Recognised as one of the UK’s Top 250 employers (Financial Times & Statista), we pride ourselves on being a place where colleagues feel valued, supported, and able to grow their careers while contributing to the success of our students and communities.

Our student demographic reflects the rich cultural and ethnic diversity of Birmingham itself, with a significant proportion of students from minoritised ethnic backgrounds and the majority of our home students coming from the West Midlands. This diversity is a strength, and it calls for a workforce that is equipped to challenge deficit narratives and thinking — those assumptions that position students from underrepresented groups as lacking rather than recognising their assets, strengths and potential.

By embracing this perspective, we aim to create an environment where all students and colleagues can thrive, and where our work contributes positively to the social, cultural and economic life of Birmingham and beyond.

Role Summary

We are seeking an experienced and highly motivated Cluster Manager to lead the day-to-day operations and delivery of the CreaTech Frontiers creative industries Cluster.

Funded through a £7.2m AHRC/UKRI Creative Industries Cluster grant, the programme brings together universities, industry, businesses and cultural organisations to support innovation and growth of the creative and cultural sectors across the West Midlands.

Reporting to the Cluster Director, you will provide strategic and operational leadership, ensuring the programme delivers its objectives, KPIs and stakeholder outcomes. You will work across six core partners and a wide range of regional and national stakeholders, supporting an ambitious programme of business support, grants for R&D collaborations, internships, doctoral opportunities and training.

This is a 40-month externally funded role, running until 31 January 2030.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and coordinate the day-to-day delivery of the CreaTech Frontiers Cluster.
• Chair the Cluster Management Team and work closely with the Cluster Director, Steering Board and Industry Advisory Board.
• Manage programme performance, budgets, risks, resources and reporting requirements.
• Develop and maintain effective partnerships with universities, businesses, cultural organisations and regional stakeholders.
• Support SMEs and underrepresented communities to access programme opportunities.
• Lead and develop project team members, ensuring effective delivery against programme objectives.
• Monitor and evaluate activity against funder KPIs and programme outcomes.
• Support the delivery of responsible innovation, EDI and sustainability frameworks.
• Provide high-quality intelligence, advice and reporting to senior stakeholders and AHRC/UKRI.
• Continuously identify opportunities to improve programme delivery and impact.

Essential Criteria

Experience

• Experience of managing large-scale programmes or projects involving multiple stakeholders.
• Experience of working with funding bodies or agencies.
• Experience of developing and managing senior-level partnerships within Higher Education or a similar environment.
• Experience of leading and developing multidisciplinary teams.
• Proven experience of delivering projects from inception through to completion.
• Experience of working at pace and delivering measurable impact.
• Experience of working collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders.

Skills

• Strong leadership, programme and operational management skills.
• Excellent communication, influencing and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Ability to manage complex relationships and competing priorities.
• Strong problem-solving, decision-making and risk-management skills.
• Ability to use data and evidence to monitor performance and inform decisions.
• Ability to motivate teams and deliver results in a complex environment.

Knowledge

• Knowledge or understanding of the creative and/or digital industries.
• Understanding of Higher Education, research and innovation environments.
• Knowledge of EDI and sustainability principles.
• Good knowledge of Microsoft Office and digital tools.
• Familiarity with LLMs and AI tools to support analysis, project management and reporting.

Special Requirements

• Willingness to travel to university campuses, partner organisations, meetings and events.
• Flexibility to work outside standard office hours when required.

We welcome applications from candidates with transferable skills and experience from relevant sectors.

Further information

For an informal discussion about the role, please contact Prof Lamberto Coccioli, CreaTech Frontiers Director, at lamberto.coccioli@bcu.ac.uk

Closing Date: 24 Sep 2026

Department: Management

Salary: £52,462 to £60,842 per annum
Fixed Term (3 years and 4 months)

We are seeking to recruit a pool of Visiting Lecturers who can contribute to our Undergraduate and Postgraduate programmes across our academic Schools. 

Join our Visiting Lecturer Pool at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire - Music

Located in the vibrant and culturally rich city of Birmingham, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire offers an inspiring portfolio of Music and Acting programmes across undergraduate and postgraduate levels, alongside our renowned Junior Conservatoire for talented young musicians — all housed within our state-of-the-art £57 million facilities. 

As a Visiting Lecturer, you will contribute to a creative, forward-thinking environment where employability, industry engagement and entrepreneurial skills are embedded at the heart of our curriculum. You will play a key role in equipping the next generation of performers, practitioners and creators with the confidence and expertise to build successful, sustainable careers. An intending Principal Study tutor at RBC will usually be professionally active in the domains of Music and/or Theatre, with an established or growing international reputation in their field as a performer, practitioner and/or creative artist.  

We are deeply committed to an inclusive and supportive learning community. Our ethos centres on recognising every learner’s individuality and nurturing their artistic and personal development. We welcome lecturers who share our passion for empowering students of all backgrounds to discover their strengths, refine their craft and achieve their full potential.

Join us in shaping the future of creative talent, where expertise, ambition and opportunity come together. 

Candidates must upload a current CV and provide two supporting statements. It is essential that applicants address the following: 

• areas of expertise
• teaching and/or relevant professional experience

By applying to this vacancy, you will be joining our Visiting Lecturer recruitment pool. Visiting Lecturer roles are part‑time, fixed‑term positions, with hours agreed between you and the academic schools as required. Posts are paid hourly, with rates varying according to the nature of the work. 

When teaching opportunities arise that match your skills and experience, the academic schools will contact you directly to discuss them. Please note that contact is not guaranteed. 

The recruitment pool is refreshed annually. You will be invited to resubmit your details if you wish to remain in the pool for the following year. If you do not respond, your information will be deleted in line with our Data Protection Policy  

Informal enquiries about this opportunity are welcome and should be directed to conservatoire.vpoffice@bcu.ac.uk. 

Closing Date: 13 Feb 2026

Department: Academic - Visiting Lecturers

Salary: Competitive Hourly Rates
The hourly rate for this role varies depending on the nature and level of teaching assigned. Specific rates will be confirmed when work is allocated.

We are seeking to recruit a pool of Visiting Lecturers who can contribute to our Undergraduate and Postgraduate programmes across our academic Schools. 

Join our Visiting Lecturer Pool at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire - Acting

Located in the vibrant and culturally rich city of Birmingham, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire offers an inspiring portfolio of Music and Acting programmes across undergraduate and postgraduate levels, alongside our renowned Junior Conservatoire for talented young musicians — all housed within our state-of-the-art £57 million facilities. 

As a Visiting Lecturer, you will contribute to a creative, forward-thinking environment where employability, industry engagement and entrepreneurial skills are embedded at the heart of our curriculum. You will play a key role in equipping the next generation of performers, practitioners and creators with the confidence and expertise to build successful, sustainable careers. An intending Principal Study tutor at RBC will usually be professionally active in the domains of Music and/or Theatre, with an established or growing international reputation in their field as a performer, practitioner and/or creative artist.  

We are deeply committed to an inclusive and supportive learning community. Our ethos centres on recognising every learner’s individuality and nurturing their artistic and personal development. We welcome lecturers who share our passion for empowering students of all backgrounds to discover their strengths, refine their craft and achieve their full potential.

Join us in shaping the future of creative talent, where expertise, ambition and opportunity come together. 

Candidates must upload a current CV and provide two supporting statements. It is essential that applicants address the following: 

• areas of expertise
• teaching and/or relevant professional experience

By applying to this vacancy, you will be joining our Visiting Lecturer recruitment pool. Visiting Lecturer roles are part‑time, fixed‑term positions, with hours agreed between you and the academic schools as required. Posts are paid hourly, with rates varying according to the nature of the work. 

When teaching opportunities arise that match your skills and experience, the academic schools will contact you directly to discuss them. Please note that contact is not guaranteed. 

The recruitment pool is refreshed annually. You will be invited to resubmit your details if you wish to remain in the pool for the following year. If you do not respond, your information will be deleted in line with our Data Protection Policy  

Informal enquiries about this opportunity are welcome and should be directed to conservatoire.vpoffice@bcu.ac.uk. 

Closing Date: 13 Feb 2026

Department: Academic - Visiting Lecturers

Salary: Competitive Hourly Rates
The hourly rate for this role varies depending on the nature and level of teaching assigned. Specific rates will be confirmed when work is allocated.