Higher Education Research Manager

Are you passionate about bringing art to everyone? Do you work at the intersection of Higher Education and public impact? Are you well versed in the UK and European Higher Education funding and research landscape, and interested in developing collaborative digital projects and partnerships?

We’re looking for a Higher Education Research Manager to help develop an ambitious research strategy that connects Art UK with the wider research community, realising the potential of the millions of artwork records held by Art UK.

About Art UK:

Art UK is an art education charity and the online home for every public collection of art in the United Kingdom. It is making the UK’s national collection of art accessible to everyone online – for enjoyment, learning and research. Art UK brings together art from almost 3,500 British institutions in one of the UK's largest ever arts partnerships and showcases this art to a global audience of 5.5m users per annum. Approaching 60% of this audience is overseas.

Art UK provides significant support to museums and galleries in the UK, by providing them with a shared digital platform to showcase their art collections, reach new audiences, and generate income. Most of these collections would not be able to show their art online without Art UK. The Art UK platform is rich in story content, learning resources for teachers and students, and public engagement opportunities. A shared e-commerce infrastructure helps collections generate much needed commercial income. 

About you:

As the Higher Education Research Manager, you will be responsible for translating Art UK’s plans, informed by a recent scoping study, into a realistic Higher Education collaboration and funding strategy, balancing short-term objectives against long-term viability and sustainability.

You will have experience of developing research projects that align organisational strategic objectives with national and funder priorities. With extensive experience of navigating the Higher Education funding landscape, you will be able to start conversations and develop partnerships that enhance Art UK’s reputation as a trusted research partner, using our national database of publicly owned art as a starting point. Art UK will be seeking interdisciplinary collaborations, which might include digital humanities, health, education, and social wellbeing.

You will be able to develop a strategic, phased and sustainable approach to growing Art UK’s profile and attractiveness as a Higher Education research partner, setting realistic organisational research targets while strengthening internal culture and confidence around research.

This is a new role at Art UK. You will have the opportunity to shape it and contribute to the wider strategic development of the charity.

Your commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion aligns with our organisational values, and you are passionate about contributing to a positive workplace culture.

How to apply:

Please visit our website to download the application form. To apply, please submit your completed application form to recruitment@artuk.org by 9am on Tuesday 17th November 2026. If you are experiencing issues downloading the document or require support in completing your form, please contact info@artuk.org.

Forms must be sent in MS Word or a format compatible to MS Word. Please do not send PDFs - applications sent as a PDF will not be accepted. Interviews will be held via video call on Tuesday 1st December 2026. If you have not heard from us within three weeks of the closing date, please consider your application unsuccessful.

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