Vacancies

Shape the future of our arts organisation working alongside passionate volunteers and artists at the heart of Hertfordshire’s creative community.

Detailed description
The Chair provides leadership to this vibrant voluntary organisation, working alongside the Executive Team to shape strategic direction and to ensure effective governance and support for HVA’s mission.
As the public face of HVA, the Chair champions visual arts in Hertfordshire, fostering collaboration across the arts community and developing strategic alliances.

Responsibilities:
1 Leadership and Governance

• Lead our Executive Team in setting vision, values, and strategic priorities that will shape the future of this well respected and long established organisation.
• Ensure compliance with legal, financial, and regulatory requirements.
• Uphold HVA’s constitution and objectives.

2 Board Management

• Chair meetings effectively, encourage inclusive discussion and clear decision‐making.
• Support and mentor the leadership team.
• Ensure succession planning and recruitment of new volunteers.

3 Representation & Advocacy

• Act as an ambassador for HVA, representing the organisation at events and with stakeholders.
• Build partnerships with sponsors, local authorities, arts organisations, funding bodies, and community groups.

4 Operational Oversight

• Work closely with the leadership team to oversee activities.
• Ensure risk management and sustainability of HVA’s programmes.

Essential attributes

• Commitment to HVA’s mission and values.
• Strong leadership, strategic development, communication, and facilitation skills.
• Experience in governance, management, or voluntary sector leadership.
• Able to dedicate time to meetings, events, and advocacy.

Desirable:

• Knowledge of the visual arts sector.
• Experience in fundraising, partnership development, or community engagement.
• Previous trustee or committee experience.

Time Commitment:

• Approximately 1 day per week, to include attendance at and preparation for committee meetings and other events
• Term of office: 5 years typically, renewable subject to governance rules.

Formal handover to the new Chair will be at the AGM on 8 June 2026.
Ideally, the new chair will join us as soon as they are available to allow for handover and induction and for introduction to the membership.

The Vice Chair Member Services is a key volunteer role within the HVA Executive Team which takes overall responsibility for Member Services – currently: Networks and Events.

These comprise Area Groups and Special Interest Groups, Exhibitions and Open Studios plus the HVA Annual Conference (in person) and AGM (online).  Additional services are Support Webinars for those taking part in Exhibitions and Training Webinars which help members develop as professional artists.

This role reports to and supports the HVA Chair, working in parallel with the Vice Chair (Marketing), Membership Secretary, and other members of the Executive Team. 

Vice Chair Responsibilities:

• To offer support and encouragement to Area Coordinators and Special Interest Group Leaders in order to help them build strong groups.
• To offer project guidance, advice and support to Event Teams enabling them to create effective events to agreed standards and to break even.

Interfaces with:

Fundraising Team: to ask them for Sponsorships and Advertising which will offset some of the costs of running events

Treasury Team: to arrange payments to suppliers and for member’ sales.

Marketing Team: to agree campaigns promoting HVA Events and Other Member Services, and to provide input to press releases, social media, newsletters and other publications.

Time commitment:

An average of 1 day/week, plus attendance at monthly Executive Team meetings (evening).

Hybrid-working including some evenings, with a mixture of in-person and online meetings.

Skills required:

Strong organising, leadership and team-working skills

Experience and a good understanding of Event management; Project planning and control (including budget analysis); Risk assessment and management. 

Able to empower, motivate and encourage volunteers in different teams, and to build new teams – drawing from HVA members as well as external expertise where needed.

Competent in the use of MS Word and Excel.   

Purpose:

• To help maintain HVA website so it is up-to-date and acts as a two-way communications channel between members, HVA and the public.

Reports to:

• Reporting to the Webmaster as part of a team helping with agreed aspects of website management.

Responsibilities will include some of the following by agreement with the Webmaster:

1. Monitor the function, style and content of the website as advised by HVA Marketing Lead
2. Update the website functionality when needed
3. Check information supplied is accurate
4. Assist with the production of members’ Gallery pages
5. Assist with the production of website pages for specific HVA events as required.
6. Liaise between the Open Studio designers for uploading the Open Studios pages on the HVA website
7. Respond to members’ queries about the website, using webmast@hvaf.org.uk
8. Liaise with the Internet Service Provider who provides server space email hosting.

Time commitment:

This role can be project-specific or on-going to fit with time available from a volunteer.

General Notes

As of Aug 2025, the webmaster is MLC Management Ltd, with Helen Clarke developing and maintaining the website as a paid contractor.