Creative Business Advisor

Cultivator is an innovative project providing an integrated programme of skills and business development support for Small to Medium Enterprises in Cornwall's Creative Industries. It is funded by the European Social Fund, the European Regional Development Fund, Arts Council England and Cornwall Council.

The lead partner and the employer for this post is Creative Kernow http://www.creativekernow.org.uk/ one of Cornwall's leading creative sector organisations; the project will be managed as part of the work of Creative Kernow's well-respected and long-established Creative Skills initiative.

Creative Kernow runs a number of projects in Cornwall apart from Creative Skills, with the key ones being Krowji, the creative workspace cluster in Redruth; the Carn to Cove rural touring scheme; the Cornwall 365 cultural tourism project and the FEAST community arts programme. The organisation is a charitable company limited by guarantee. 

Cultivator partner organisations are Cornwall College, Real Ideas Organisation (RIO), Business West, the Cornwall Museums Partnership (CMP) and Plymouth University.

The project will deliver or support Creative Industries specific Information, Advice and Guidance; mentoring; sector relevant training; a co-investment grants programme; internships and other activities with SMEs that enable students, graduates and non-graduates to gain industry relevant experience and skills. It will work alongside the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly (C&IoS) Growth Hub and generic business support provision to deliver bespoke and highly specialist coaching, mentoring and targeted investment needed to build capacity and maximise the growth potential of the Creative Industries.

Job Description - Visual Arts & Crafts / Performing Arts / Digital Design

There will be four Creative Business Advisors at the heart of the project, each with a dedicated specialist area and as a team working across the whole of Cornwall's creative sector.

Their role will be to:

• Be a leading point of contact for a specific CI sub sector in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, acting as a dedicated sector specialist and champion who will develop and maintain close working relationships with local agencies, networks and individuals as appropriate, brokering opportunities for the sector in Cornwall and assisting and informing strategic business and skills development planning and practice

• Develop and make effective use of national and international networking and brokering opportunities and raise the profile of the appropriate specialist areas of the sector in Cornwall

• Develop schemes and access support for individual practitioners at all levels of professional practice, focusing on opportunities for skills development / Continuing Professional Development.

Job Description - Museums & Galleries

There will be four Creative Business Advisors at the heart of the project, each with a dedicated specialist area and as a team working across the whole of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. The role of the Museums and Gallery Creative Business Advisor will be to:

• Be a leading point of contact for the museums and galleries sector in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, acting as a dedicated sector specialist and champion who will develop and maintain close working relationships with local agencies, networks and individuals as appropriate, brokering opportunities for the sector in Cornwall and IOS and assisting and informing strategic business and skills development planning and practice
• Develop schemes and access support for museum and gallery staff at all levels of professional practice, focussing on opportunities for skills development and continuing professional development, in liaison with Cornwall Museums Partnership
• Provide hands on support for museums and galleries wishing to increase and diversify their income streams including support to exploit digital technologies to help museums and galleries maximise their impact and develop new income streams
• Provide expert business support for museums and galleries helping museums to secure investment to help them grow

This job description is not an exhaustive list of duties and you will also be required to carry out any other duties which may reasonably be required of you in accordance with the needs of the project. You will also be required to be flexible and adaptable with respect to your role.

1. Delivery (All roles)

• Responsible in conjunction with the 3 other CBAs  for the delivery and effective running of the initial Information, Advice and Guidance (IAG) service and Development Needs Analysis (DNA) sessions

• Undertake DNA sessions on a one to one basis with users of the service
• Provide sector relevant business and business start-up related information and guidance e.g. tax, marketing etc
• Keep up to date with the full range of business support provision locally and nationally
• Promote and develop opportunities for businesses to network and trade locally through attendance at appropriate business events
• Develop and maintain working relationships with the C&IoS Growth Hub connectors team; Oxford Innovation; YTKO and Unlocking Innovation Potential
• Provide relevant and up to date sector specific professional practice advice e.g. funding opportunities; knowledge of relevant sector development organisations regionally and nationally
• Track and monitor DNA beneficiaries at intervals as required
• Undertake outreach activities to promote the services of the Cultivator project in conjunction with the Project Manager and administrative team
• Assist the Project Director in the design of the sector specific training programme

2. Administration

• Assist administrative team and Project Manager in maintaining systems and procedures for the initial IAG and DNA services
• In conjunction with the Project Manager administer the following Cultivator project strands:
• Co-Investment programme
• Export Programme
• Mentoring programme
• Internship programme
• Graduate start up business package
• Maintain data collection for Cultivator, in accordance with ESIF regulations, to include DNA records, beneficiary timesheets
• Assist the administrative team in maintaining ESIF eligibility records
• Provide regular reports to the Project Manager and Director on project progress against target and timescales agreed in the project action plan

3. Promote the Cultivator Programme

• Assist Project Manager in marketing the initial IAG service and overall Cultivator programme via a range of methods, including social media platforms
• Responsible for encouraging individuals and groups to take advantage of the other elements of the Cultivator project
• Undertake outreach activities to promote the Cultivator project

4. Finance

• Assist the Creative Kernow finance team with the monitoring requirements of funders
• Provide the Creative Kernow finance team with financial information as required

5. Other

• Provide reports for Creative Kernow board meetings and the Cultivator Project Advisory Group or working groups which may be instituted from time to time
• Attend general staff and team meetings
• Other duties as may be required by the Cultivator Project Manager or Director

Person Specification

Please note that only candidates who can demonstrate that they can meet all the essential criteria will be shortlisted

Skills/Experience

Essential

• At least two years' experience of providing business support and advice to SMEs or microbusinesses
• Proven knowledge of how Creative Industries microbusinesses and SMEs operate and the criteria for business success
•  Understand the process of growth for SMEs (the various stages, the implications and the changes that are required)
• Knowledge of the range of business functions such as marketing, financial, operational and management, and how they are inter-related in a small business (i.e. a generalist's perspective)
• Competent level of computer literacy in use of Windows, Word, Excel, Access, Powerpoint
• Proven ability to use communications technology effectively across a range of platforms
• Ability to produce accurate and well-presented written documents
• Ability to conduct meetings
• Proven experience of dealing effectively with customer inquiries
• Ability to communicate one to one effectively and with empathy
• Ability to use appropriate questioning and listening skills to gather information
• Full valid driving licence and access to a vehicle for business use

Desirable

• Proven knowledge of Cornwall's Creative Industries sector
• Proven knowledge of the Digital and Design sectors
• Trained in life coaching or counselling skills

Personal Attributes

Essential

• Flexible, adaptable, able to work on own initiative within a small team
• Excellent interpersonal communication and customer service skills, including an effective telephone manner
• Very well organised with excellent time management skills; reliable and with the ability to self-motivate
• Committed to equal opportunities
• Able to work to tight deadlines

Organisational structure

The Creative Business Advisors report to the Project Manager and Creative Skills Director

Key conditions of work

Contract Permanent contract (please note that the funding for this project is expected to run until the end of September 2019)

Pay £28k to £31k depending on experience

Pensions  Creative Kernow will automatically enrol you into The People's Pension on 1st November 2016 if, on that date, you are: aged at least 22 but you are under State Pension age earning more that £10,000 a year (£833 per month).

If you don't meet these criteria on 1st November but you do meet them at a later date, we will automatically enrol you into the scheme then.

If you are eligible to join, Creative Kernow will contribute 1% of your salary until 30th September 2017, 2% for the next 12 months and 3% from 1st October 2018.  More details about the scheme are available on request.

Holidays 4 weeks a year rising to 5 weeks over 5 years plus bank holidays

Hours 37.5 hours per week

There is some degree of flexitime, but the post-holder will normally be required to work 5 days per week from 10am - 4pm as core hours. 

From time to time staff will be required to work unsociable hours. 

A TOIL system operates rather than payment of overtime.

Place of work  The Cultivator office at Krowji, West Park, Redruth TR15 3AJ. The role will involve attendance at meetings or events elsewhere.

Probationary period  There will be a six month probationary period

Equality and Diversity         

Creative Kernow is committed to equality of opportunity in employment practices and the provision of services and expects that its policy will be supported by everyone in the organisation.

In line with our Flexible Working Policy, this post is open for applicants who wish to apply as a job-share partnership.  Both candidates should complete an application form and state that they wish to be considered together.

This post is funded by European Union Structural and Investment Funds

Download the application pack at www.creativekernow.org.uk/creative-skills