A. Details
Position: Arts Assistant, Arts Centres
Grade: Clerical Officer (CO)
Whole time equivalent: 35 hours per week
Reports to: Michael Barker Caven, Head of Arts Centres
Duration: 12 months, Specified Purpose
Role closing date: 12 noon, Wednesday 17th September 2025.
B. Department & Role Overview
The Arts Council is the Irish Government’s agency for supporting and promoting the arts in Ireland. We work in partnership with artists, arts organisations, public policy makers and others to build a central place for the arts in Irish life.
To provide first point of contact service (internal and external) and administrative support to the Arts Centres team with designated focus on Arts Centres to deliver the Arts Council Strategy: Making Great Art Work and the Arts Council Arts Centres Policy and Strategy
C. Key Responsibilities
POLICY & STRATEGY
* Support Team policy initiatives, e.g. set up meetings, take minutes of meetings, liaise with external 3rd parties, research history of funding relationships etc.
* Provide administrative support for Arts Centres policy commitments as outlined in Arts Centres’s team annual work plans
* Provide administrative support for Head of Arts Centres and external consultants delivering Arts Centres policy initiatives such setting up and coordinating questionnaires and surveys,
* Invite people to focus/consultation groups, organise meetings and events
* Project manage special Arts Centres initiatives, such as: set up project plans, lead out on policy programmes as required, provide administrative support to project team leads.
FINANCIAL SUPPORTS /FUNDING RELATIONSHIPS
Funding applications
* Action Tasks in CRM team’s queues (e.g. assign application and assessments etc.)
* Assist with eligibility checks for application forms
* Monitor assessment progress in CRM by using appropriate advanced find
* Provide assistance, as required, to the Arts Centres Officer with regards to liaising with the Adviser/s to ensure inputs to assessments run smoothly
Enquiries
* Be the first point of contact for your artform/practice areas on funding/general enquiries via phone/email.
* Action funding application enquiries e.g. closing dates, application forms etc: (i.e. resolve on first contact or assign to appropriate team member)
* Direct technical queries to ICT support within Corporate Services
* Provide other arts area advice as appropriate
* Identify queries that you can answer, those to be referred to other organisations and those that require further research by you and revert to public/artist/organisation
Panels
* As required, attend panel meetings in your areas, to support the smooth running of Panel Meetings.
* As required, provide assistance to the Head of Arts Centres in the absence of the Arts Officer in responding to requests from applicants for written feedback from panel meetings, according to a new protocol.
* Payments
* Direct enquiries on payments to OLS in first instance
* Liaise with Corporate Services as required, to ensure smooth operation of payments
Monitoring funding relationships
* Pull reports as required to support monitoring funding relationships
* Arrange meetings with client organisations
Data Collection
* Become proficient in data collection procedures and systems for Arts Centres.
* Collate and coordinate data from the Arts Centres Investment Scheme as required ensuring yearly statistics are available for publication and dissemination
* Support the transfer of Arts Centres data to electronic data collection platforms (as required).
* Ensure Arts Centres Investment Scheme data is updated to Power BI, including reports and application information.
* Keep all Arts Centres Master Data Sheets and Power BI Dashboards are maintained and updated, ensuring data cleaning as required
* Maintain legacy information from Arts Centres reporting as required.
General
* Become proficient in all standard procedures and systems as appropriate to role
* Collaborate with other Arts Department Assistants and team members, where appropriate, in identifying, agreeing and applying consistent processes and systems that maximise efficiency
* Provide assistance to the Arts Officer as may be required from time to time in support of the work of the arts area/s as discussed with Head of Arts Centres
* Actively participate as a team member with suggestions to continuously improve the funding process and service to the public, artists and organisations.
PARTNERSHIP
* Provide clerical support as required to partnership initiatives
ADVICE
* See 'Enquiries' under Financial Supports/Funding Relationships above.
ADVOCACY
* Provide clerical support as required to advocacy initiatives.
ARTS TEAM
* Provide inputs to team work planning to ensure sufficient resources available to maintain smooth operation of work of relevant arts areas
* As directed by Head of Arts Centres co-ordinate inputs to and maintain designated artform/practice sections of website;
* Take responsibility for the continuous review and updating of the Arts Centres web pages
* Oversee, lead and deliver the communications and set up of: applicant, assessment and reporting clinics as required by the Head of Arts Centres and Arts Centres Officer.
CORPORATE
* Participate in project team(s) on specified projects driven by Strategic Development Department
* Collate information from CRM related to arts areas, to support strategic projects
* Attend and contribute to Combined Arts Department Meetings
CUSTOMER SERVICE & COMMUNICATION
* Support the team on FOI requests through pulling out documents/files
* Provide cover to other Sections/Departments as agreed with Head of Arts Centres.
Note: Arts Council roles and responsibilities are subject to change as per on-going and future organisational requirements and developments.
D. Skills Knowledge and Experiences
Undertake all aspects of role /responsibilities and interpersonal dealings with work colleagues and external stakeholders in a manner consistent with:
PERSON SPECIFICATION
* A culture of respect for all individuals;
* Ensuring fairness and equity in treatment of and dealings with others;
* Being conscious of the impact of one's own behaviour on others;
* Positively contributing to a culture of collaboration and teamwork;
* An ability to anticipate needs, to work effectively as a member of a team and work on her/his own initiative;
* Flexible and enthusiastic in the context of a busy and demanding workplace;
* A willingness to contribute positively to the building of new and more effective ways of working;
* An ability to prioritise work tasks in a fast paced working environment;
* An ability to deliver to deadlines as requested and required.
ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS
* Demonstrable experience of general administration: ensuring an excellent organised approach to the prioritising and processing of work;
* Excellent general office skills and a working knowledge of relevant ICT systems including Word, Excel, Power Point and Outlook;
* Excellent verbal and written communications skills;
* Excellent customer service skills, attending to resolving both internal and external customer enquiries in an efficient and professional manner;
* A commitment to high standards of public service;
* Good working knowledge of the arts in Ireland.
DESIRABLE
* Working knowledge of Content Management Systems including CRM, Online Services, Website content management;
* Irish language, verbal and written skills, (this is not an absolute prerequisite for the role);
* Some knowledge of arts administration and/or Arts Centres practice across Ireland.
How to apply
1. The closing date for receipt of applications is 12 noon, Wednesday 17th September, 2025.
2. For further information including the application process please go to Working With Us - The Arts Council / An Chomhairle Ealaíon
The Arts Council is committed to a policy of equal opportunity and encourage applications from all sections of the community under all ten grounds as set out in our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy. For more information, visit Developmental policies - The Arts Council / An Chomhairle Ealaíon
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