning throughout your career, offering both face-to-face sessions and a bespoke online learning platform
• Access to Ark Rewards scheme offering savings from over 3,000 major retailers, interest-free loans available for season tickets or a bike, gym discounts offering up to 40% off your local gym and free eye tests

How to Apply:

Apply with a CV and cover letter on our online recruitment portal. Applications to be submitted by Friday 16 th February 2024 at 12pm but please note: we will be reviewing applications on an on-going basis and this advert may close earlier than advertised depending on the level of response.

This ATS application form should take no longer 20 minutes to complete. At any time, you can pause, save, and log back in. If you have any difficulty with meeting the deadline for application, please contact

Interviews will be arranged as suitable candidates are identified, so early application is strongly advised.

Ark is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people in its academies. In order to meet this responsibility, its academies follow a rigorous selection process to discourage and screen out unsuitable applicants.

Ark requires all employees to undertake an enhanced DBS check. You are required, before appointment, to disclose any unspent conviction, cautions, reprimands or warnings under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975. Non-disclosure may lead to termination of employment. However, disclosure of a criminal background will not necessarily debar you from employment – this will depend upon the nature of the offence(s) and when they occurred. To read more about Ark’s safer recruitment process, please click this link .

We aim to build a diverse and inclusive organisation where everyone – staff and students – can do their best work and achieve their full potential. We want to reflect and represent diverse perspectives across our organisation because we know that doing so will make us stronger and more effective. To know more about Ark’s diversity and inclusion commitments, please click on this link.