Head of Heritage Sponsorship and Engagement (Maternity cover)


Company:	Government Recruitment Service
Salary:	£56,582 to £63,384 a year
Hours:	Full-time
Location:	M2 3AW
Job type:	Temporary
Posting date:	21 Oct 2026
Closing date:	3 Nov 2026

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Summary

Heritage is all around us, it is valued by people, and it drives pride in place and wellbeing. It is a key part of the Government’s place and community agenda, and a brilliant place to come and make a difference. Our preserved heritage tells our national story - from monuments such as Stonehenge, to our industrial landscapes to local pubs.

The Heritage team does everything from listing buildings to designing and operationalising grant schemes, from sponsorship to developing heritage policy and potential bill measures. We are a flexible team and work to ensure the best outcomes for our Secretary of State’s priorities:

Growth and good jobs in every place
A more socially cohesive country with an inclusive national story
Richer lives with choices and opportunities for all.

You will lead the heritage sponsorship team of 3 SEOs to oversee the performance of Historic England, The Royal Parks (TRP), Historic Royal Palaces (HRP), the National Heritage Memorial Fund/National Heritage Lottery Fund (NLHF), and the Churches Conservation Trust. This role will afford you high profile and regular visibility with senior leaders in the heritage sector. Key responsibilities include:

Driving alignment between ALBs and ministerial priorities, through building relationships with senior teams in your ALBs and holding them to account.
Ensuring sponsorship standards are met, monitoring performance as well as compliance with government standards.
Leading on the negotiation of a new contract with HRP, putting in place framework agreements with HRP and TRP, supporting the appointment of new NLHF and HRP chairs, supporting spending review planning and developing the business case for TRP retained assets.
Contributing to policy preparation for a potential heritage bill.
Ensuring correspondence is drafted in a timely way and to a high standard.

The sponsorship team sits within the wider heritage team in VEHLAC and you will be expected to make a strong corporate contribution to the life of the team and the wider directorate.

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