BIMM University

Post: Careers Manager – Music
Reporting to: Head of Careers – Music
Contractual Hours: 37.5 hours per week, Monday to Friday. You will occasionally be required to work evenings and weekends. You may also be called upon to support at up to 4 open days / events per year for which
TOIL can be claimed.

A University for the Creative Industries

BIMM University provides an extensive range of courses in modern music, performing arts, and filmmaking to over 9,000 students across 15 colleges in the UK, Ireland, and Germany. We are committed to providing the highest quality creative arts education, allowing students to maximise their career potential.

BIMM University comprises BIMM Institute, Institute for Contemporary Theatre, Performers College, Northern Ballet School, and Screen and Film School. This wide network of colleges provides unique opportunities for students to collaborate creatively on projects with others working in music, performing arts, and film.

For 40 years, we’ve equipped our students with the knowledge and skills they need to meet the demands of the creative industries – and graduate feeling industry-ready.

Beyond academic life, BIMM University offers a community built on a shared passion, creativity, and belief system. Our inclusive culture is at the core of everything we do, binding us together and driving us forward.

Our Purpose, Vision, and Values

Purpose:
To shape the future of the creative industries.

Vision:
To redefine creative industries education for the benefit of all, giving students from every background the skills and opportunities to thrive in their future careers.

Values:
Our values are at the core of our success; Believe in Everyone, Challenge the Norm, Grow Together, Own It and Do the Right Thing.

Job Description

Careers Managers are required to prepare students and graduates for future employment, further study and a long-term professional career in the creative industries.

We work closely with academic teams to ensure that all routes to graduate employment, including creative portfolio and freelance pathways, are understood by students to increase their chances of success. Our versatile approach to employability involves working with trusted industry partners to provide real-world, hands-on work experience placements, projects, performances and productions which enhance employability throughout a students’ time at BIMM University.

Careers Managers work closely with the Alumni, Talent & Enterprise team to help secure progression into employment for graduates, we source opportunities for employment to be shared on jobs boards and newsletters and recommend relevant candidates for jobs.

Key Accountabilities

• Provide operational management and oversight of all Careers and Enterprise activities for music.
• Ensure expert advice and guidance is given to students to ensure successful progression on graduation by providing a wide range of career development and extra-curricular opportunities to students and entry level jobs to graduates (up to 18 months from graduation).
• Build close relationships with students and recent graduates through 1-1s for career action planning, CVs, portfolios and digital profiles, recording all meetings in an agreed format.
• Build and maintain relationships with professional recruitment and talent agencies, casting agents and production companies to ensure a wide range of work opportunities and a support network for graduates is available, organising recruitment / assessment / audition events where required.
• Liaise with industry employers to ensure we are informed of new creative projects and work opportunities. Ensure these, along with roles from jobs boards, are shared with the wider Creative Futures team and included on student facing platforms and regular newsletters to students.
• Support students with 1-1 tutorial advice for professional development including, CVs, showreels, digital portfolios and letters to ensure they are of a high standard and relevant to the role being applied for.
• Support students and graduates through the recruitment process; finding paid roles, performance and production work or freelance opportunities, and supporting them to prepare for interviews, auditions and various professional interactions with industry.
• Create opportunities for collaborative student projects with Careers Managers from other faculties within and across campuses.
• Attend industry and employability networking events, with students where possible, to build and actively seek out new relationships with key industry partners as well as maintaining those that provide work experience and entry level jobs for students and graduates.
• Curate, manage and deliver careers and networking events for students and graduates to connect with potential employers.
• Ensure all students are supported through all curriculum based and extra-curricular work placements, realising projects and developing business ideas.
• Develop opportunities to showcase student and graduate talent to industry through performance, screenings or end of year shows; liaising with the Student Events & Community Manager as appropriate.
• Promote learning opportunities for enterprise and business startups including business planning, set up, tax requirements, and marketing essentials.
• Work collaboratively with the Marketing, Recruitment and Admissions team to ensure that Creative Futures careers activities are appropriately reflected in promotional material including web and social media, including student placements and progression updates.
• Ensure equity, diversity, and inclusion are central to all Creative Futures activities; and that proactive measures are taken to increase access and participation at campus level, liaising with the Student Wellbeing Team, Campus and Technical Services team, and other departments as appropriate.
• Manage data collection, monitoring and reporting of Careers activities within the Campus, using a range of appropriate metrics and systems agreed with the Head of Careers and Associate Dean: Creative Futures. This will include but is not limited to; employers, records of tutorials, creative opportunities, work placements and paid jobs.

Person Specification

The postholder will be an inspiring and organised individual, who will maximise the impact of the Creative Futures team for the benefit of students and recent graduates by building constructive relationships with students and employers to maximise student success after graduation.

They will build relationships with potential employers and present students whose skills and aspirations match their requirements. They will review the skills, experience and employability of existing students so that they are well prepared for presenting themselves optimally for opportunities after graduation.

Essential Criteria

• Degree in a relevant subject or demonstrable equivalent experience.
• Successful delivery of student development programmes and facilitating student placements in a HE context.
• Excellent interpersonal skills with demonstrable experience of stakeholder management
• Good understanding of the principles and practice of skills and career development, with current knowledge of the relevant trends, challenges, and opportunities.
• Experience with digital services and social media.
• Experience of measuring the impact of career development campaigns and initiatives and using the data to inform activities
• Excellent communication skills including public speaking.
• Strong data analysis and reporting skills.

Desirable Criteria

• Professional qualification in a relevant subject.
• Experience of working in the creative industries sector.
• Budget management experience.

NB: This is not a complete statement of all duties and responsibilities of this post. The post holder may be required to carry out other duties in keeping with the nature of the post as directed by and agreed with their line manager.