Heritage Project Manager in London

We are looking for a Heritage Project Manager to join our team to work on an exciting new heritage project called Our Global London. Thames Festival Trust is an arts organisation which delivers festivals, stand-alone commissions, river-based events, heritage projects and education programmes. We have a twenty-eight-year track record of using learning, culture and creativity to amaze, excite and inform. Our work helps bring communities together, originally around the River Thames, and now in cities across the UK and the world. The Trust is committed to producing excellent work. We strive to improve access and increase diversity across the Arts & Culture sector.

The Heritage Project Manager for Our Global London will work with our Director, Adrian Evans, and will be responsible for all elements of the project’s administration and delivery, ensuring that the project meets its objectives and that it comes in on time and within budget. This project will be promoted as part of Totally Thames 2026, our annual season of events taking place along the River Thames in London during September.

Our Global London is a Thames Festival Trust project made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund. The project aims to increase inclusion within the heritage sector. We do this by recruiting a representative cohort of young people (aged 21-25) and offering them:

• a 15-day paid traineeship programme;
• their project research published in a printed book;
• paid participation in public engagement events;
• mentoring sessions with professionals;
• the opportunity to apply for a 3-month paid skill-development internship within 3 partner heritage organisations (3 internships available in total).

Our aspiration is that this will provide real benefit to these young people’s onward progression within the heritage sector.

Heritage subject area: Each of our Heritage Trainees selects a mudlark object to research, with support from experienced mudlarks. They will examine the history of London and the Thames through the lens of three closely entwined concepts – trade, migration and empire – and respond to key research questions:

• What can objects found on the Thames foreshore tell us about London’s global connections in the past?
• How can mudlarked objects shed light on the arrival and formation of migrant communities in London?
• How can mudlarking engage and inspire London’s underrepresented communities who may not consider heritage to be “for them”?

The Heritage Traineeship programme takes place in June and July 2026 (2 days/week) and is based at Cody Dock in Newham. It supports the Heritage Trainees’ research and includes training, workshops with professionals, heritage site visits and time for independent research.

At the end of the Heritage Internship programme, the Heritage Trainees each produce an original essay unpacking their object’s historical context and revealing the river’s connections to global trade, migration and empire. These essays, together with commissioned photography, provide the core contents for a book which will be published and distributed free of charge during Totally Thames festival in September 2026.

We produce a programme of public events and digital content as part of Totally Thames festival 2026, connecting our heritage focus and research with our diverse and motivated audiences. Events include:

• Talks and panel discussions with mudlarks, trainees, historians, curators and archivists in partnership with heritage organisations and venues across London.
• Participation by Heritage Trainees in 3 x Hands on History mudlark exhibitions at Roman Amphitheatre Guildhall, The Crypt St Paul’s Cathedral and London Museum Docklands.

We will produce the following project outputs:

• A webpage;
• A 28-day mudlark-themed photographic installation in the concourse of London Bridge Station promoted as part of Totally Thames festival 2026;
• A series of 10 short films documenting the trainees’ research into mudlarked objects to be shared on mudlarks’ social media platforms.

In October and November, we will provide mentoring sessions with heritage professionals for our Heritage Interns to help guide their progress into further employment. Running from October to December 2026, we provide three 2-days/week, 3-month-long paid internships for three of our Heritage Trainees.

Our aspiration is that through this project we will:

• involve a diverse group of young people in heritage and provide them with tangible opportunities for onward progression in the heritage sector;
• add to the body of research already undertaken on our heritage subject and make this freely available for public access;
• communicate our heritage through a variety of engaging project outputs.

Duties & Responsibilities:

• Relationship management, being the first point of contact with project stakeholders and the general public.
• Write and supply information about the project to colleagues, funders, stakeholders and the media.
• Manage the project budget and liaise on financial matters with relevant Thames Festival Trust staff, before any significant change and/or submission of interim and final reports to funders.
• Recruit, interview, appoint and manage trainees & volunteers.
• Organise induction sessions for trainees & volunteers.
• Arrange and manage training days with archives and museums.
• Supervise research sessions at archives with project stakeholders.
• Compile information pack for trainees about the project and heritage background.
• License research including images and documents for publication in book output of the project.
• Organise and supervise exhibition & book co-design session and support their final development.
• Take part in the evaluation process of the programme.
• Recruit, train and manage trainees for event invigilation.
• Organise wrap-around events of walking tours, workshops and talks, both in person and online.
• Supervise delivery of events.
• Liaise with the Head of Digital, Marketing & Communications across marketing, communications and production to deliver all content needed for both print and digital tools to the specifications outlined and agreed at the start of the project.
• Recruit subject experts to support with development of docu-series film output and confirm those to appear in project film.
• Alongside the project filmmaker, book spaces for film to be shot and liaise with those to appear in film.
• Help develop project narrative and support production of press kit to secure PR coverage and communicate the project clearly.
• Secure all licensing for third party use on all content produced and ensure such content is confirmed in line with National Lottery Heritage Fund digital requirements.
• Ensure all elements are delivered on deadline, within the agreed timeframe.
• Manage the project evaluation process and submit all reporting to NLHF through online portal.
• Work alongside the project evaluator to support the process of undertaking trainee, volunteer, audience and participant surveying and analyse the results.
• Support the evaluator to write a project report to be submitted to stakeholders and funders.
• Assist with special event management including cultivation and networking events, launches, etc.
• Provide support for each other, to cover for each other’s areas of work during absences, to share information and to contribute generally to the smooth running of the TFT organisation and general activities.
• Undertake other duties as may be reasonably required.

Person Specification:

• A motivated self-starter, personable, inspiring confidence, and able to lead diverse teams;
• A good communicator at all levels both within and beyond the organisation;
• Able to take ownership of a project, reporting regularly on progress, and knowing when to ask for support or advice as needed.
• Knowledge of, and experience within, the heritage sector.
• Project management experience and budget management experience.
• Excellent writing, interpretation and presentational skills.
• Confidence in presenting the project to stakeholders, partners, contributors and the general public.
• Ability to interpret the outcomes and vision for the project and apply these to its programme of activities.
• Flexible in approach and able to be quick thinking and resourceful.
• Practical and proactive in attitude and able to support diverse teams.
• Knowledge of and commitment to the principles of diversity and equal opportunities and how to apply them in the workplace.
• Knowledge and experience of managing the delivery of a National Lottery Heritage Funded project.
• Experience of recruiting and managing volunteers, trainees and internships.