Assistant Director Audience Engagement - Maternity cover

ROYAL HOSPITAL CHELSEA; London; On-site; GBP 125,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job description

This is an exceptional opportunity to join the Royal Hospital Chelsea as Assistant Director of Audience Engagement on a fixed term contract to cover maternity leave. A core focus of the role is to develop the Royal Hospital Chelsea into a national heritage destination while ensuring our community of veterans remains at the heart of everything we do.

During this fixed term contract, you will be responsible for delivering our public engagement strategy, and drive visits to, and engagement with, the Royal Hospital Chelsea’s heritage, supporting sustained and manageable footfall and increased income through public programmes, secondary spend and commercial visitor opportunities.

You will oversee the successful delivery and operation of the new Visitor Centre within the recently restored Soane Stable Yard, ensuring the visitor experience both onsite and digital is inspiring, inclusive, and impactful. You will also lead our contribution to the Chelsea Heritage Quarter, including co-delivering the annual Chelsea History Festival, working alongside key partners: the National Army Museum and Chelsea Physic Garden.

This role carries senior leadership responsibility, including line management of a talented team covering public programmes, community engagement, visitor experience, and retail. You are also responsible for managing RHC’s relationship with a café concession. You will work closely with colleagues across the Royal Hospital Chelsea and externally to grow our public reach and income potential, positioning the Royal Hospital Chelsea prominently within London’s cultural landscape and the wider heritage sector.

About You

We are looking for an inspiring, strategic leader with a proven track record in the heritage, museums, or visitor attraction sector. You will bring significant experience in audience engagement or similar roles, including at least five in a senior leadership or management capacity. You will be adept at developing and delivering public-facing programmes, and leading a high-performing, multidisciplinary team.

The successful candidate will be a creative thinker with excellent communication skills, a strong grasp of commercial opportunities, and the ability to develop inclusive strategies that attract core, target, and hard-to-reach audiences.

About Us

The Royal Hospital Chelsea, home of the iconic Chelsea Pensioners since 1692, provides both sheltered accommodation and full nursing care for up to 300 retired British Army veterans.

The ethos of the Royal Hospital is one that puts a premium on selflessness and companionship. Our values of nurturing belonging, respecting individuals, encouraging pride, and enjoying life underpin that ethos. We are united in a shared purpose, living and working together and ensuring everyone has a place in our diverse social and military community.

The Royal Hospital Chelsea is dedicated to equality, diversity, and inclusion, where all backgrounds and abilities can reach their full potential. We pride ourselves on attracting a wide range of talent, removing potential barriers, and promoting equal opportunities. We know, the more varied and inclusive our teams are, the better our organisation will be for our community. We are a Disability Confident employer dedicated to hiring diverse talent and ensuring you are treated with respect throughout the recruitment process and upon joining our community.

Our selection process

Should your application be successful, you will be invited to a formal interview, where you will be asked questions relating to your experiences and key requirements of the role. If you are successful after the interviews we will:

1. Ask for references from those you have listed on your application form.
2. Check your right to live and work in the UK.
3. Check any declarations you have made on your application form.
4. Ask you to complete a medical form.
5. Carry out an Enhanced DBS application.