EVENTS AND OUTREACH MANAGER

Job description

Annual £26,500-30,000 pro rata, depending on experience, to be agreed at time of

Salary: appointment.

Hours: Part-time, 28 hours a week, Tuesday to Friday, 10am to 6pm. Some flexibility of
hours may be negotiated after the Probationary Period. Evening and some
weekend working will be required for RSL public events. The RSL has a
comprehensive Time Off in Lieu policy covering additional working hours for
all RSL staff, and overseen by the Director.

Contract: Permanent

Probationary 6 months
Period:
Place of work: RSL office at Somerset House, London WC2R 1LA

Line manager: Director (Molly Rosenberg)

Leave: 25 days a year pro rata (of which 10 days may be taken during the Probationary
Period) + Bank Holidays (pro rated) + two closed days between Christmas and
New Year.

Pension: The RSL contributes between 5% and 8% of staff members’ salaries (dependent
on employee contributions), as part of an auto enrolment pension scheme.

Main aims of the post

a) To engage the public in literature by programming and delivering the RSL’s high-quality public
literary events, as well as events for supporters and Fellows, and Awards and Prizes events.

b) To engage young people in literature by planning and delivering the RSL young people’s
outreach programme in state schools across the UK, and developing new outreach projects.

c) To ensure that the diversity of RSL events and outreach activities is foundational in
programming.
d) To assist the Director in raising funds to support the public events and young people’s outreach
programmes, e.g. by liaising with event sponsors and making funding applications to trusts and
foundations.

Duties

Events programming and management

1. Working alongside the Director and the Programmes Committee of the RSL’s governing
Council to programme RSL public events. To work collaboratively, finding creative, sensitive
and enjoyable ways of engaging Trustees, Fellows and partner organisations in programming
events.

2. To work with the Director and Communications Manager, the Programmes Committee and the
Council, in identifying new event partnerships to develop the RSL’s audiences. To work with
the Communications Manager to develop, diversify and expand the RSL’s audiences across all
activities.

3. To work with the RSL Communications Manager, freelance designer and partner organisations
to produce the events programme; writing compelling copy for events listings in print and
online.

4. To engage, liaise with, and brief speakers for RSL events and young people’s outreach
programmes. To prepare and keep records of speaker agreements, in line with RSL speaker
policies.

5. To manage all logistics of the RSL’s events and outreach programmes, including managing
speakers’ travel and accommodation, venue hire, AV, British Sign Language interpreters,
speaker and venue contracts, photographers, recordings, event dinners and drinks receptions.

6. To manage guestlists and run events for Awards and Prizes, working with the General Manager
and Awards and Prizes freelance staff.

7. With support from team colleagues, to organise effective fundraising events, such as drinks
receptions or dinners.

Young people’s outreach programme

8. To deliver the RSL’s young people’s outreach programme, liaising with partner organisations,
schools and RSL Fellows to organise school workshops and events. To organise and manage
outreach visits across the UK (currently up to 12 per year).

9. To research and implement evaluation methods for the outreach programme, consulting with
relevant partners; to use information from evaluation to improve outreach work.
10. To take a pro-active approach to ensure the accessibility of RSL events and outreach
programmes.

11. To work with the Director to research and develop new initiatives to expand the RSL’s outreach
programme; to work in developing current partnerships and engaging new partner
organisations.

Additional responsibilities

12. To deliver RSL events and outreach programmes within a budget agreed with the Director.

13. To manage, with the freelance Finance Manager, financial administration relating to events and
outreach visits, such as speakers’ invoices and venue hire costs.

14. To maintain positive relations with current events sponsors and, working with the
Communications Manager, to ensure that all sponsorship is acknowledged in digital and print
publicity.

15. To work with the Director to draft applications and monitoring reports to grant-making trusts
and other funders for events and outreach programmes, and to maintain excellent working
relationships with them.

16. To work with the Director to pro-actively consider potential new avenues of sponsorship and
funding partnerships to support the RSL’s events and outreach programmes.

17. To work with the General Manager to keep RSL events and outreach policies up to date and in
line with best practice (e.g. Child Protection and Vulnerable Adult Safeguarding Policy, Events
Speaker Fees Policy).

18. To work with the General Manager and Communications Manager to ensure the smooth
running of the RSL’s online events booking system.

19. To work with the Communications Manager to recruit, support, brief and supervise RSL
Volunteers.

20. To service the Programmes Committee of the RSL Council twice a year, reporting on and
evaluating seasons of public events and leading on programming for future seasons of events.

21. To participate in monthly one-to-one Support and Supervision meetings with the Director, and
in weekly team meetings, working closely with other members of RSL staff.

22. To follow the RSL’s policies and procedures, e.g. for equal opportunities and data protection.
EVENTS AND EDUCATION MANAGER

Person Specification
Essential unless specified

1. Qualifications

a) Educated to degree or equivalent level.

b) Professional training in events project management (desirable).

2. Knowledge

a) Demonstrable knowledge of current issues in literature; a clear passion for literature.

b) Demonstrable knowledge of excellent customer service.

c) Strong understanding of how charities operate.

3. Experience

a) A minimum of two years’ experience of managing public-facing events, preferably within a

literature context.

b) Experience of communicating – in person and in writing – with a wide range of stakeholders

including writers and other artists, Trustees and sponsors.

c) Experience of meeting complex challenges to ensure programmes are delivered, on time and
to budget, especially through partnerships and innovation.

d) Experience of working in outreach, or with charities that deliver outreach programmes

(desirable).

e) Experience of making fundraising applications to trusts and foundations (desirable).

f) Experience of running fundraising events (desirable).

4. Skills and abilities

a) First-class planning and project management skills.

b) Exceptional attention to detail in project management and written communications.

c) Excellent interpersonal skills, adept at winning support from a wide range of people.

d) Independent and highly organised in managing a complex workload and meeting numerous
deadlines.
 e) A high level of competence in IT systems, particularly in working with CRM databases and
websites.

5. Attitudes and values

a) Enthusiasm for the work of the RSL.

b) A pro-active and positive approach to solving problems, with energy and stamina in the face
of pressure.

c) Flexibility and willingness to learn.

d) A demonstrable commitment to equality of opportunity.

e) Enthusiasm for working a small, busy team, working collaboratively to achieve the RSL’s
objectives.