Summer Exhibition Manager

The Vacancy

The Royal Academy of Arts is currently looking to appoint a Summer Exhibition Manager to join our exceptional team.

The Summer Exhibition is the world's oldest open submission exhibition and has happened every year since 1769. The works in the Summer Exhibition are selected and hung by Royal Academicians, who also exhibit works in the exhibition, creating an eclectic mix of work by established artists alongside emerging talent and first-time exhibitors.

The Summer Exhibition Manager will assist the Senior Managing Curator in delivering the annual exhibition and other Academician related projects as directed. The role will provide full project management from selection to close down, ensuring the smooth running of all exhibition logistics and adherence to defined budgets.

About You

To be considered for this role, you will you will have significant experience of managing and delivering exhibitions, ideally within a visual arts organisation, alongside a relevant qualification or equivalent professional experience.

With a strong understanding of exhibition logistics, including loans, transport, customs, insurance and installations, you will also have experience of budget management, contract negotiation and working with external suppliers.

The successful candidates will be highly organised, with excellent project management and communication skills, you will be confident managing multiple projects, competing priorities and tight deadlines.

This role will be required to occasionally work outside of usual working hours on weekdays and weekends, during installation/de-installation periods, as required.

The Company

The RA dates way back to 1768 when a group of artists and architects persuaded King George lll to help them to 'establish a society for promoting the Art of Design'. The original academy, in Pall Mall, was less than 10 meters long. Since then, there have been many changes, though the RA's core purpose of bringing art and design to a broad audience and championing art and artists still holds true.

Today we are a contemporary art organisation hosting internationally acclaimed exhibitions and through investment in employee training and development, with courses such as Unconscious Bias, LGBTQ+ Awareness, Bystander, and Mental Health First Aid training, we are striving to foster a safe space for everyone through positive action. We also have Employee Network Groups, Ways In Groups, and an Employee Council so every employee has a voice and a way to feel heard by colleagues through the CEO.

The RA is truly a unique place, both as an attraction to our visitors, but also as a workplace. Our people are at the heart of all we do, and we support a broad and inspiring mix of departments; from exhibitions, curators, art handlers, researchers, publishers, and digital to schools and education, visitor welcome, fundraisers, and corporate support.

The Benefits

Exhibitions

Reciprocal Agreements with galleries across the UK

Enhanced Pension

Generous employer contributions

Enhanced Holiday

25 days annual leave, plus bank holidays

Wellbeing

Access to a virtual GP Service and Mental Health First Aiders

Agile Working

The opportunity to work flexibly

RA Staff Council

Where your views are heard and listened to

Employee Clubs

Football, Staff Choir and more