Head of Marketing & Communications NEW

Oxford, Oxfordshire
CHM-1

Head of Marketing & Communications
Location: Central Oxford, OX1
Salary: £50,000 per annum
Hours: Full Time – 40 Hours per week
Contract: Permanent

About the role

The Head of Marketing and Communications plays a leading role in developing the gallery’s brand, growing and diversifying audiences, and strengthening the visibility of the organisation locally, nationally and internationally. Working closely with the Director and Senior Management Team (SMT), this pivotal role is instrumental in helping to meet the gallery’s objectives to increase footfall and digital engagement, strengthen relationships with existing visitors and develop new audiences. This post-holder plays a central role with the Director in maintaining the artistic reputation and profile of this organisation as one of the UK’s most ambitious and influential contemporary art organisations, and driving ambitious marketing and communications campaigns.

The position is responsible for developing and delivering the gallery’s audience development, communications and digital strategies, and plays a central role in nurturing relationships with stakeholders, including press, partners, artists and audiences. Ensuring compliance with data protection legislation and championing the gallery’s value of equality, diversity and inclusion are central to this role.

Reporting to the Director and forming part of the Senior Management Team, the Head of Marketing and Communications is a full time position which manages and is supported by a full-time Marketing Manager and a full-time Design and Communications Officer, with freelance support on press/PR and design as required for specific exhibitions and projects.

Principal Responsibilities

Marketing and Communications

• To grow and diversify their visiting and online audiences by leading audience development, communications and digital marketing strategies that will enable the organisation to build on its brand and profile, and strengthen its visibility in Oxford, the UK and beyond.
• To develop and oversee implementation of all marketing, communications and PR activity including media relations, social media and digital activity, development of marketing and branding collateral, and on-site interpretation.
• To formulate with the direction of the Director a transformational vision for the use of digital technologies to drive engagement and interaction with their online audiences.
• To manage effective and efficient relationships with any external PR and marketing consultants and companies.
• To develop and nurture key stakeholder, media and marketing relationships and partnerships and cultivate new relationships to ensure that their profile is high locally, nationally and internationally, and that their position as a leading tourist attraction in Oxfordshire and the South East grows.
• To strategically develop distinctive and innovative digital content, working closely and in creative collaboration with the Head of Exhibitions, Head of Communities, Participation and Practice as well as the wider Marketing and Communications team.
• To work with colleagues to strengthen visitor experience and engagement, both on-site and digitally, to increase profile and ensure that the organisation continues to thrive as one of the UK’s leading contemporary art spaces.
• To work closely with the SMT to drive audience research, development and evaluation, ensuring that the gallery attracts significant visitor numbers and closely addresses our stakeholder priorities.
• To manage the Marketing Manager and the Design and Communications Officer positions.

Fundraising and Finance

• To attend events on site and externally to represent the gallery and build relationships with key external stakeholders. Occasional weekend and evening work will be required.
• To ensure tight, clear, budgetary setting, control and regular re-forecasting against targets working with the Head of Finance.
• To work closely with the Head of Development to support new fundraising initiatives and partnerships as required.
• To regularly review all communications activities, suppliers and resources to ensure best value for money.
• To prepare reports as required by Arts Council England and Oxford City Council and other funders/stakeholders in relation to digital, marketing and communications activities.

General

• To support the work of the gallery in strengthening the equality, diversity and inclusivity of the working environment and practices.
• To ensure team management and cross-departmental work is effective and timely in achieving annual targets.
• To ensure that they comply with all aspects of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in relation to marketing and communication activities with audiences, stakeholders and any other third parties.
• To participate in training and development activities as required and assist with the training and development of colleagues.
• To carry out all duties in accordance with all their policies including Equal Opportunities, Access, Employment, Health and Safety, Child Safeguarding, Data Protection and Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policies and the Creative Case for Diversity.
• To report to the Board of Trustees when requested.
• To undertake any other duties as reasonably required by the Director.

Person Specification

• Experience of running a Marketing and Communications team at a senior level within an arts organisation or similar field
• Experience of leading on mixed marketing campaigns, including setting measurable targets
• Significant experience of managing and motivating teams and being a supportive and encouraging team player
• Excellent arts press contacts and/or partnership development experience.
• Demonstrable experience of audience research, segmentation and development
• A strategic and analytical thinker able to devise, implement and report on strategies and to evaluate data using platforms such as Google Analytics and AdWords and experience of SEO, Content Management Systems, and social media platforms and analytics.
• An ability to prioritise competing workloads and work effectively under pressure in a fast paced and leanly resourced working environment
• Strong project management skills, including budget management
• An inspiring and creative thinker with ambition, vision and enthusiasm
• Self-motivated, positive, flexible and reliable Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• A strong affinity with the values and mission of organisation and a passion and enthusiasm for the visual arts, with a belief in the importance of artists and the power of art to have a transformational effect in society

About the employer

This is one of the UK’s most exciting and influential contemporary art organisations, renowned for its bold and ambitious artistic programme that promotes diversity and internationalism and celebrates contemporary art as a progressive agent of social change.

They welcome approximately 100,000 visitors each year with approximately 15,000 attendances by schools and community groups in creative learning and participation activities. The organisation’s digital content reaches 450,000 through their digital channels annually. Through a wide range of high-quality content creation and programming, they aim to make contemporary art accessible and engaging to the widest audience and to promote creativity in all its visual forms. Over the last 60 years they have brought some of the world’s most important artists to the city, and the UK, and has developed an international reputation for pioneering emerging and under-represented artists.

This is a registered charity and receives core funding from Arts Council England and Oxford City Council, and the generous support of individuals, trusts and foundations, sponsors and friends.

Benefits

• Pension An auto-enrolment pension scheme is in place with Legal & General. Under pension auto enrolment legislation, the employee will pay 5% (before tax relief) and the employer will pay 3% of qualifying earnings to the Legal and General plan. Holiday 25 days annual leave plus eight public bank holidays Staff discount in Cafe and shop

Closing date for Applications is Midnight on Sunday 14th December 2025
Interviews for the role will be Friday 19th December 2025

To Apply and for more information

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This employer is committed to improving the diversity in its workforce in order to better reflect the diversity of their local communities. All job vacancies are advertised here as part of a fair and open process. They welcome applications from people of all cultures and ethnicities, including those that may experience racism, as part of their Anti-racism Action Plan.

No agencies please.