Role: Head of Contemporary Music
Company: Southbank Centre
Salary: Up to £62,000 per annum
Closing date: 29/08/2025
Department: Arts Programming
Location: Southbank Centre, London
We are currently looking for a Head of Contemporary Music to join on a full time permanent basis.
The Head of Contemporary Music is responsible for curating and overseeing the delivery of 150+ contemporary music events a year across a broad musical landscape, including working with the Head of Classical Music on our contemporary classical programme. These events are a mixture of our own promotions – including the iconic annual Meltdown Festival – and incoming hires.
Main responsibilities of the role include:
- To lead on curating the contemporary music programme across the Southbank Centre site and online.
- To be responsible for the booking, management and delivery of the contemporary music programme on time and to agreed budgets.
- To develop relationships and partnerships across the music industry.
- To develop Southbank Centre’s role for innovation and excellence within the contemporary music community, ensuring that the programme celebrates and attracts diversity in its many forms.
Key skills that will help you in this role include:
- A track record of leading an innovative and wide-ranging contemporary music programme at national or international level, with a wide knowledge of the current music scene and genres.
- Substantial experience of the commercial music sector, with existing international networks that includes artists, artist management, booking agents, record labels and music PR.
- Financial experience, including budget forecasting, managing show budgets and income targets.
- Up to date knowledge of contemporary global trends in music, of culturally diverse and leading-edge artistic practice.
Please download the Job Description for a full overview of the roles responsibilities.
Southbank Centre
The Southbank Centre is Europe’s largest arts centre and one of the UK’s top five visitor attractions, occupying an 11-acre site that sits in the midst of London’s most vibrant cultural quarter on the South Bank of the Thames.
Its impact and reach are significant and it is respected internationally as a convener of great artists and diverse audiences and for being entrepreneurial and innovative in response to a volatile and changing financial landscape. The Southbank Centre is a charity that is determined to demonstrate its ambition to remain innovative, disruptive and experimental in what it does and to be highly relevant to the artists it wants to work with and to the audiences it wants to attract.
The Southbank Centre believes that a commitment to diversity and inclusion helps it be a more relevant and effective organisation.
At the Southbank Centre we believe in:
Creating welcoming spaces
- Because upholding respect, safety and belonging is at the heart of vibrant teams and communities.
- This means us all taking responsibility for shaping and protecting a kind, compassionate and inclusive environment for others.
Making wonderful experiences together
- Because we all contribute to amazing artistic moments at the Southbank Centre.
- This means us all understanding and valuing the different parts we play in creating enjoyment and success.
Sparking new thinking
- Because different views and thought-provoking conversations inspire innovation, learning and growth.
- This means everyone having a desire to learn and being open to evaluating how they think and work.
Benefits & Perks:
As well as working at one of London's most popular and exciting sites the successful candidate will also benefit from the following:
- A min 5% employer’s pension contribution (rising to 9% depending on your employee contribution), from day 1 of employment
- 28 days annual leave, plus bank holidays (pro-rata for part time employees)
- Hybrid working model
- Enhanced sick pay
- Enhanced family leave benefits
- Up to 30% discounts at onsite retail, food and beverage vendors
- Staff ticket offers for Southbank Centre events
- Free entry to Hayward Gallery
- Free/discounted entry with other reciprocal organisations
- Free staff yoga
- Free access to emotional support from a confidential specialist Employee Assistance Programme available 24/7
- Season ticket loan
- Cycle to work scheme
The deadline for applications is 23:59 on the closing date for the job posting.