Head of Public Engagement

We're looking for a Head of Public Engagement to lead our Public Engagement team, sitting within our Communications & Fundraising directorate.

In this strategic leadership role, you'll use your vision and creativity to lead, shape and deliver bold, inclusive public engagement that helps us grow audience reach, impact and activation at scale.

You'll set a multi year strategy and lead innovative programmes that support diversity, creativity and collaboration. You'll use your strong communication skills to build partnerships, co create with communities, and drive change through insight and imagination.

Salary: circa £67,236, dependent on skills and experience.

What it's like to work here

The Communications & Fundraising directorate is where we do marketing, brand, communications, campaigns, fundraising, public engagement and audience development. We design work that grows our reach and impact, so we can serve more people and communities than ever before, through creative and impactful campaigns, experiences and content. In the coming years we'll engage millions more in our cause at every level of society, activating people and growing our strength as a fundraising and movement building force.

As this is a national role, there is flexibility on your contractual place of work. Our hybrid working policy means you can balance office and home working with site visits and meetings at other National Trust places. We'll talk about this in more detail at interview, but you should expect to be at a National Trust site for 40-60% of your working week.

What you'll be doing

As an expert in public engagement, you'll influence senior stakeholders and represent our work nationally.

You'll lead our public engagement strategy, developing and delivering a long term approach to growing audience reach and participation. Your work will ensure that our engagement activity is inclusive, impactful, and aligned with our brand and strategy goals, helping to position us as a leader in inclusive public engagement.

A key part of your role will be mobilising people, moving them from passive supporters to active participants who feel connected to our cause.

Focusing on reaching underserved audiences, you'll identify those least engaged and design interventions that remove barriers and create meaningful connections with nature and culture.

Collaboration and co creation will be at the heart of your approach. You'll build strong partnerships internally and externally, encouraging co production and shared learning.

You'll also oversee a portfolio of projects and campaigns, including managing significant budgets, setting clear priorities, and ensuring evaluation so that we continuously improve our practice.

Who we're looking for

• Ability to lead innovative and impactful activity to reach underserved audiences and connect them with nature and culture
• Able to lead with vision and ensure delivery
• Experience galvanising and leading dispersed and diverse teams
• Able to inspire change and lead for innovation
• Able to influence a range of senior stakeholders
• Creative thinker able to develop and inspire new and innovative approaches

Additional criteria for all other applicants:

• Understanding of how to apply audience insight and trends to create impactful outputs

The package

The National Trust has the motto 'For everyone, for ever' at its heart. We're working hard to create an inclusive culture, where everyone feels they belong. It's important that our people reflect and represent the diversity of the communities and audiences we serve. We welcome and value difference, so when we say we're for everyone, we want everyone to be welcome in our teams too.

• Substantial pension scheme of up to 10% basic salary
• Free entry to National Trust places for you, a guest and your children (under 18)
• Season ticket loan
• EV car lease scheme (for roles that meet the salary criteria)
• Perks at work discounts such as gym memberships, shopping discount codes, cinema discounts
• Holiday allowance up to 32 days relating to length of service, plus holiday purchase scheme, subject to meeting minimum criteria.

National Trust place

CF Communications and Fundraising

Documents

Head of Public Engagement - Grade 3 (2).pdf

Requirements

Compliance. Eligibility to Work in the UK

Additional information

Closing Date: 08 February 2026

In line with our redeployment policy, we'll prioritise applications from employees who are under formal notice of redundancy.

To apply for this vacancy simply click the 'apply' button in the top right hand side of the page.

If you need any help with your application, i.e. due to technical difficulties, please call us on or email us at

If you require an adjustment to the application process, for example due to disability or medical condition, please call us on or email us at and we'll support you as best as we can. For examples of how, please see our supporting you page.

Equal Opportunities Statement

The National Trust celebrates diversity and is committed to creating a fair and equal society, free from discrimination. You can read more about our commitment to inclusion and diversity here.

Safeguarding Statement

The National Trust is committed to safe recruitment processes to help the organisation attract and appoint the right staff/volunteer for the role and responsibilities as set out in the vacancy advert. We will not accept applicants who are not suitable to work with children, young people or adults at risk. If you have any questions around your suitability for this vacancy, please contact the people service centre.

Please note we reserve the right to close this advert early and therefore we encourage you to apply for this position early.