Kids’ Own seeks CEO / Creative Director 
(maternity leave cover)

The Board of Kids’ Own Publishing Partnership is seeking to appoint a CEO / Creative Director (maternity leave cover) to lead the organisation. This is a one year contract.

Kids’ Own is a children’s arts organisation and publishing house and Ireland’s only dedicated publisher of books by children, for children. Kids’ Own is driven by a passionate belief in the intrinsic value of the arts in children’s lives; as a source of joy, fulfilment and connection. We work to give children greater access to cultural expression and to be actively creating, enquiring, communicating and making meaning through the arts. Our ethos is rooted in professional arts practice and we produce professionally published outputs, in print and online, as well as exhibitions, and other outputs that elevate the status of children’s voices and artwork and bring these to a wider audience. With a strong social justice agenda, Kids’ Own supports children of all backgrounds and abilities to be seen and heard in our society.

This is an exciting opportunity for a candidate with a proven track record at a senior level in the arts or children’s cultural sector. The successful candidate will be highly motivated and have a strong commitment to arts practice with children, in particular in supporting children’s voices to be heard and supporting children of all backgrounds and abilities to be actively engaged in the arts. The individual will lead a team of five staff members.

The successful candidate joins Kids’ Own at an exciting time at the start of the implementation of our new Strategic Plan. Leveraging the work, successes and reputation developed over the last 28 years, our new Strategy seeks to continue and advance our commitment to children and young people’s voices, artistic expression, and lived experiences; our commitment to giving children and young people’s voices and artistic expression a platform through publishing in all forms; and the value we place on our work with professional artists committed to collaborative arts practice with children and young people. It reflects our ambition, commitment and determination to enrich children’s lives through publishing and the arts.

Essential requirements.

The ideal candidate will have:

• A third-level qualification in the field of arts and culture, children, or community.
• A minimum of three years’ experience at a senior level in the arts.
• A strong knowledge of the Arts in Education sector in Ireland, and awareness of Kids’ Own’s role within this context.
• A dynamic individual who can build relationships across the arts, cultural and other sectors and can identify strategic opportunities to develop new partnerships and initiatives.
• The CEO/Creative Director will be based at our offices in Sligo Town, Co. Sligo. There is flexibility regarding hybrid working for this role.

Desirable:

• A full clean driving licence and access to own transport would be advantageous.

Job Role Description

The Chief Executive Officer/Creative Director (CEO/CD)) is responsible for the implementation of the artistic and strategic vision of the organisation, in line with its mission and strategic plan. The CEO/CD leads and manages the organisation, its employees, contracted staff, activities and programmes. The CEO/CD is accountable to the Board of Directors and will report to the Chair. Supported and assisted by the staff and Board of Directors of Kids’ Own, the responsibilities of the CEO/CD include:

Creative Direction

• Create and deliver an innovative artistic vision and an annual programme of work to promote the recognition of children as independent writers, thinkers and creators.
• Ensure the ethos of Kids’ Own runs through all aspects of its work.
• Build the visibility of Kids’ Own locally, nationally and internationally as a centre of excellence for children’s book publishing, artwork and writing.
• Be the primary spokesperson for the organisation and a champion of children’s creative expression.
• Target and reach new audiences for the organisation’s books and activities through the delivery of its dissemination and visibility plan.

Editing and Publishing Oversight

• Oversee the design and publication of all Kids’ Own printed outputs.
• Ensure Kids’ Own maintains high production standards of all published outputs.
• Comply with publisher obligations, such as registering titles and filing with national deposits.
• Build the visibility of the organisation through the dissemination and promotion of Kids’ Own books.

Strategy and Fundraising

• Oversee the realisation and implementation of Kids’ Own new Strategic Plan’s vision and mission. This will be achieved in the implementation of the work plan for year one and the development of the work plan for year 2.
• Maintain and develop excellent relationships with all stakeholders, partners and funders, as well as develop new relationships with partners, funders and other stakeholders.
• Identify and deliver new income streams, potential funders and partnerships as part of the implementation of Kids’ Own’s Fundraising Strategy.
• Investigate opportunities and develop innovative funding applications to support the organisation in the next exciting phase of its development.

Operations and Human Resources

In collaboration with team members:

• Manage the timely delivery of book projects and activities, in collaboration with staff, artists and partners.
• Develop and execute an annual operational plan and associated budget to deliver on the objectives of the strategic plan.
• Manage human resources, including staff performance reviews and the development of an effective and vibrant staff team.
• Ensure the office premises of the organisation are maintained and meet with health and safety standards.

Governance

In collaboration with team members:

• Report regularly to the Board of Directors and prepare necessary documentation.
• Work alongside the Board to enable the organisation to comply with its obligations in relation to company law, child safeguarding and governance.
• In conjunction with the Board:
  • Oversee the organisation’s fiscal activities, including budgeting, financial reporting and audit.
  • Ensure organisational policies and systems of internal controls are devised, reviewed and enforced in line with legislative requirements and best practice.

This is a full-time role (a four-day week may be considered depending on experience).

Full-time salary scale: €44,000–47,000 depending on experience.

The appointment will be made for a one year period. A three month probationary period will apply.

Criteria

Applications will be assessed according to the following criteria:

• Experience relevant to the role;
• Personal ethos and understanding of the context of the children’s cultural sector;
• Motivation/ Applicant’s vision for what they can bring to the role.
• Commitment to supporting children’s participation in culture and the arts and the realisation of their rights in this regard

Applications

Applicants should send an up-to-date CV and detailed cover letter outlining your motivation and suitability for the role to:

Naomi Feely (Chair)
chair@kidsown.ie

Deadline: 5pm, 12th December 2022

Interviews will take place during the week of the 6th of January 2025, in Sligo.