World Heritage Site Coordinator in Kendal

Want to help champion one of the world’s most iconic landscapes? We are looking for a World Heritage Site Coordinator to join our Lake District team. As the lead specialist for the English Lake District’s UNESCO World Heritage Site status, you will act as a key World Heritage ambassador, building a network that spans from local communities to international heritage bodies. If you are ready to influence how we protect and celebrate this special cultural landscape, then we want to hear from you.

What’s it like to work with us? Our people are passionate about the landscape and proud of the role they play in looking after it for the nation. We are innovative and agile in our approach to work, ensuring we get the best from our resources. We’re a medium-sized organisation, which puts us in a good position to be adaptive and able to act on our decisions. Our staff know each other and can quickly form workplace relationships to make great team players and problem solvers. We operate a hybrid way of working, combining working from home and days at our office base at Wayfaring House, Kendal. You’ll be provided with a laptop to enable you to access our secure IT network when working remotely.

Your main duties and responsibilities will be:

• Strategic Leadership: embedding World Heritage status into our Local Plan and Partnership Plan.
• Impact Assessment: evaluating development and land‑use changes, undertaking Heritage Impact Assessments, and appearing as a professional witness at public inquiries when necessary.
• International Liaison: acting as the principal point of contact for the UK Government (Department for Culture, Media and Sport) and leading our response to UNESCO recommendations.
• Project Delivery: proactively bidding for funding and supporting partners to bring heritage projects to life.

About you: We are seeking a motivated professional who can navigate complex issues and pressures with a methodical and innovative approach.

Qualifications and Experience:

• A degree in a relevant subject or equivalent experience relating to the Lake District or World Heritage Sites.
• Proven experience in formulating strategies and working within multi-disciplinary partnerships.
• A track record of managing cultural landscape issues and understanding the UK town planning system.

Skills and Qualities:

• Influencer: the ability to advocate for ideas with conviction and flex your approach to find solutions for multiple agendas.
• Communicator: excellent digital, written, and verbal skills, with the ability to present complex data to a breadth of audiences.
• Technical Proficiency: comfortable using GIS systems and databases to track the "health" of the site.
• Resilient: a self‑motivated individual who can handle setbacks with a mature manner and maintain a high standard of professionalism.

Please read the attached role profile for the full person specification on this post.

About us: The Lake District National Park Authority looks after this unique corner of England and the UNESCO World Heritage Site. We encourage people to protect, connect and grow as well as supporting those who live and work here. Our staff include rangers and field workers, advisers at our visitor centres, planners and ecologists.

Working with us, you’ll enjoy:

• Local Government Pension Scheme
• Electric car and Cycle to Work schemes
• Free parking in our carparks
• Paid time off so you can volunteer
• Subsidised healthcare scheme
• Commitment to wellbeing

See our website for a complete list of our employee benefits.

Contact: For an informal chat and to find out more, please contact Veronica Fiorato (Partnership Manager) on 01539 792651 / veronica.fiorato@lakedistrict.gov.uk. We reserve the right to close this advert early should we receive sufficient applications, so please apply early to avoid missing this opportunity.

Diversity and Inclusion: As an equal opportunities employer, the Lake District National Park Authority is committed to the equal treatment of all current and prospective employees and does not condone discrimination based on age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, gender identity, or marriage and civil partnership.

Disability Confident Employer: We guarantee to interview applicants with a disability whose application meets the minimum criteria for the role. By ‘minimum criteria’, we mean that you must provide evidence in your application which demonstrates that you meet the level of competence required under each of the essential criteria, as well as meeting any of the qualification, skills or experience defined as essential.