Head of Insights and Innovation

About The Grange Festival

The Grange Festival is an arts charity which presents a dynamic programme of opera, dance, and concerts each June and July, held on an unparalleled English country estate sixty miles southwest of London, and nine miles northeast of Winchester. Alongside the Festival we run a year-round programme of work in communities, in schools, and with emerging talent, engaging with our Hampshire communities as well as partnering with the wider education and performing arts sectors. We are committed to delivering excellence and measurable impact, and are embracing innovation to enhance our artistic output, audience experience, social/educational outcomes and organisational productivity.

Main Purpose of the Job

The Grange Festival is looking for a creative, hands-on Head of Insights and Innovation to lead data-driven decision-making, workflow improvements and technological advancement across many facets of our organization. This role will be instrumental in driving week-to-week and month-to-month enhancements in how we run the business, as well as shaping the further vision of how we operate and engage with our audiences and company members. This role is ideal for an entrepreneurial collaborator who enjoys getting stuck in on hard problems and contributing to a wide range of jointly-led projects.

This position is responsible for 

- ensuring delivery of weekly and monthly metrics for company decision-making 

- oversight of all surveys for audiences, members, company and staff, as well as research with potential audiences, and supporting analytics/evaluation for impact work in schools and communities

- strategic evaluation of use of technology tools including ticketing, CRM, workflow support, AI/productivity, website, marketing publishing/automation, content management, finance, scheduling, and talent/HR 

- development of a roadmap of improvements to existing team processes and data capture

- collaborate internally to develop big ideas and large-scale innovations to further our artforms, delight audiences and enhance the way we produce performances

- partnering with IT and Finance on budget proposals and project costing

- partnering with the Chief Executive to develop technology or analytics partnerships in the wider arts and culture, social impact and corporate sectors, including piloting new technologies and to solve problems faced by many organisations

Key Responsibilities

Analytics & Business Enablement

- Ensure seamless production of weekly and monthly business metrics, continuously improving them to increase relevance and drive positive results

- Generate actionable insights from data to inform programming, marketing, and operational decisions, including serving as the ‘voice’ of the data within team conversations

- Oversight of all surveys for audiences, members, company and staff, as well as research with potential audiences supporting analytics/evaluation for impact work in schools and communities

- Support various business analytics needs, including inputs into board reports, trust applications, and impact reports

Systems & Process Optimization

- Serve as a positive agent of change in cross-team operational workflows and in all customer touchpoints

- Strategic evaluation of use of technology tools including ticketing, CRM, workflow support, AI/productivity, website, marketing publishing/automation, content management, finance, scheduling, and talent/HR (including casting processes)  

- Document existing processes and develop business cases for potential changes, with resourcing, timelines and budgets

- Lead digital transformation projects, ensuring smooth implementation and staff adoption

Inclusive Stakeholder Engagement

- Develop and retain trust of colleagues, working inclusively to understand their needs and implement appropriate solutions

- Build strong relationships with technology vendors and partners

- Provide training and support to staff on new systems and processes

- Clearly communicate projects and their impact to stakeholders at all levels, including to board, funders and external partners

Strategic Leadership & Innovation

- Lead the development and implementation of a comprehensive digital strategy aligned with the Festival's artistic and business objectives

- Identify and evaluate emerging technologies and innovative solutions that could enhance the patron experience, from ticketing to performance day

- Develop and oversee the implementation of new digital initiatives that improve operational efficiency and audience engagement

Big Ideas & External Partnerships

- Partner with internal teams (including Production/Technical and Artistic) to develop big ideas and large-scale innovations to further our artforms, delight audiences and enhance the way we produce performances

- Partner with the Chief Executive to develop technology or analytics partnerships in the wider arts and culture, social impact and corporate sectors, including piloting new technologies and collaborating to solve problems faced by many organisations

Compliance & Risk

- Thoroughly trustworthy with customer and company data and familiar with compliance requirements including GDPR, financial information handling, employee data handling, etc.

- Serves as the company’s Data Protection Officer (with ongoing training/support where needed)

- In collaboration with IT, able to audit all technology tools for risks of data breach or other compliance issue, adding them to the company’s risk register and developing appropriate risk mitigations 

Person Specification

Professional Requirements

- Proven experience in a similar or related role (or series of roles), ideally within the arts, cultural, or entertainment sector

- Strong analytical skills with experience in data visualization and interpretation

- Excellent project management abilities with a track record of delivering digital transformation initiatives

- Deep understanding of CRM systems, ticketing platforms, and digital marketing tools

- Strong communication skills with the ability to explain complex technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders

- Innovative and creative approach to problem-solving, with demonstrated experience of thinking outside the box or breaking from convention in adopting a new solution

- Experience of budgetary responsibility, developing data-driven business cases, delivering projects within budget, and evidencing their impact

- Experience working in complex organizations with multi-stakeholder environments, able to synthesize a range of views, influence, and build consensus.

Behavioural Requirements

- Systems-Thinker: Firm understanding of workflow and business processes as a system of actions/tasks with dependencies, with the ability to identify and understand bottlenecks and blockers and develop solutions to alleviate them

- Analytical: Strong advocate for using evidence in decision-making, with the ability to help less-data-savvy colleagues interpret data 

- Solutions-Focused Innovator: Adept at planning and juggling multiple projects simultaneously, especially during peak Festival periods.

- Reliable Relationship-Builder: Excellent relationship-building and communication skills, with a strong commitment to diligent follow-up and building trust internally and externally.

- Collaborative Leadership: Strategic thinker capable of turning great concepts into action and guiding colleagues through transformations.

Additional Requirements

- Must have a valid driver's license and access to a vehicle due to the rural location of our offices and our theatre.

- This is an in-person role requiring some evening and weekend work, especially during the Festival season.

What We Offer

- A dynamic and creative work environment with a focus on innovation and growth

- The chance to make a significant impact on the success of a unique cultural institution

- During our Festival performance weeks, the opportunity to work within a stunning historic setting and landscape with colleagues from a wide range of disciplines and backgrounds

- Competitive salary commensurate with experience and the demands of the role

Qualified candidates who are passionate about delivering exceptional experiences in the arts and driving organizational growth are encouraged to apply, even if they do not meet all criteria listed in the Person Specification. Please submit your CV detailing your relevant experience. You may also provide a cover letter or video introduction describing how this role aligns to your career and leadership aspirations.