Culture Programme Manager – Flexible Part-Time (Arts Education)

Ark; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 24,000 - 27,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working

Hybrid office in West London

TPT pension scheme

Ark Rewards program

30 days leave pro rata

Job summary

Ark is seeking a Programme Manager for Ark Culture to lead a city-wide cultural education programme across 48 schools, coordinating partnerships with cultural organisations and delivering school-based projects. The role combines hybrid working from West London with travel to partner schools across the region, and involves budget oversight, stakeholder management, and data collection for evaluation.

The role requires proven project management experience in arts or education settings, a strong

Qualifications

• Right to work in the UK
• Experience in working in or with schools in the field of cultural education
• Strong knowledge of educational settings and arts landscapes
• Proven experience in project or programme management, ideally within arts, cultural or education settings
• Experience delivering performances or artistic programmes with young people
• Strong stakeholder management skills and the ability to work across multiple schools and cultural partners
• Understanding of school environments and awareness of the cultural sector
• Confidence managing budgets, timelines, and logistics
• A clear commitment to inclusion and ensuring that all children can access cultural learning opportunities
• Relational approach able to communicate with children, teachers and artists
• Able to adapt to different settings and be flexible to accommodate different needs in different settings
• Ability to see the larger picture and communality across multiple projects to make a coherent programme
• Willing to support across all areas during delivery
• Our flexible working model offers the best of both worlds, balancing in person collaboration, either in our state of the art West London office or through visits to our schools, with the flexibility of remote working
• In addition to flexible working arrangements, employees can request to work fully remotely for up to 10 working days a year, whether this be in the UK or abroad
• Our flexitime policy allows you to work your hours around our core hours of 10.00 - 16.00, helping you prioritise your work-life balance and personal commitments
• 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
• 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

Responsibilities

• Manage partnerships between cultural organisations, artists and our schools
• Project manage school based projects, mini festivals and workshops in schools across our regions using a place based and school centred approach
• Project manage a pilot project with arts partners working in SEND specialist spaces in three of our schools in West London
• Project manage a programme with three schools and professional writers to develop and write scripts for three new Year Six shows
• Lead the Ark Drama Teachers Network, coordinating CPD opportunities and cross-school events
• Share cultural education opportunities across the wider network
• Manage project budgets, schedules, and logistics to ensure successful delivery
• Build and maintain strong relationships with partners, teachers, school leaders and cultural organisations
• Lead programme-wide data and evidence collection for evaluation purposes
• Provide accurate and timely information to communications and fundraising colleagues to support storytelling, reporting and funding bids
• Support the programme to ensure its legacy continues beyond this funding period, sharing knowledge and remit

Skills

Project management

Stakeholder management

Budget management

Communication with schools

Organisational skills

Job description

Ark is seeking a Programme Manager for Ark Culture to lead a city-wide cultural education programme across 48 schools, coordinating partnerships with cultural organisations and delivering school-based projects. The role combines hybrid working from West London with travel to partner schools across the region, and involves budget oversight, stakeholder management, and data collection for evaluation.

The role requires proven project management experience in arts or education settings, a strong