Head of Arts

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 the 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 and 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 the 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 underrepresented 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 the creative industries externally.

They lead the implementation of Arts and Creative Industry programmes funded by British Council grants, 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 the 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
• Strategy and/or planning
• Sector/subject expertise
• Relationship & Stakeholder Management
• Brand and market positioning
• Business development
• Programme management

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 the country, including governmental and funding partners (trusts, foundations, institutional donors)

Desirable:

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