Young Curators Programme Manager

Factory International; Manchester; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

Factory International is seeking a Young Curators Programme Manager in Manchester to plan, coordinate and deliver a youth-led curatorial programme for 18–30-year-olds. The role involves managing participants, artists, partners and internal teams to ensure safe, high-quality delivery.

Fixed-term September 2026 to 31 March 2028, with responsibilities spanning workshops, mentoring, and progression opportunities within Factory International and the wider cultural sector.

Qualifications

• Experience of managing and delivering creative, cultural, youth or participatory programmes from development through to delivery and evaluation.
• Strong programme and project management skills, including budgets, schedules, contracts, logistics and competing priorities.
• Experience working with young people, emerging creatives or early-career practitioners, building positive relationships to support development.
• Experience delivering ambitious public-facing creative projects with multiple teams and stakeholders.
• Experience managing relationships with artists, facilitators and practitioners, ensuring briefing and support.
• Ability to support young people to develop and realise creative ideas with appropriate guidance and structure.

Responsibilities

• Lead planning, coordination and delivery of the Young Curators programme in line with aims, objectives and youth-led ethos.
• Manage day-to-day operation including scheduling, communications, contracts, administration, resources and reporting.
• Manage the programme budget, monitor expenditure, process payments and track commitments within financial parameters.
• Act as the primary contact for participants, providing guidance, support and clear communication.
• Collaborate with the Lead Facilitator, artists and practitioners to design and deliver a high-quality programme.
• Coordinate workshops, mentoring, industry visits and professional development activities; brief and support partners and facilitators.
• Create an inclusive environment that enables young people to develop confidence and curatorial practice.
• Work with internal teams to coordinate cohort public activation planning and delivery.
• Support participant recruitment, evaluation and progression opportunities, contributing to ongoing development of the programme and wider youth work.

Skills

Programme management

Budget management

Stakeholder management

Communication

Safeguarding

Independent working

Job description

Closing date - 31 August 2026
Salary - £32,000 - £35,000 per annum, pro-rata (dependent on experience)

Please note this is a fixed term role (September 2026 - 31 March 2028)

The Young Curators Programme Manager is responsible for the successful planning, coordination and delivery of Factory International's Young Curators programme. Working closely with the Young People and Family Lead, the role ensures a high-quality experience for a cohort of young people aged 18–30 as they develop their curatorial practice, expand their professional networks and create ambitious public work.

The Programme Manager oversees the operational delivery of the programme, coordinating participants, artists, partners and internal teams to ensure activity is delivered safely, effectively and to a high standard. As the primary point of contact for the cohort, they build positive relationships that support participants' development throughout the programme.

The role combines programme management with participant support, contributing to workshops and project activity where appropriate while enabling facilitators and partners to deliver an ambitious learning experience. The Programme Manager also works to strengthen progression pathways for participants, connecting them with future opportunities across Factory International and the wider creative and cultural sector.

The key responsibilities for the Young Curators Programme Manager include;

• Lead the planning, coordination and delivery of the Young Curators programme, ensuring it is delivered in line with its aims, objectives and youth-led ethos.
• Manage the day-to-day operation of the programme, including scheduling, communications, contracts, administration, resources and reporting.
• Manage the programme budget, including monitoring expenditure, processing payments, tracking commitments and ensuring activity is delivered within agreed financial parameters.
• Act as the primary point of contact for participants, providing guidance, support and clear communication throughout the programme.
• Work collaboratively with the Lead Facilitator, artists and creative practitioners to design and deliver a high-quality programme that responds to the interests and needs of the cohort.
• Coordinate workshops, mentoring, industry visits, professional development opportunities and other programme activity, ensuring artists, facilitators and partners are effectively briefed and supported.
• Create an inclusive and supportive environment that enables young people to shape the programme, develop their confidence and strengthen their curatorial practice.
• Work closely with internal teams, including Producing, to coordinate the planning and delivery of the cohort’s public activation
• Support participant recruitment, evaluation, progression opportunities and alumni engagement, contributing to the ongoing development of the Young Curators programme and Factory International's wider Young People's programme.

The person specification for the Young Curators Programme Manager include;

ESSENTIAL

• Experience of managing and delivering creative, cultural, youth or participatory programmes from development through to delivery and evaluation.
• Strong programme and project management skills, including experience managing budgets, schedules, contracts, logistics and competing priorities.
• Experience of working with young people, emerging creatives or early-career practitioners, building positive and trusted relationships that support their development.
• Experience of delivering ambitious public-facing creative projects, events, exhibitions or programmes involving multiple teams and stakeholders.
• Experience of managing relationships with artists, facilitators and creative practitioners, ensuring effective communication, briefing and support.
• Ability to support young people to develop and realise creative ideas, balancing youth-led decision-making with appropriate structure, guidance and practical support.
• Excellent communication, collaboration and relationship management skills, with the ability to work effectively across a range of audiences, teams and partners.
• Understanding of safeguarding, access and wellbeing considerations when working with young people, including appropriate support and escalation processes.
• Ability to work independently, use initiative and exercise sound judgement in managing the day-to-day delivery of a complex creative programme.
• A strong commitment to inclusive practice, youth voice and creating meaningful opportunities for young people who are underrepresented within the creative and cultural industries.
• Commitment to championing representation and inclusion at every level of the organisation with a proven ability to work with people from a wide range of backgrounds
• Willing to complete relevant statutory checks eg DBS (Factory International can support with processing and payment)

DESIRABLE

• Experience of working within an arts organisation, cultural venue, festival or producing organisation.
• Experience of managing exhibitions, installations, events or multidisciplinary creative projects.
• An understanding of contemporary curatorial practice and the creative and cultural sector.
• Knowledge of Manchester and Greater Manchester’s creative and cultural ecology and networks.
• Enthusiasm for training, mentoring and support of emerging talent

When applying please do not rely solely on ChatGPT/AI software for your answers as it may not fully reflect your skills and experience and how they align with this role and we may decide to discount your answer if we believe it is solely generated by AI.