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Job Vacancy: Executive Director

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The Scottish Music Industry Association (SMIA) wants to recruit a dynamic, driven, dedicated person to lead the company. As challenges for the music industry continue to evolve, the SMIA needs someone to lead our executive team and work with our chair, vice chair and board to realise the value of the music industry in Scotland by championing, supporting and celebrating the artists, music and the diverse network of professionals in the industry ecosystem.

Please read the job description below carefully and then send us your CV and a proposal that states your full name, contact details, current location, when you are available to start in a new role and addresses all of the following:

  1. What is it about the SMIA and this role that interests you most?
  2. How will your leadership help develop the SMIA?
  3. How do you see your involvement with the SMIA developing you? What do you aim to get out of the role?
  4. Please share with us an example of representation or advocacy you have undertaken and its outcome (on behalf of the industry or cause for which you were acting).
  5. Describe something you have done that was new and different for your organisation that improved performance and/or productivity.
  6. What do you think are the most important issues currently faced by Scotland’s music industry?

Your application should be emailed to jobs@smia.org.uk by 17:00 on Thursday 22 October 2020. We aim to arrange interviews with the best candidates in November 2020.

Job Description: Executive Director

  • Company: Scottish Music Industry Association Ltd.
  • Location: SMIA is based in Glasgow.  We are happy to support remote working with travel to Glasgow as and when appropriate and safe.
  • Reports to: The Board of Directors
  • Salary: £32–35K p.a. Circa
  • Working hours: 32 hours per week (based on a four day working week)
  • Term: Fixed term for 12 months; option to extend indefinitely with successful fundraising

Company Description

The Scottish Music Industry Association (SMIA) represents its members and runs projects and programmes to develop music business in Scotland. Membership is free (with paid tiers to be relaunched in the future) and open to businesses and individual professionals who work in the business of music in Scotland. Members work throughout the music industry ecosystem. 

The SMIA’s two core objectives are to represent and develop its members. Representation includes consultation, networking, liaison and research to gain insight into the challenges, successes, needs and wants of members to then represent their interests in discussions with government, parliament, public agencies, industry bodies and businesses across the music and wider creative industries and cultural economy. Our development programme is funded by Creative Scotland through Regular Funding and includes business skills training, innovation-lead business development consultancy and creation, curation and communication of information resources.

We also run the Scottish Album of the Year (SAY) Award, Scotland’s national music prize.

Role Description

The primary purpose of this role is to be the key management leader and influencer of the Scottish Music Industry Association (SMIA) who will work with the board in order to fulfill the company’s mission. It is also to design, develop and direct an effective company strategy that drives favourable growth whilst successfully overseeing the day to day operations of the business.

Key Responsibilities 

  • Design, create & implement an effective company strategy that delivers the SMIA’s core objectives to represent and develop its members in Scotland
  • Identify and grow strategic opportunities for the SMIA
  • Add value and ensure professional delivery of SMIA projects, events and services in line with the company’s equality, diversity and inclusion action plan
  • Engage with and respond to enquiries from a wide range of music industry practitioners within Scotland, developing your knowledge and understanding, to help identify challenges or opportunities that could be supported by the SMIA to encourage sustainability within their sector
  • Represent the SMIA at music industry & Government level and across various industry/public agencies & forums whilst continuing to liaise effectively with UK wide sector support organisations such as (but not limited to): UK Music, PRS Foundation, AIM, MMF, MVT, MPG, MPA, MU, BECTU (and other creative unions)
  • Effectively manage stakeholder engagement
  • Prepare timely key reports with measured commentary for the company board to help inform policy and strategic direction
  • Provide effective leadership, coaching and development of the SMIA team whilst streamlining daily operations and setting realistic goals and KPIs
  • Conduct appraisals of the executive team (the executive director will, in turn, be appraised by the board)
  • Support the development and delivery of The SAY Award, delivering year on year growth of the brand.

Requirements 

  • Demonstrable experience in a similar role; leading a small to medium sized organisation within the music industry, creative or arts and cultural sector
  • Proven leadership and management skills including strategic planning, stakeholder management, financial management, monitoring and evaluation
  • Proven experience, engaging with government, public sector, industry organisations and businesses
  • Demonstrable experience of identifying and developing business opportunities that deliver sustainable growth
  • An understanding of the music industry marketplace within the context of the wider creative industries is highly desirable as is a demonstrable, existing, extensive network of contacts
  • Proven experience in coaching and development of a team is required
  • Experience in policy, lobbying, research and public speaking is desirable 
  • A track record in successfully securing funding and engaging and working collaboratively with stakeholders is desirable
  • Previous experience in creating reports for the company board and a demonstrable ability to summarise complex information clearly and concisely
  • Passionate about music and developing Scotland’s music industry
  • Proficient in using common software productivity packages

Behaviours

  • You are an effective, positive and inclusive leader; able to inspire others
  • You are discreet, maintaining confidentiality and professionalism always with a high level of personal responsibility and integrity
  • You have strength of character with a calm and diplomatic approach, always mindful of the end goal
  • You have a natural ability to forge strong relationships with key individuals in the sector you work in and have excellent interpersonal skills, both oral and written
  • You are flexible and forward thinking with the capacity to anticipate and manage change
  • You are highly competent, act tactically and are consistently conscientious with meticulous attention to detail
  • You are dynamic, proactive, confident and self-directed, always a few steps ahead
  • You display effective, logical, decision and judgement making

If you have the criteria we are looking for then we want to hear from you. We champion opportunity and celebrate diversity. The SMIA is committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of sex, gender identity, ethnicity, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status or disability.