AEC Chief Executive Officer

Responsibilities and tasks: Representation, Lobbying and Profile-raising • Representing AEC at major internal events and raising its profile externally by making presentations at events connected with music, higher education, European policy and the arts & culture • Lobbying effectively and pro-actively within the European Commission and with other bodies influential in the spheres of music, higher education, the arts & culture • Building strategic alliances and partnerships to strengthen the position of the AEC and to advance the cause of higher music education • Maintaining contacts with other international networks and governments at both national and European level; • Exercising overall responsibility for the marketing and promotion of the AEC with the aim of increasing the visibility of the Association to its members, constituents, international networks in the fields of higher education, European institutions, national government bodies and other key stakeholders or target groups Support for Executive Committee, Council and General Assembly • Advising the AEC Executive Committee, AEC Council, committees and sub-groups of Council, the AEC General Assembly on issues requiring their decision, and ensuring the faithful implementation of decisions reached by these bodies • Developing the AEC Strategic Plans in conjunction with the AEC Council, and then ensuring that these are executed as agreed by the General Assembly • Being pro-active in advising AEC Council and the entire Membership on issues pertinent to the work of the Association • Taking responsibility for the financial sustainability of the Association, including income-generating strategies and investigating additional services for members and key stakeholders • Responsible for developing and implementing strategies to ensure that AEC stays well informed about its members, their needs and expectations • Responsible for developing and implementing strategies that support AEC in its aim to increase membership Leadership of the AEC Office • In conjunction with the General Manager, ensuring the efficient management of the AEC Office, including finances, communication, general planning and personnel management • Exercising overall responsibility for the professional organisation of the permanent and statutory meetings in the AEC (annual congress, general assembly, council meetings, annual meeting for international relations coordinators, platforms) offering advice and leadership to the Events Manager in relation to those for which s/he is directly responsible and working closely with the General Manager in the preparation of key materials (agendas, minutes, papers, notes) for meetings requiring this • Taking leadership in the development of all communications, including the website, database, publications and archives, and evaluating the progress made in these areas Individual expertise • Possessing, and maintaining through regular updating, a high level of individual expertise in at least one of the areas of development most relevant to AEC and its members (e.g. 3rd-Cycle programmes, research, curriculum development, competence-based learning, assessment, mobility and recognition, quality assurance, benchmarking, ranking, engagement with the music profession and employability) • Deploying this expertise generously across the Association, helping to spread knowledge, build capacity and, where appropriate, shape opinion amongst its members • Using this expertise to offer informed, well-argued advice and recommendations to Council in its formulation of Association-wide policy, being prepared to take a strong lead, whilst remaining sensitive to the diversity of views, traditions and regional situations that exist among member institutions Projects • Exercising overall responsibility for ensuring that current projects are well managed, and that financial and other reporting is carried out in a timely and professional manner • Identifying new opportunities for projects, evaluating their viability and deciding on whether they should be applied for and initiated • Leading major project applications Other • Undertaking any tasks and responsibilities as reasonably required by the AEC Council, AEC President, the membership and the organisation • As with all members of the AEC Office Team, providing general support to Office colleagues at times of exceptional pressure, within the constraints of own workload