Placemaking Manager

BETTER BANKSIDE; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 43,000 - 51,000; Full time

Job summary

A community-focused organization in London seeks a Placemaking Manager to lead transformative placemaking projects enhancing the Bankside area. The role demands creativity, strategic thinking, and collaboration with various stakeholders to improve public spaces and promote sustainability. Applicants should have strong project management experience and a background in working with community stakeholders. This is a full-time position involving some flexible hours and a commitment to making a positive community impact.

Benefits

Flexible working hours

Opportunities for professional development

Engagement with local businesses

Qualifications

• Demonstrable experience of managing effective partnerships with external public/private stakeholders.
• Experience of day-to-day managing people and supporting their workstreams.
• Good knowledge of key regional and national policies influencing public realm improvement.

Responsibilities

• Lead role in the establishment and delivery of diverse placemaking projects.
• Oversee contract administration for works from concept to completion.
• Develop evidence and investment cases for increased greening interventions.

Skills

Project Management

Creative Thinking

Collaboration

Strategic Planning

Stakeholder Management

Education

Relevant degree or equivalent experience

Job description

Job Details

Title: Placemaking Manager

Remuneration: £43,970

Hours: Full time. Some early morning, evening and weekend working required.

Location: Better Bankside, Bankside Space, 18 Great Guildford Street, London SE1 0FD

Contract: Permanent

Reporting to: Director of Place

Deadline: 15 / 12 / 25 - Interviews w / c 05 / 01 / 26

Job Overview

Better Bankside is seeking a dynamic, collaborative and creative Placemaking Manager to support our ambition for a stronger, greener, happier Bankside. This is an exciting opportunity to work with strategic partners and member businesses to leverage value and opportunity from the public realm, establishing and executing a diverse range of transformative placemaking projects that deliver on our five-year plan. BB-Strategy-2025-30.pdf

Bankside is one of London’s most interesting places, layered in history and culture as well as home to a diverse, connected and future-focused business community. Better Bankside leads the partnership of these businesses, delivering effective projects and services that benefit not just Bankside but other parts of Southwark as well.

The America Street project is using regional grant funding to invest c£500K in transforming existing highway into a high-quality shared space for walking, cycling and wheeling. The project is in partnership with Mayor of London, Southwark Council and local business supporting economic growth as well as cleaner air and safer travel.

Better Bankside is one of the UK’s longest established Business Improvement Districts and following a successful ballot in autumn 2024, is now at the start of a fifth five-year term. The Placemaking Manager will join at a pivotal moment: shaping and delivering a range of ‘place’ goals and outcomes at the heart of our five-year plan.

The Hope Exchange is an exemplar in small scale creative placemaking. In collaboration with a major Bankside cultural stakeholder BB will re-design and re-purpose the space as an area for creative art display as well as an opportunity for people to sit and connect.

Innovation, collaboration, and strong partnerships are central to Better Bankside’s success, and the Placemaking Manager will play a key role in a driven, goal-focused team, working alongside some of London's most influential stakeholders.

The Low Line is a partner led, urban regeneration initiative that has brought new life and investment to the Victorian railway viaduct connecting diverse neighbourhoods through Bankside, London Bridge, and Bermondsey. Through repurposing underused space, The Low Line has been successful in creating new opportunities for innovation, culture, connection and biodiversity. A public art collaboration focusing on climate justice is planned as well as a partner review of Low Line thinking and context. The Placemaking Manager will be involved with shaping the next chapter for the Low Line.

Main Responsibilities

• The Placemaking Manager is responsible for establishing and successfully executing a diverse range of projects and programmes as part of Better Bankside’s commitment to a stronger, greener, happier neighbourhood. These include :
• Take a lead role in the establishment and successful delivery of place projects within Bankside’s public and private realm from concept through to completion. Projects are likely to include hard and soft works as well as commissioning public art and creative interventions.
• Lead on contract administration for works from brief through procurement and selection to on site and completion.
• Working with the Director of Place and the Sustainability Manager to develop an evidence case and investment case for increased nature and greening interventions across the Bankside neighbourhood, with an action plan of sites for delivery.
• Working with the Director of Place to develop and provide expertise and resource for successfully delivering capital projects within the public and private realm.
• Ownership of ‘Place Management Database’ a live tool for identifying, validating and prioritising public realm projects within the Bankside neighbourhood.
• Working across Better Bankside team as well as core partners for the day to day and strategic management of Better Bankside’s Low Line Assets (x2 railway arches) promoting and securing longer term cultural, community and sustainability uses.
• Represent Better Bankside and our interests with stakeholders in place meetings and on core collaborative workstreams.
• Work with the Director of Place to establish new governance for the BB Placemaking programme.
• Working with the Director of Place, Sustainability Manager and partners, assisting in the delivery of sustainable travel projects and programmes.
• Working with the Director of Place on grant funding applications and business cases for investment in public realm, nature, greening, arts and culture.
• Working with Better Bankside’s Communications and Engagement team, produce regular communications and marketing of our placemaking action to our members and across wider social media and general media.
• Support the Executive Team in developing our data and insight capability.
• Line Management of Better Bankside’s Urban Gardener
• Undertake any other reasonable service or project management-related duties, deemed to fit within the remit of the postholder.

Person Specification – Qualities and Attributes

We are looking for a creative placemaking professional who is eager to take the next step in an ambitious career. Driven by a desire to make positive change, you will be a collaborator and problem-solver; a strategic thinker and confident communicator; keen to learn and willing to get stuck in.

You will thrive in a small, successful organisation with a reputation for innovation and the delivery of high quality, high impact projects.

Key knowledge and experience

• A proven ability to think and act creatively, to seek out opportunities that support the goals of Better Bankside and convert into successful projects.
• Demonstrable experience of using recognised Project Management fundamentals, processes and tools to successfully deliver projects from inception through to completion leveraging value from the public realm.
• Demonstrable experience of developing strategic action plans and / or research and data analysis that supports Better Bankside project and programme delivery with a focus on leveraging value from the public realm.
• Demonstrable experience of managing effective partnerships with external public / private stakeholders to actively secure funding for, co-design and co-deliver Better Bankside projects and programmes,
• Demonstrable experience of brief development, commissioning and delivering professional services contracts (external consultants) and capital works contracts.
• Good knowledge of key regional and national policies that influence and regulate delivery of public realm improvement such as mitigation and resilience, sustainable transport, safety and inclusion, arts and culture.
• Some knowledge and / or experience of application for statutory consents such as Local Planning Authority applications, Highways Authority applications / licenses.
• Experience of annual business planning aligning plans with longer term strategic goals and objectives.
• Experience of day to day managing people, supporting their workstreams and professional development.

About Better Bankside

Better Bankside was one of the first Business Improvement Districts (BID) in the UK, established in 2004.

We are a partnership of local businesses, working closely with other community stakeholders to co-create a programme of projects and services that benefits the whole Bankside neighbourhood. Our core purpose is to support local businesses and make a positive impact in our community.

As a BID, we are funded by a mandatory levy on businesses within a defined boundary. BIDs are established through a ballot process, and every five years must return to their members to secure a majority vote in favour of their continuation. Our last ballot took place in November 2024, achieving overwhelming support from the business community, with 91% voting for another five years of Better Bankside.

Better Bankside is an organisation where you can make a real impact; and where you can expect to get involved in a wide-ranging programme of work. We are a small team of fifteen in the Bankside office, plus our wardens and street cleaning teams. The way that we work with our members through our governance structure provides an extended network of regular collaborators and contributors.

Working arrangements

Better Bankside offers a flexible working policy. Core hours are 10am – 4pm, Monday to Friday, with the ability to flex two hours to suit personal needs. Some evening and weekend work will be required in accordance with the needs of the post. Due to the nature of our work it is expected that a minimum of three days per week will be based in the office with up to two days working from home.

How to apply

At Better Bankside, we celebrate diversity and promote equality and inclusion amongst our staff. We welcome applications from all, regardless of personal characteristics or background.

As part of our commitment to being a more inclusive and diverse organisation, we use the Applied platform to reduce bias in the recruitment process.