Commercial Lead - Culture

Working hours: 35 hours per week

Contract type: Time limited for two years

Closing date: 11.59pm, 30 March 2026

Interview method: in person

Interview date: 21 April 2026

Applicants must have existing right to work in the UK, as visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

This Role Is Subject To

• Legal right to Work- in accordance with Home Office Guidance, successful candidates must evidence their right to work in the UK before commencement of employment.
• 2 references - where possible, we require 3 years' history
  
  

Manchester City Council is looking for a Commercial Lead who has a track record of leading commercial functions or teams in a culture or creative industries environment. We need a candidate who can shape commercial models, lead commercial contracts, secure sponsorship and connect to wider fundraising opportunities for the Council to support the city’s cultural strategy. The Commercial Lead will be instrumental in identifying opportunities, securing income and making an impact for the city, and leading the investment-related workstream for the Always, Everywhere strategy.

This is a two-year time-limited role based in the Culture Team, which plays a pivotal role in supporting Manchester’s diverse and vibrant cultural sector, and leads the implementation of the city’s ambitious cultural strategy.

Culture is at the heart of the life of the city in Manchester. The cultural offer brings joy, vibrancy and civic identity to our residents, communities and neighbourhoods. It creates jobs, training and participation opportunities, and benefits health and wellbeing. The cultural sector also attracts investment, businesses and visitors, and helps to put Manchester on a global stage.

Always, Everywhere: Manchester’s Cultural Ambition was launched in 2024, setting out a vision and strategy for culture and creativity for the next 10 years. The delivery of the strategy is framed around three themes:

• Everyone - widening access to culture for all, recognising the people that make culture happen and creating a “cultural welcome” to the city.
• Everything - rethinking our scope for culture to take in much more of everyday Mancunian cultural and creative life, and making sure culture really does connect with the issues that matter.
• Everywhere - creating more spaces and places where culture happens and delivering a distributed and equitable cultural life for everyone, everywhere.
  
  

You will work in partnership with internal and external partners and stakeholders to negotiate and secure commercial income through sponsorship, naming rights and other fundraising mechanisms, to develop new and innovative business and funding models, and to contract and manage all commercial arrangements for the team.

If you share our passion for culture and want to be part of a dedicated and hardworking team, we would love to hear from you. For an informal discussion, please contact the hiring manager, Louise Lanigan on 07949 598292 or [email protected] to arrange a convenient time to discuss the role.

We would love to hear from you if you have:

• Experience in leading commercial functions for at least 5 years in a culture or creative industries environment
• A proven track record of success in commercial deals including sponsorship, fundraising and other income generation
• A passion for culture, its value and its impact
• Strengths in strategic and creative thinking
• Excellent communication skills including negotiation and advocacy
• Ability to manage complex priorities and oversee multiple projects to achieve ambitious outcomes
• Strong financial planning and management skills
• A commitment to diversity, inclusion, and continuous improvement
• Understanding and demonstration of the Our Manchester behaviours
  
  

We’re the local council for one of the UK’s most vibrant and diverse cities.

Working for Manchester isn’t just a job - it’s an opportunity to contribute to a city that leads change and transforms lives. Whether it’s strengthening communities or driving innovation in public services, you’ll play a vital role in creating opportunities and shaping a brighter future for everyone.

Our Manchester Is Our Vision For a Fairer, Greener, And Healthier City - a Vision Shaped By The People Of Manchester. It Guides Everything We Do At The Council And Is Brought To Life Through The Our Manchester Behaviours

• We take time to listen and understand
• We work together and trust each other
• We show that we value our differences and treat each other fairly
• We ‘own it’ and we’re not afraid to try new things
• We’re proud and passionate about Manchester
  
  

Benefits We Offer

• Generous holiday allowance - Enjoy up to 26 days annual leave per year plus bank holidays. Increasing to 31 days after five years of local government service. Want more leave? You can purchase up to two additional weeks.
• A buzzing pension - You’ll be enrolled in the UK’s largest local government pension scheme, with plenty of options to top up your benefits. Includes life cover of three-times your salary as a lump sum.
• Enhanced parental and carers leave - Take advantage of our enhanced family leave options, designed to provide ample time for you to bond with your new born or support your family during critical life events.
• Brilliant perks - Access a range of discounts, from saving on the weekly shop to holidays and days out with MCR+. Plus discounts on phone contracts, cycle to work scheme, free flu jabs and eye tests, and more.
• Learn and grow - We are dedicated to nurturing talent and providing you with the tools to thrive. Take part in a diverse set of learning opportunities, from workshops and training sessions through to apprenticeships and qualifications. All this begins with our comprehensive onboarding process.
• A Good Employment Charter member - We are committed to offering secure, flexible work and embedding fairness into everything we do. We review pay annually, recognize three trade unions, and are constantly working to offer the best possible health and wellbeing support throughout all stages of your working life.
• Up to 3 days volunteering leave - Give back to the community with three days pro-rate of paid volunteering leave, in addition to existing benefits.
  
  

Creating an Inclusive Team at Manchester City Council

At Manchester City Council, we’re dedicated to creating a workplace that truly reflects the diversity of the communities we serve. We actively welcome applications from people of all ages and backgrounds, particularly from Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic communities, Disabled people and young people.

Support During the Process

• Interview Adjustments: Let us know if you need any adjustments to demonstrate your suitability during the interview.
• Accessible Formats: Our ReciteMe tool can be accessed through the "Accessibility tools" button at the top of our careers page. This tool offers features like text-to-speech, translation into multiple languages, and adjustable text size and colour to make our site more accessible for everyone.
  
  

Guaranteed Assessment Scheme

Requirements

We guarantee assessments for applicants who meet the recruiting panels minimum shortlisting requirements for the role and identify with at least one of the criteria below:

• Members of the Armed Forces members or veterans
• Current or former care leavers
• Have a disability or long-term condition
  
  

When You Join Us

We’re a Disability Confident Employer, Offering

• A workplace adjustment hub which provides specialist support, advice and guidance to ensure you have the adjustments needed to thrive at work.
• Disabled Staff Network, Neurodiversity Staff Network and Mental Health Staff Network that provides a safe inclusive space to share experiences and opportunities to influence council practice.
• A strong commitment to ensuring all information adheres to accessibility standards and that our workplaces are accessible and disability-friendly.
  
  

For more information about the role or any adjustments, email [email protected].

What We Will Need From You If You're Successful

In accordance with Home Office guidance, successful candidates must evidence their right to work in the UK before commencement of employment. This is not a role we consider to be eligible for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker route based on Manchester City Council policy. Candidates are therefore encouraged to consider their own right to work options without the requirement for Manchester City Council sponsorship. 

Pre-Employment Checks

If you are successful in securing a position with us, the pre-employment checks required will depend on the role you’ve applied for, see the top of the advert for details.

These checks are an important part of our commitment to ensuring the safety and security of our workforce and the community we serve.

Other Relevant Information

We want everyone to be able to be themselves at work and give their best. If you need additional support to undertake the duties of the role, we’ll make every effort to source any necessary aids, adaptations or equipment. If, however, any task proves to be unachievable, we will look at redesigning parts of the role.

For more information about the role, please ensure that you read the role profile attached.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application. However, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action.

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