APPLICATION PACK FOR: Deputy Director

Closing Date: 9am Monday 26th July 2021

July 2021

Dear Applicant,

This application pack for the position of Deputy Director at the South London Gallery includes:

• Information about the South London Gallery • A Job Description and Person Specification

To Apply

Please go to https://hr.breathehr.com/v/deputy-director-17552 to download an Applicant Details Form and an Application Form and submit both forms via the green APPLY button at the bottom of the page.

Please also complete the online equal opportunities monitoring form here: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/7PBBNSF The equal opportunities form is anonymous and separate to your application.

The purpose and key tasks and responsibilities of the position are set out in the job description. The knowledge, experience and competencies we are looking for in the successful candidate are listed in the person specification. It is important to read carefully all the information before completing the form.

Please do not attach CV, references or educational certificates to your application form. Applications in the form of CVs will not be considered.

The closing date for receipt of completed applications is Monday 26th July at 9am. We regret that applications received after that time cannot be considered.

Interviews will be held at the South London Gallery on Monday 2nd August.

Shortlisted candidates will be contacted by phone or email and invited to attend. The selection process will include a written application form and panel interview, including a prepared question). If you will require any special arrangements at any stage of the selection process (this may be due to a disability, neurodivergence or another need) please fill in the relevant section of your application form or contact Cathy Hirschmann at [email protected] or telephone 020 7703 6120

We guarantee to interview all applicants with a disability who meet the essential criteria listed in the person specification and to appoint on the basis of objective criteria.

Unfortunately we are unable to write back to all applicants at the shortlisting stage, or to give specific feedback on why you have not been shortlisted. If you do not hear from us by the end of Wednesday 28th July please assume that you have not been shortlisted in this instance.

If you have any queries regarding the process or the role please contact Cathy Hirschmann, Deputy Director, on 020 7703 6120 or at [email protected]

Thank you for your interest in the South London Gallery. We look forward to receiving your application.

Margot Heller Director

South London Gallery

The South London Gallery (SLG) is a locally, nationally and internationally recognized centre for contemporary art with an acclaimed and award-winning education programme. Founded in 1891 as a purpose-built gallery, the original site has expanded to include the Clore Studio, a flat for artists in residence, and a café (since 2010); an artist-designed garden (opened in 2016); the Fire Station (opened in 2018); and Art Block, a space for local children and families on Sceaux Gardens estate.

Since its first expansion in 2010, the gallery has grown from welcoming 25,000 visits per year to over 150,000. The SLG is embedded in the local community with a programme that reflects art practices today, supports artists and commissions new work.

The gallery has a rigorous international programme, but still feels very local. It is very much about the area and the people that live around it. Ryan Gander, Artist

The year-round exhibitions programme showcases the best in international contemporary art, complemented by an events programme for people of all ages and interests. The gallery’s emphasis is on presenting new work by British and international artists, often by those who have rarely or never had a solo show in a London institution. Group shows bring together works by established and lesser-known British and international artists, whilst an ongoing residency programme provides opportunities for artists to develop new work and exhibit at the SLG.

The South London Gallery is the most innovative art space in the capital, with great contemporary exhibitions. Alicia Burrell, The Sunday Times

Providing opportunities for learning and participation is at the heart of the gallery’s purpose, and each year thousands of children, young people and adults take part in an extensive programme of activities. This includes a peer-led young people’s forum; free family workshops; a dedicated creative space for children, artist-led projects and commissions on local estates; ongoing provision for school visits; and a programme funded by BBC Children in Need for looked-after children.

The SLG fosters varied perspectives and experiences, encouraging open conversations and active listening practices. We believe everybody is entitled to feel welcome and safe at the SLG, confident to express their authentic selves. We are committed to achieving diversity across our staff, board, programmes and audiences, to reflect society. Our imperative is to create a working environment that enables us to challenge structures and practices, to ensure that diversity is at the forefront of our organisation. We want to be fully inclusive and to proactively counter discrimination. All staff and board members have training and support to ensure we are able to achieve this.

We are therefore particularly interested in applications from people from backgrounds which are underrepresented in museums and galleries, including people from low-income backgrounds and people from Black, Asian and ethnically diverse backgrounds.

The SLG is a registered charity, funded by the Arts Council England, Southwark Council and Freelands Foundation with additional essential funding from individual donors, companies, trusts and foundations as well as income from our commercial operations.

southlondongallery.org Twitter: @SLG_artupdates Instagram: @southlondongallery Facebook: @southlondongallery

Job Description

Job Title: Deputy Director Period: Permanent Hours: Full time – 35 hours per week excluding breaks Salary: £60,000 per annum Pension: 6% employer pension contribution Holiday: 26 days plus bank holidays Reports to: Deputy Director Place of Work: South London Gallery, Peckham, London

Due to Covid-19 the SLG’s offices are open to staff but at reduced capacity and on a rota basis; staff continue to work from home when not in the office. We will discuss arrangements in more detail with the successful candidate. Going forward, the SLG is putting in place an Agile Working Policy to support staff to retain an element of working from home where they wish to do so.

The appointment is subject to a satisfactory DBS check.

Purpose of the role:

The Deputy Director works closely with the Director and Senior Management Team on the strategic direction and business planning of the SLG and is responsible for the effective internal operation of the organisation, embracing its administrative, facilities, financial, personnel and legal functions.

The post holder takes the lead role in planning and implementing improvements in all areas of the Deputy Director’s responsibility, as well as anticipating and solving problems, managing staff and delegating work on a day-to-day basis. The Deputy Director is responsible for financial reporting and strategic financial management and works closely with the Director on financial planning for the gallery.

Key Tasks and Responsibilities

Strategy, Planning and Leadership

• Work with the Trustees and the Director on the overall strategic planning for the SLG and development of the organisation; with the Director, oversee the planning and delivery of all aspects of the work of the gallery; • work with the Senior Management Team as well as the wider staff on the development and implementation of the SLG’s business plan, including the evaluation framework for the SLG’s work and processes for internal review and external reporting; • ensure the SLG is an inclusive and anti-racist organisation with its diversity and inclusion aims and objectives actively present in every area of the organisation; facilitate the ongoing monitoring, review and development of the SLG’s Diversity and Inclusion Plan, taking lead responsibility for relevant areas; coordinate the SLG’s Diversity and Inclusion cross-gallery meetings; • and work with the Director, Senior Management Team and SLG staff to ensure the organisation operates according to best practice as a minimum standard; work within the SLG and the wider sector to develop and improve sector standards;

Governance

• Deputise for the Director; • ensure the legal responsibilities of the SLG are met with regard to charity, company, employment, health and safety, and equal opportunities laws and liaise with solicitors as required; • assess risks and liabilities and ensure appropriate mitigations are in place, including insurance; • act as Company Secretary and administer the Board of Trustees, with the support of the PA to the Director; • take the lead in reporting to the Finance and Personnel Committee of the Board; • and attend meetings of and report to the SLG’s Equalities Advisory Committee.

Operations and Administration

• With the Operations Manager, take responsibility for the management of the facilities, building and visitor services functions; • and with the HR and Administration Manager and PA to the Director, take responsibility for the efficient administration of the organisation.

Financial Management

• Prepare, in conjunction with the Director and other colleagues, detailed annual and multi- year budgets for the SLG; • working with the Head of Programme and Head of Education, ensure that budgets are prepared for all exhibitions and projects; • working with the Finance Manager and Finance Administrator, ensure that bookkeeping systems and accounting records are maintained accurately; • working with the Finance Manager, produce monthly management accounts, including forecasts and variance analysis, for the Director and Board of Trustees; • ensure that the SLG’s bank accounts are effectively managed, that bank reconciliations and cash flow forecasts are produced and manage the SLG’s investments; • working with the Finance Manager, prepare end of year accounts and annual reports in compliance with the charity SORP, and oversee the annual audit including liaising with auditors; • ensure that the necessary returns are prepared as required, including for Companies House, the Charity Commission and HMRC; • and take the financial lead on all trading activity across the gallery including the Bookshop and other retail activity, venue hires, cafe contractor management and SLG products.

Personnel

• With the Director, plan and develop the SLG’s staff structures and remuneration policies; • work with the Director and Senior Management Team, maintain and develop practices that engender a positive working culture and high levels of employee engagement; • lead on the development of the SLG’s personnel strategies, including recruitment and staff training, development and appraisal; • oversee the implementation of the SLG’s personnel strategy and operational personnel management and administration; • ensure a close working relationship with employee forums and union (BECTU); • ensure that the gallery’s policies and practice meet with statutory and appropriate good practice requirements; • with the Head of Education, ensure that appropriate safeguarding policies and procedures are in place; • and line manage the Finance Manager, Operations Manager, Retail Manager, HR and Administration Manager and PA to the Director.

Development

• Work with the Director, development team and other staff in preparing funding bids and preparing returns as required by those bodies, particularly contributing in terms of finance, personnel and governance; • lead on Arts Council England’s National Portfolio Organisation reporting requirements;

Capital Works

• Be part of the project team for any capital development works, acting as project manager for the organisation; • and report to the Board on progress, including the financial position and forecast, on a regular basis.

General Responsibilities

• Be inclusive and anti-racist, and operate in accordance with the SLG’s access and diversity, safeguarding, employment, health and safety, equal opportunities and other practices, policies and procedures; • take responsibility for own administration, devise and implement appropriate processes and procedures to achieve agreed objectives; • attend weekly staff meetings, report on relevant areas of work and disseminate information as required; • maintain a commitment to training and professional development; • be an advocate and effective representative of the SLG at private views, previews, other evening and weekend events as appropriate and at external professional events; • have the ability to work evenings and weekends, for which TOIL (time of in lieu) will be given; • act as a keyholder as appropriate and required; • and undertake other duties as may be reasonably required.

Person Specification Experience Demonstrable senior management experience, ideally in the cultural or charitable sector Significant experience of financial management at a senior level Experience of setting, monitoring and controlling an annual budget and project budgets, producing monthly management accounts and cashflow forecasts Experience of liaising with accountants and auditors to produce year-end accounts Significant experience of business planning and strategy at a senior level A proven ability to manage staff and service providers effectively, including the ability to delegate to ensure delivery of objectives Experience of developing and delivering diversity and inclusion strategies Proven experience at Board level and experience of working with Trustees Understanding of the arts funding system Experience of drafting, reporting and monitoring funding applications Knowledge Knowledge of human resources procedures and relevant employment law Sound working knowledge of IT systems and networks Understanding of the legal requirements for charities and companies, including company secretarial work, the requirements of the Charities Commission, the Information Commissioner and GDPR legislation Knowledge of the charities’ SORP Knowledge of current Health and Safety legislation and experience of building-based management Role Specific Competencies An outstanding administrator with exceptional organisation and planning skills and an eye for detail Excellent financial management skills, including the ability to plan and monitor budgets and analyse and present financial information using spreadsheets. Good strategic thinking and analytical skills Ability to successfully manage a varied workload A confident communicator with the authority and sensitivity to deputise for the Director in her absence and take the lead role in managing a broad range of practical and personnel issues Ability to work in a collaborative and supportive manner with the Director; the ability to manage up Ability to lead and motivate a team, and ability to develop people, coaching them to improve performance, and preparing them for future roles Strong verbal and written communication skills, the ability to communicate ideas and information clearly to a range of stakeholders and people on all levels. An interest in and commitment to contemporary art and the work of the South London Gallery A commitment to Equal Opportunities Ability to work at both an operational and strategic level Excellent IT skills including MS Office and databases. General Competencies Highly efficient with an ability to produce significant output with minimal wasted effort. Demonstrates honesty and integrity, earning trust and maintaining confidence. Follows through on commitments, lives up to verbal and written agreements. Demonstrates ability to quickly and proficiently understand and absorb new information. Exceptional attention to detail, not letting important details slip through the cracks. Proactive and persistent, bringing new ideas to the gallery, and demonstrating tenacity and willingness to go the distance to get the job done. Flexible and adaptable, able to adjust quickly to changing priorities and cope with complexity and change. Enthusiastic, with a can-do attitude. Hard working, with high standards of personal performance. Works well in a team, establishes collaborative working relationships.

The HR and Administration Manager will support the senior management team with the strategic and operational management of HR as well as supporting the Deputy Director on the governance, compliance and administration of the gallery.

The HR and Administration Manager will work closely with line managers across the gallery’s teams and will be responsible for providing high quality, objective and robust generalist HR support to ensure the SLG attracts, develops and retains great people.

This is a new role and it is anticipated that more than 70% of the focus of the position will be HR. This is a true HR generalist role spanning all elements of the people agenda including the delivery of the people strategies and working in areas including recruitment, employee relations, coaching, training and development and employee engagement. The post-holder will lead on the ongoing development, delivery and review of the HR aspects of our diversity and inclusion policy and action plan.

There will be the opportunity to work on key projects such as our health and wellbeing strategy and embedding of our new HR technology.

This is a new post at the SLG. While it is a stand-alone HR role the post-holder will work closely with the Deputy Director and be supported by an external HR Consultant.

Key Tasks and Responsibilities

Human Resources - Strategic Focus

• Manage all HR aspects of the gallery’s diversity and inclusion plan including implementing the current plan, developing new initiatives and advising on best practice and future projects to further develop the strategy; • preparing and contributing to papers and reports for the Board, Personnel & Finance Committee, Equalities Advisory Committee and the gallery’s funders; attending meetings where required to deliver and advise on these papers; • managing and developing a close working relationship with employee forums and Unions (BECTU); • produce and analyse regular management information on HR metrics for senior management and Board meetings with recommendations on improvement initiatives; • evolve and deliver the health and wellbeing strategy; • provide advice, guidance and recommendations in relation to all HR matters from a legislative and best practice standpoint; • and proactively seek out projects which enhance the gallery’s offering to current and prospective employees.

Human Resources - Operational Focus

• Be the point of contact for all HR related matters to the Senior Management Team, Line Managers and all employees; • manage the end-to-end recruitment process from applications, offer letters, contracts and pre-employment checks; • administration of contracts for freelancer contractors; • support and guidance in relation to IR35 legislation and employment status; • ensure that the HR system (BreatheHR) is up to date and always holds correct information ensuring GDPR compliance at all times; • manage the production and updates of all HR policies in line with legislation changes and industry best practice whilst managing any consultation process in relation to any changes as required and/or desired with Union and staff reps; • produce all contractual changes paperwork and ensure these are issued, returned and stored accurately; • manage the recording of all casual workers annual leave and overtime for payroll and reporting purposes; • work closely with the finance team to support the payroll process by providing information to finance on all HR matters that have a pay impact; • manage the induction and leaver process for employees and volunteers; • support line managers and employees with the appraisal process; • support line managers and employees with training and development plans; develop training initiatives and organise on-site and off-site training; • support line managers and employees with the appraisal process; • manage and automate HR processes to ensure efficient and effective ways of working; • develop, manage, analyse and produce action plans from employee engagement surveys; • and act as HR lead on gallery projects and initiatives.

Administration

• Support the Deputy Director in day-to-day gallery operations and administration, working closely with other members of staff as required; • Lead on developing and delivering gallery administration projects, as agreed; • and support the Deputy Director in ensuring good governance and compliance across the SLG including compliance with GDPR.

General Responsibilities

• Be inclusive and anti-racist, and operate in accordance with the SLG’s access and diversity, safeguarding, employment, health and safety, equal opportunities and other practices, policies and procedures; • take responsibility for own administration, devise and implement appropriate processes and procedures to achieve agreed objectives; • attend weekly staff meetings, report on relevant areas of work and disseminate information as required; • maintain a commitment to training and professional development; • be an advocate and effective representative of the SLG at private views, previews, other evening and weekend events as appropriate and at external professional events; • have the ability to work evenings and weekends, for which TOIL (time of in lieu) will be given; • act as a keyholder as appropriate and required; • and undertake other duties as may be reasonably required.

Person Specification

Who we are looking for:

Knowledge and Experience Requirement

Previous experience of working at a strategic level within HR Essential supporting senior management teams Demonstrable experience of producing and implementing HR Essential strategies Experience of developing and implementing efficient and effective Essential systems Previous experience of working in a standalone HR role Desirable Previous experience of working within the arts or cultural sector Desirable Qualified to CIPD level 5 Desirable Experience of managing and developing relationships with Unions Desirable and Staff Reps

Skills and Attributes Requirement

A demonstrable commitment to promoting and delivering diversity Essential and inclusion across all aspects of the SLG An interest in and commitment to the work of the South London Essential Gallery Excellent administration and organisational skills Essential A desire to work in a role which extends beyond HR Essential Proactive and willing to share new ideas and ways of working Essential Accurate and consistent performance Essential Highly confidential Essential Motivated and enthusiastic Essential Ability to work under own initiative Essential Able to work to deadlines and adapt to changing conditions Essential Hard-working, organised and detail orientated Essential Committed to upholding professional standards Essential Committed to personal development Essential Self-motivated and willing to learn Essential Excellent verbal and written communication skills Essential Excellent attention to detail Essential Effective time management Essential Completer finisher Essential

Image credits 1. Visitor in Under the Same Sun: Art from Latin America Today, in the Main Gallery in 2016. Courtesy: Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation and the South London Gallery. Photo: Andy Stagg 2. Katharina Grosse & Stefan Schneider, Tiergarten, South London Gallery, 2017, photo: Mark Blower. 3. Big Family Press with OOMK, South London Gallery, 2018. Photo: Manuela Barczewski 4. Visitors to the Back to the Bookplace display in the Fire Station Archive. 2019. Photo: Sam Nightingale 5. Z’EV: There you go. An evening summoning Rhythmajik, 2018. Photo: Ben Waggett 6. School visit in the Orozco Garden. 7. Okkyung Lee performance, 2019. Photo: Sam Nightingale 8. Participants in a monthly Big Family Press Open Publishing Session. 2018. Photo: Rosie Reed Gold 9. South London Gallery. Photo: Andy Stagg 10. Fire Station, South London Gallery. Photo: Dan Weill 11. Image: South London Gallery garden by Gabriel Orozco, 2016 (c) Gabriel Orozco. Photo: Andy Stagg