Director of Enterprise and External Engagement

Director of Enterprise and External Engagement

Department: Executive Team

Reports to: Principal

Key Relationships: Executive Team, Marketing Department, Development Department, ArtsEd Extra Department, Admissions colleuges within DSSF and Higher Education

Working Pattern:

All Year Round (52 weeks per year)

30 Days Annual Leave

8:30am - 5:00pm

The postholder must be available to work weekends (Saturdays and Sundays) as required to meet operational and role-related needs.

Start date: January 2026

Salary: £80k per annum

ArtsEd is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff (permanent and visiting) and volunteers to share this commitment; all staff are required to undergo background checks in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education 2024 regulations and to hold an enhanced DBS.

Summary of the role:

The Director of Enterprise and External Engagement will be a key member of the Executive Leadership Team at ArtsEd with strategic and operational responsibility for driving the institution's commercial growth and external engagement. The role is accountable for leading key income-generating and market-facing functions, including Marketing, Development, and Outreach and will also coordinate the institutional strategy for Student Recruitment and Admissions of both the Day School & Sixth Form, and the Higher Education provision. Working closely with the Principal and colleagues across the organisation, the Director will shape and deliver a long-term growth strategy that strengthens the institution's market position and supports its broader strategic goals.

The postholder will bring deep commercial insight and a track record of delivering sustainable growth in complex environments. They will provide visible, values-led leadership to cross-functional teams, building a high-performance culture and ensuring alignment of activity with institutional priorities. They will promote collaboration across their teams and across the institution.

The Director will work collaboratively across the Executive Leadership Team to embed a commercially informed mindset throughout the organisation, supporting data-led decision-making and customer-focused service delivery. They will also engage regularly with external partners, prospective students, donors, and key stakeholders to enhance the institution's reputation, reach, and revenue.

Departmental Management & Oversight:

• Provide strong, clear, and supportive line management to direct reports, including the Marketing Manager, Head of Development, and Extra Manager. Lead future expansion of the team to include Lettings and Events management.
• Oversee the Recruitment and Admissions strategy across the insitution, situated in both the Day School and Sixth Form and in Higher Education and work with relevant team members situated in those sectors of ArtsEd.
• Champion a culture of collaboration, high performance, and continuous improvement across all commercial departments, ensuring shared ownership of organisational goals.
• Support managers in setting clear departmental objectives, developing budgets, managing resources, and ensuring operational plans are delivered on time and to the highest standards.
• Promote staff development by identifying training needs, encouraging professional growth, and recognising achievement.

Operational Delivery:

• Ensure that departmental strategies, marketing campaigns, recruitment initiatives, development programmes, and outreach activities are integrated, coordinated, and aligned with institutional growth and income targets.
• Work closely with department heads to monitor performance, address challenges, and reallocate resources as required to maximise impact and efficiency.
• Produce regular reports for the Principal and Board of Trustees, providing data-driven analysis of commercial performance, strategic progress, and return on investment.
• Maintain an expert understanding of the independent and private education markets, tracking competitor activity, fee trends, recruitment patterns, and emerging opportunities for diversification.
• Lead the identification and development of new income-generating ventures, including lettings and events, ensuring these are underpinned by robust market analysis and operational planning.

External Relations & Stakeholder Engagement:

• Act as the principal ambassador for the institution's commercial and external engagement activities, building and maintaining strong relationships with prospective families, alumni, donors, local communities, partner organisations, and relevant industry bodies.
• Represent the institution at key events, conferences, open days, and networking opportunities to enhance its profile and strengthen its reputation in target markets.
• Oversee the development of a compelling and consistent institutional narrative across all external communications, ensuring brand integrity and alignment with the institution's values and strategic aims.
• Collaborate with the Principal and Development team to cultivate and steward relationships with high-value donors and benefactors, ensuring engagement plans are personalised and impact-driven.
• Build partnerships with businesses, civic organisations, and cultural institutions to expand the institution's reach, support community and corporate engagement, and create mutually beneficial opportunities.

Innovation & Market Development:

• Lead the identification and assessment of emerging trends, market opportunities, and innovative approaches to enhance the institution's competitive advantage.
• Explore and implement new commercial initiatives, products, and services such as lettings, events, summer schools, and international recruitment partnerships, ensuring each is supported by a robust business case.
• Encourage a culture of creativity and entrepreneurial thinking within commercial teams, empowering staff to contribute ideas and pilot new approaches.
• Evaluate the impact of innovative projects, measuring outcomes against agreed KPIs, and adapt strategies to maximise success and sustainability.
• Maintain an active awareness of developments in digital marketing, customer engagement, and fundraising innovation, applying best practice to strengthen performance across departments.

Person Specification

Essential:

• Degree-level education or equivalent senior experience.
• Significant leadership experience in commercial, marketing, fundraising, or external engagement roles.
• Proven success in developing and delivering multi-year growth strategies and generating income.
• Experience managing multiple functions, budgets, and high-performing teams.
• Strong commercial acumen with ability to interpret financial, operational, and market data.
• Expertise in marketing, recruitment, fundraising, and brand management.
• Excellent leadership, communication, negotiation, and project management skills.
• Proficiency in digital tools, CRM systems, and analytics.
• Entrepreneurial, innovative, collaborative, and customer-focused approach.
• Resilient, adaptable, and solutions-focused with high levels of integrity.

Desirable:

• Professional qualification in marketing, business, fundraising, or related discipline.
• Experience in the independent education sector or comparable service environment.
• Track record in event management, lettings, or venue hire as revenue streams.
• Experience of working with boards, trustees, or governance bodies.
• Understanding of international recruitment markets and relevant regulatory frameworks.

Background to ArtsEd

ArtsEd originated from two schools, one founded in 1919 by Grace Cone and one founded in 1922 by Olive Ripman. These two educational pioneers believed passionately in the value of combining a general academic education with specialised training in dance, drama, music and art. They were committed to preparing young people for professional careers in or related to the theatre. In 1939, Grace and Olive joined forces to create the Cone Ripman School, subsequently named the Arts Educational Schools. Dame Alicia Markova and Sir Anton Dolin drew almost exclusively on ArtsEd students to help them create their revolutionary company London Festival Ballet, which eventually became the English National Ballet. Ballerina Dame Beryl Grey became Director of the Schools in the 1960s.

ArtsEd continued to innovate, introducing both professional acting and musical theatre courses and in I986 moved to its present home in Chiswick. In 2007, Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber became President, heralding an auspicious new era for ArtsEd. The Day School and Sixth Form remains the leading school of its kind in the UK with all students possessing outstanding creativity and dedication. Academic results and vocational success are significant, and our Value-Added return is in the top 1% nationally. The School of Musical Theatre and School of Acting offer full-time BA and MA courses. Our Musical Theatre course is recognised as the best in the UK, while the Acting course is praised for its innovative 50:50 split between stage and screen acting. Our outstanding record of graduate success sees nearly every one of our Musical Theatre graduates and over three-quarters of our Acting graduates make their professional debuts within six months of graduating.
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