Head of Executive Office

National Trust; Swindon; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension up to 10%

Free entry to National Trust places

Rental deposit loan

Season ticket loan

EV car lease scheme

Perks at work discounts

Holiday entitlement up to 32 days + 1

Flexible working

Employee assistance programme

Free parking at most Trust places

Job summary

The National Trust is seeking a Head of Executive Office on an 18-month fixed-term contract based in Swindon with a hybrid working pattern. Reporting to the Strategy & Governance Director, you will coordinate activity, align teams and enable effective decision-making at the highest level, supporting the delivery of the new strategy.

You’ll lead an established Executive Office, working with the Executive Team and senior leaders to ensure proactive, professional support and high-quality delivery

Qualifications

• Experience leading a Chief Executive’s Office or similar in a large organisation.
• Strong judgement and prioritisation for senior leadership.
• Ability to build trusted relationships with executive directors and external stakeholders.
• Inclusive leadership and developing diverse teams.
• Discretion and resilience when handling sensitive information.
• Ability to coordinate activity and enable effective decision-making at the highest level.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Executive Office, providing proactive, professional support to the Director General and Chair.
• Coordinate priorities across the Strategy & Governance directorate and align plans.
• Oversee projects and initiatives to improve organisational effectiveness.
• Build relationships with the Executive Team and senior leaders.
• Enable decision-making and ensure the team delivers high-quality work behind the scenes.

Skills

Leadership

Stakeholder management

Relationship building

Judgement

Inclusivity

Discretion

Job description

Summary

We’re looking for a Head of Executive Office to join our team on an 18-month fixed term contract. Reporting to the Strategy & Governance Director, you’ll work closely with them and the rest of the Strategy & Governance senior leadership team. Together you’ll help create the conditions that allow others to succeed across the organisation and deliver our new strategy.

We’re looking for a Head of Executive Office to join our team on an 18-month fixed term contract. Reporting to the Strategy & Governance Director, you’ll work closely with them and the rest of the Strategy & Governance senior leadership team. Together you’ll help create the conditions that allow others to succeed across the organisation and deliver our new strategy. In this strategic leadership role, you’ll have responsibility for coordinating activity, building alignment across teams and enabling effective decision-making at the highest level.

What It's Like To Work Here

The National Trust’s commitment is “For everyone, for ever.” Bringing that promise to life starts with the people that work here. It means building teams with a diverse range of backgrounds, cultures, and experiences. It means creating an inclusive environment where everyone can thrive. Our positions are open to all, and we welcome applications from all backgrounds to support our ambitions of reflecting the communities we serve and ending unequal access.

Your contractual location will be our head office in Swindon. However, we operate a hybrid approach to working and expect colleagues to spend 40-60% of their working week at a National Trust location. There is flexibility within this framework, and the specific working pattern for this role will be discussed in more detail at interview.

What You’ll Be Doing

Our Executive Office is well established and highly valued, with an engaged team that are well performing team committed to continuous improvement. Reporting to the Strategy & Governance Director, you’ll work closely together, with the Executive Team and senior leaders across the organisation, helping create the conditions that allow others to succeed. This is a role for someone who enjoys bringing people together, building trusted relationships and enabling great work behind the scenes.

Working as an integrated part of the Strategy & Governance senior leadership team, you’ll help maintain a view of priorities across the directorate, bringing together plans, identifying dependencies and supporting collaboration. You’ll lead projects and initiatives that improve organisational effectiveness, oversee special pieces of work and continue to develop a capable and high-performing Executive Office team.

You’ll lead the Executive Office, ensuring the team provide proactive, professional and high-quality support to the Director General and Chair. You’ll focus on building on the team’s success and continuing to develop capability.

You’ll oversee the planning and coordination that enables the Director General to focus on strategic priorities, key relationships and opportunities that deliver the greatest organisational impact.

Who We're Looking For

• Experience leading a Chief Executive’s Office, Executive Office or similar function within a large and complex organisation, providing support to senior organisational leadership.
• Judgement and decision-making skills, with the ability to prioritise competing demands and make informed decisions on behalf of senior leaders.
• Collaborative relationship-building and influencing skills with the ability to build trust and work effectively with Executive Directors, senior leaders and external stakeholders.
• Well-developed leadership skills with experience of developing diverse teams and creating an inclusive culture where different perspectives are valued.
• Experience managing competing organisational priorities and exercising sound judgement in the allocation of senior executive time and attention.
• Ability to maintain discretion, resilience and professionalism when working with highly sensitive information and high-profile stakeholders.

The package

• Substantial pension scheme of up to 10% basic salary
• Free entry to National Trust places for you, a guest and your children (under 18)
• Rental deposit loan scheme
• 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.
• Flexible working whenever possible
• Employee assistance programme
• Free parking at most Trust places

Click here to find out more about the benefits we offer to support you.

National Trust place

Heelis, Kemble Drive, Swindon, SN2 2NA

Documents

Head of Executive Office - Grade 4.pdf

Requirements

Compliance.Eligibility to Work in the UK

Closing Date

04 October 2026

Interview Dates: 1st stage - 15 September 2026, this will be a multiple step process and further dates will be confirmed.

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 a 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.