Artist Residency and Alumni Manager (Maternity Cover)

Artist Residency and Alumni Manager (Maternity Cover)

Fulltime Hybrid (Either London based OR based near Dumfries House Auchinleck)

Reporting to: Development Director

Fixed-term Maternity Cover Contract

The Royal Drawing School is seeking a proactive and organised Artist Residency and Alumni Manager to cover a maternity leave. This is an exciting opportunity to play a key role in building educational and artistic partnerships and activity for the School its students and alumni.

About the Royal Drawing School

We are the independent artist-led and not-for-profit home of observational drawing. Founded in 2000 by HM King Charles III and artist Catherine Goodman CBE LVO we exist to ensure artists and creatives everywhere can access world-leading skills-based drawing tuition regardless of background age or circumstances.

We teach everyone from beginners to practising artists through over 350 annual programmes including our renowned full-scholarship postgraduate-level Drawing Year short courses public programmes and Young Artists classes. Our courses take place in studios across London outdoors in galleries and online.

Purpose of the Role

To build educational and artistic partnerships and activity for the School its students and alumni in particular around artist residencies.

• In tandem develop coordinate and evaluate programmes and projects that promote alumni relations within the School and to external audiences.
• Open up opportunities for the professional development of the Schools alumni through teaching and practise on residency programmes.

Key Responsibilities

Residencies and Fellowship Programme

• Manage all aspects of RDS residencies in the UK (including an extensive programme at Dumfries House) and overseas.
• Design and implement artist residencies as lead point of contact.
• Design and run the selection and residency jury and liaise with residency hosts (individuals and organisations).
• Research and identify opportunities for building residency and exchange partnerships with cultural and educational institutions and individuals (including donors and prospective donors) both in the UK and overseas.
• Secure funding and draft and put in place Gift Agreements with residency
• Work closely with selected residency artists to ensure their experiences are of the highest quality and reflect positively on the Schools mission and reputation (Including the Christies award winner).
• Oversee residency selection process. Advertising residencies running all aspects of the residency application process administering the Residency Jury Panel and allocating residencies.
• Overseeand administer all aspects of artists residencies including timetabling logistics artist contracts travel and relevant residency paperwork and artist communication.
• Work closely with the Schools marketing team to raise the profile of residencies and alumni activities to external stakeholders and audiences on the website through digital marketing and printed materials.
• Responsible for safeguarding residents; ensure their welfare safety and rights are protected taking appropriate action and escalating to the Safeguarding Committee where required.

Alumni Management

• Serve as main point of contact for alumni and manage the alumni mailbox.
• Build active relationships and communication between the School and alumni.
• Conduct online research of keeping track of alumni exhibitions as well as potential opportunities outside of the School that may be of interest to alumni.
• Monitor alumni activity particularly graduates of the Drawing Year.
• Write and distribute monthly alumni newsletter.
• Manage artist residents reference requests for Visas Grants etc.

Alumni Exhibitions and Sales

• Manage and process all art sales associated with alumni.
• Manage Alumni Exhibitions (including Annual Drawn Together and the Christies Award Exhibition) including activities such as:
  • overall communications;
  • administration such as artist agreements and art shipping (UK/ International);
  • exhibition website administration working closely with Web and Designer Manager;
  • oversight of art sales and invoices working closely with the Finance Team;
  • managing logistics of alumni artwork displays and sales working closely with Technician Team.

Development

• Secure and steward philanthropic support associated with residency partnerships and alumni activity.
• Maintaining relationships with residency supporters / donors from proposal through to reporting and stewardship leading to future residency funding.
• Raise the profile of alumni activities beyond the School including with donors and supporters.
• Feed into Development marketing materials with headline alumni and residency stories that can build interest.

Dumfries House

• Keep track of the residency budget and expenditure against restricted donation to put towards running costs liaising with the Principal Directors of Development and Operations and Finance and relevant parties at Kings Foundation.
  
• Represent the RDS interests at the DH estate.

Finance

• Budget holder for all artist residency and alumni
• Manage and process sales (both online and in-person) for alumni exhibitions.
• Manage and process time sheets for self-employed tutors and consultants.

Line Management

• Lead motivate and support Print Studio Manager to achieve objectives.
• Conduct 1:1s appraisals and support professional development.
• Oversee and authorise Print Studio Manager timesheet.

Skills & Experience

Essential

• At least 3 years experience in project management working in arts related organisation and/or artist liaison.
• Experience of securing philanthropic support for programmes.
• Excellent project management and organisational skills with the ability to work at pace and manage several projects and priorities simultaneously.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Good at building rapport and developing relationships at all levels.
• Comfortable responding to spontaneous situations and adapting as necessary
• Proactive creative and able to take own initiative and to problem solve.
• Independent working well on own as well as having a collaborative and problem- solving approach when working closely with the Drawing Year and Development departments.
• Comfortable representing the school at a diverse range of events.
• Excellent research skills.
• Budget management experience.

How to Apply

Please submit your application with CV and short cover letter (maximum one page) outlining your suitability for the role via the Apply for This Job button.

If you have any queries about the role and or application please email.

Deadline: Sunday 26 October (midnight)

Interviewswill be held Thursday 6 November 2025

Start date: Ideally December 2025 or January 2026

We are committed to diversity and inclusion and welcome applications from all backgrounds.

Required Experience:

Manager