Arts Programme Manager

Job overview

CUH Arts is the Trust’s creative health programme, dedicated to shaping care through creativity. We strive to inspire creativity, promote wellbeing and humanise healthcare by providing excellent creative and cultural opportunities for patients, staff, visitors and wider community. Our diverse, person-centred, multi-disciplinary programme of live, participatory and visual arts is delivered by a specialist team of arts professionals and embedded within hospital life through close collaboration with staff.

This is a 12-month fixed term/secondment position, whilst the Head of Arts is on maternity leave. You will work with the interim Head of Arts to manage the programming, implementation and evaluation of a diverse range of creative health activity across the current hospital site.

Main duties of the job

This role will work closely with the Head of Arts (HoA) to realise CUH Arts’ ambitious strategic plan, which aims to improve the experience of patient care, support the workforce, and transform healthcare environments through two main strands of regular activity:

Arts engagement (live performance, participation, consultation)

Art and environment (commissions, collection, exhibitions)

This is a highly specialist role, bringing significant skills and expertise in creative health, arts programming, resource and finance management, co-production and socially-engaged arts practice.

Working for our organisation

Our Trust

Cambridge University Hospitals (CUH) NHS Foundation Trust comprises Addenbrooke’s Hospital and the Rosie Hospital in Cambridge. With over 13,000 staff and over 1100 beds the priorities of the Trust focus on a quality service which is all about people – patients, staff and partners. Recognised as providing ‘outstanding’ care to our patients and rated ‘Good’ overall by the Care Quality Commissioner, is testament to the skill and dedication of the people who work here. CUH’s values – Together - Safe, Kind, Excellent – are at the heart of patient care, defining the way all staff work and behave. The Trust provides accessible high-quality healthcare for the local people of Cambridge, together with specialist services, dealing with rare or complex conditions for a regional, national and international population.

CUH is committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive community - a place where we can all be ourselves. We value our differences and fully advocate and support an inclusive working environment where every individual can fulfil their potential. We want to ensure our people are truly representative of all the communities that we serve. We welcome applications for all positions in the organisation irrespective of people’s age, disability, ethnicity, race, nationality, gender identity, sex, sexual orientation, religion or belief, marriage and civil partnership status, or pregnancy and maternity status or social economic background.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please see the attached Applicant Information Pack (combined Job Description and Person Specification) for key duties and responsibilities.

Please note:- Internal applicants on permanent contracts can apply for this post as a secondment or fixed term contract. For secondments you must have the approval of your line manager before applying. If you are an internal applicant currently on a fixed term contract you are able to apply for this as a fixed term position.

This vacancy will close at midnight on 6th September 2026. 

Interviews are due to be held on 24th September 2026. 

Benefits to you

At Cambridge University Hospitals, we want to do all we can to support good working days. We offer development opportunities and a wide range of benefits, including on-site leisure facilities, shopping concourse and day nurseries. Our good work programme currently includes providing reduced cost Stagecoach bus travel to and from Cambridge University Hospital site. Park and Ride bus journeys between Babraham Road and Trumpington sites are free, as is the route to and from Cambridge train station and our hospitals. We also subsidise the cost of parking on site for eligible staff.

On CUH campus, hot food is available 24/7 and at a reduced cost for colleagues. Recently we launched the first of our staff pod break spaces. Located in the Deakin Centre, we have a purpose-created colleague-only café, with free tea and coffee, a break space and private outside area for colleagues to rest, refuel and recharge. Just one of the ways we are working hard to support good working days at CUH.

CUH is committed to assisting employees in achieving a good work-life balance irrespective of role or personal circumstances. Flexible arrangements may include, but are not limited to, part-time working, job-share, term-time working and flexible start and finish times.

Please note if you would like to discuss the required hours of this role further, you should approach the contact given. In some cases, alternative working hours will be considered.

We welcome applications from the Armed Forces.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria

Arts / Humanities Degree or equivalent

Evidence of continuous professional development

Desirable criteria

Project management qualification

Experience

Essential criteria

Substantial relevant experience of managing complex arts engagement programmes within community and/or healthcare settings

Ability to work strategically while maintaining attention to operational detail and programme delivery

Demonstrable experience of managing staff and leading project teams

Extensive experience at recruiting and managing freelance artists across multiple disciplines

Proven experience in setting, managing, and reporting on budgets

Desirable criteria

Experience in managing arts projects within a hospital or healthcare setting

Experience in art curation and collection management

Experience in public art commissioning

Experienced at developing project evaluation frameworks and following methodologies to produce evidence-based activity

Knowledge

Essential criteria

A strong passion for and knowledge of the arts

An understanding of the healthcare system, at a local, regional and national level

An understanding of Hospital Arts within the wider creative health field at a regional and national level

An excellent understanding of arts and cultural programming, including festivals and tours

Desirable criteria

An understanding of art curation and collection management A strong understanding of public consultation and co-production within the context of arts and culture A working knowledge of artists and practitioners with a creative health practice based in the East of England Knowledge and application of equality, diversity and inclusion principles within arts programming and workforce development.

A strong understanding of public consultation and co-production within the context of arts and culture

A working knowledge of artists and practitioners with a creative health practice based in the East of England

Knowledge and application of equality, diversity and inclusion principles within arts programming and workforce development.

Skills

Essential criteria

Highly creative and resourceful in equal measure, with a proactive approach to problem-solving

Ability to confidently persuade and influence others

Managing teams and projects across a wide variety of disciplines, with energy, initiative and flexibility

Ability to build and maintain partnerships with external organisations, both regionally and nationally

Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, both written and verbal

Adept at managing and de-escalating stressful scenarios in challenging, sensitive environments

Desirable criteria

Ability to develop and write successful funding applications, grant submissions and project proposals.

Proven ability to analyse and interpret qualitative and quantitative data to inform programme development and strategic decision-making.

Strong presentation and advocacy skills, including confidence presenting to senior leaders, funders and external audiences.

Digital communications skills, including overseeing website content, social media and digital storytelling.

Additional Requirements

Essential criteria

The ability to understand and behave at all times, towards patients, visitors and colleagues according to the Trust values of safe, kind, excellent.

An enthusiasm to advocate for the role of arts within healthcare, represent at external events, and deputise for the Head of Arts when needed

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Applicant requirements

The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Documents to download

Further details / informal visits contact

Name

Natalie Ellis

Job title

Head of Arts

Email address

View email address on careers.cuh.nhs.uk