Arts Project Manager

AI summary

The British Council is hiring an Arts Project Manager based in Lagos, Nigeria, to coordinate and deliver its country Arts portfolio across creative economy, cultural exchange, capacity-building, grants and client-funded programmes. The role reports to the Arts Programme Manager and supports the upcoming UK–Nigeria Season of Culture 2028.

• Role based in Lagos with operational responsibility for project delivery across the Nigeria Arts portfolio.
• Reports to the Arts Programme Manager and works with in-country partners, suppliers and HMG stakeholders.
• Supports delivery of the 2028 UK–Nigeria Season of Culture and six interconnected 2026/27 programmes.
• Covers project coordination, logistics, procurement, compliance and reporting.

Original source description

Arts Project Manager at British Council ⏲ Sep 2, 2026, 2:02 PM ⋕ View all Government & Public Sector jobs The British Council is the UK’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities. We create friendly knowledge and understanding between the people of the UK and other countries. We do this by making a positive contribution to the UK and the countries we work with – changing lives by creating opportunities, building connections and engendering trust. We work with over 100 countries across the world in the fields of arts and culture, English language, education: and civil society. Each year we reach over 20 million people face-to-face and more than 500 million people online, via broadcasts and publications. Founded in 1934, we are a UK charity governed by Royal Charter and a UK public body. We are recruiting to fill the position below: Job Title: Arts Project Manager Location: Nigeria Role Context - About The Team Supports the delivery of the country Arts portfolio by managing the day-to-day coordination, logistics, procurement, compliance and reporting for assigned projects across creative economy, cultural exchange, capacity-building, grants and client-funded programmes. Works under the direction of the Arts Programme Manager to ensure projects are delivered on time, within budget and to British Council quality, safeguarding and impact standards. Role purpose – The job Our Arts and Culture programme works across three broad areas: Creative Growth (unlocking inclusive and sustainable economic growth through research, advocacy, sector development and showcase programmes), Art in Action (building connections between UK and international artists and creative organisations), and Arts Core Offer (an inclusive portfolio of artist-led local content shared on our global platform). The role is based in Lagos and is central to ensuring that every project meets British Council quality, compliance and impact standards. Cultural Engagement (CE) is one of two global strategic departments within the British Council. It brings together our work in Arts, Education, English & School Education: and research. With a workforce of approximately 1,000 globally and an income in 2024/25 of £200 million, CE delivers impact through research and insight, sector engagement, policy dialogue and a mixed portfolio of commercial and Grant and Partnership Funded (GPF) work globally. Nigeria is a Top 12 priority country in the region and the British Council’s largest operation in sub-Saharan Africa, with offices in Port Harcourt, Kano, Abuja and Lagos. The March 2026 Nigerian State Visit to the UK has elevated the bilateral relationship and created strong political momentum for cultural collaboration. Building on the success of the 2015/16 UK/Nigeria Arts Season, the British Council will host a second UK–Nigeria Season of Culture in 2028. The post holder will report to the Arts Programme Manager and will hold operational responsibility for project delivery across this portfolio, working closely with in-country delivery partners, suppliers and HMG stakeholders. Nigeria’s creative industries continue to thrive, supported by the Federal Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy and the ‘Destination 2030: Nigeria Everywhere’ initiative. Nollywood is the second largest film industry in the world and Afrobeats is the fifth most popular music genre globally. In February 2025, the British Council and the Federal Ministry entered into a Memorandum of Understanding to promote the creative arts, skills and connections amongst young people in the UK and Nigeria. In 2026/27, Nigeria is delivering six interconnected programmes spanning film, visual arts, music, literature and creative hubs research, with each programme also feeding the Season of Culture 2028. Key Responsibilities: Project coordination and delivery: Maintains delivery plans, tracks risks and issues, and monitors progress against agreed outcomes. Ensures compliance with safeguarding, health and safety, data protection and grant management requirements: throughout the project lifecycle. Coordinates the delivery of assigned arts projects, grants and cultural initiatives against agreed plans and milestones. Procurement and contract management: Ensures value for money and compliance with British Council procurement policies. Tracks contract performance and escalates issues to the Arts Programme Manager. Manages procurement and contracting processes for consultants, creative practitioners, delivery partners and suppliers on assigned projects. Financial management: Tracks project budgets and expenditure, processes procurement-to-payment workflows, and flags financial risks and variances to the Arts Programme Manager. Ensures adherence to British Council financial controls, audit requirements: and donor regulations. Contributes to accurate reporting for internal stakeholders, funders and partners. Monitoring, evaluation, learning and reporting: Collates reporting from delivery partners, grant recipients, consultants and suppliers. Supports timely monitoring, evaluation, learning and impact reporting to meet organisational and donor requirements. Maintains project documentation and knowledge management systems. Stakeholder and partner relationships: Works collaboratively across internal teams and external networks to support high-quality project delivery. Builds and maintains working relationships with artists, creative practitioners, delivery partners, suppliers and other stakeholders to support programme impact and the UK’s cultural relations objectives. Business development support: Supports business development by researching partnership opportunities, drafting sections of funding proposals, preparing budgets and costings, and contributing operational input to strategic planning for the Arts portfolio. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: Actively promotes inclusive, anti-racist and accessible approaches to programme design and delivery, ensuring meaningful participation of women, young people, persons with disabilities and underrepresented communities. Champions safeguarding, wellbeing, environmental sustainability and inclusive cultural participation across all programmes. Requirements: of the role Minimum/essential: Knowledge of safeguarding, procurement, compliance and risk management requirements. Experience: using digital technologies and online collaboration tools to deliver programmes. Experience: managing monitoring, evaluation, learning and reporting processes. Experience: building and managing relationships with multiple stakeholders, including government, creative sector organisations, donors and international partners. Experience: managing programme budgets, financial reporting, forecasting and expenditure. Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent professional experience. Demonstrated understanding of project management methodologies and project lifecycles. Experience: managing grants, procurement, contracts, suppliers and delivery partners. Minimum of two years’ experience: managing arts, cultural, creative economy or development programmes from inception through completion. Strong communication, planning, organisational and stakeholder management skills. Desirable: Experience: managing international cultural exchange programmes and artist mobility initiatives. Professional Project Management qualification (e.g. APMG PMD Pro, PRINCE2, PMP, Agile). Experience: working within the arts, creative industries, cultural relations or international development sectors. Experience: developing funding proposals, business cases and partnership agreements. Knowledge of Nigeria’s creative economy and cultural sector. How to Apply Interested and qualified candidates should: Click here to apply online Application Deadline: 16th September, 2026. 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