Arts Programme Manager
At a glance
- Band
- Band 7
- Contract
- Fixed-term
- Pattern
- Part-time, Flexible working
- Posted
- 13/08/2026
- Closes
- 06/09/2026
Sponsorship verdict
This contract type is not eligible for Skilled Worker sponsorship.
NHS Trusts cannot issue a Certificate of Sponsorship for part-time, bank, locum, zero-hours, job-share or short fixed-term (under 12 months) contracts under current Home Office rules. This applies even when the wider Trust holds a Skilled Worker licence.
Role summary
This role manages the programming, implementation, and evaluation of creative health activities for CUH Arts, the Trust's creative health programme. It involves working closely with the Head of Arts to achieve strategic goals, focusing on arts engagement and art in the environment. The position is a 12-month fixed-term contract or secondment, covering maternity leave. It requires specialist skills in creative health, arts programming, resource management, and socially-engaged arts practice.
Key responsibilities
- Manage the programming, implementation, and evaluation of diverse creative health activities.
- Work closely with the Head of Arts to realise CUH Arts' strategic plan.
- Improve patient care experience, support the workforce, and transform healthcare environments.
- Oversee arts engagement activities including live performance, participation, and consultation.
- Manage art and environment initiatives such as commissions, collection, and exhibitions.
Essential criteria
- Arts / Humanities Degree or equivalent
- Evidence of continuous professional development
- Substantial relevant experience of managing complex arts engagement programmes within community and/or healthcare settings
- Ability to work strategically while maintaining attention to operational detail and programme delivery
- Demonstrable experience of managing staff and leading project teams
- Extensive experience at recruiting and managing freelance artists across multiple disciplines
- Proven experience in setting, managing, and reporting on budgets
- A strong passion for and knowledge of the arts
- An understanding of the healthcare system, at a local, regional and national level
- An understanding of Hospital Arts within the wider creative health field at a regional and national level
- An excellent understanding of arts and cultural programming, including festivals and tours
- Highly creative and resourceful in equal measure, with a proactive approach to problem-solving
- Ability to confidently persuade and influence others
- Managing teams and projects across a wide variety of disciplines, with energy, initiative and flexibility
- Ability to build and maintain partnerships with external organisations, both regionally and nationally
- Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, both written and verbal
- Adept at managing and de-escalating stressful scenarios in challenging, sensitive environments
- The ability to understand and behave at all times, towards patients, visitors and colleagues according to the Trust values of safe, kind, excellent.
- An enthusiasm to advocate for the role of arts within healthcare, represent at external events, and deputise for the Head of Arts when needed
Desirable criteria
- Project management qualification
- Experience in managing arts projects within a hospital or healthcare setting
- Experience in art curation and collection management
- Experience in public art commissioning
- Experienced at developing project evaluation frameworks and following methodologies to produce evidence-based activity
- An understanding of art curation and collection management A strong understanding of public consultation and co-production within the context of arts and culture A working knowledge of artists and practitioners with a creative health practice based in the East of England Knowledge and application of equality, diversity and inclusion principles within arts programming and workforce development.
- A strong understanding of public consultation and co-production within the context of arts and culture
- A working knowledge of artists and practitioners with a creative health practice based in the East of England
- Knowledge and application of equality, diversity and inclusion principles within arts programming and workforce development.
- Ability to develop and write successful funding applications, grant submissions and project proposals.
- Proven ability to analyse and interpret qualitative and quantitative data to inform programme development and strategic decision-making.
- Strong presentation and advocacy skills, including confidence presenting to senior leaders, funders and external audiences.
- Digital communications skills, including overseeing website content, social media and digital storytelling.
Useful to know
Agenda for Change 2024/25 pays Band 7 at £46,148 – £52,809 a year, across England.
This advert: £49,387 – £56,515 — outside the standard scale; check for HCAS/London weighting.
Posted 17d ago · Closes in 8d
Plenty of time to prepare a strong application.
Full advert · preview
Cambridge University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Arts Programme Manager
The closing date is 06 September 2026
Job summary
CUH Arts is the Trust's creative health programme, dedicated to shaping care through creativity. We strive to inspire creativity, promote wellbeing and humanise healthcare by providing excellent creative and cultural opportunities for patients, staff, visitors and wider community. Our diverse, person-centred, multi-disciplinary programme of live, participatory and visual arts is delivered by a specialist team of arts professionals and embedded within hospital life through close collaboration with staff.
This is a 12-month fixed term/secondment position, whilst the Head of Arts is on maternity leave. You will work with the interim Head of Arts to manage the programming, implementation and evaluation of a diverse range of creative health activity across the current hospital site.
Main duties of the job
This role will work closely with the Head of Arts (HoA) to realise CUH Arts' ambitious strategic plan, which aims to improve the experience of patient care, support the workforce, and transform healthcare environments through two main strands of regular activity:
Arts engagement (live performance, participation, consultation)
Art and environment (commissions, collection, exhibitions)
This is a highly specialist role, bringing significant
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