Events Manager (Public Engagement)

The British Academy – the UK’s national body for the humanities and social sciences – is seeking an Events Manager (Public Engagement) to join the Communications and Marketing department to devise and deliver the year-round public engagement programme.

The role

The role will be responsible for the planning, management and delivery of programmes designed to support researchers to develop their skills and experience in public engagement as a route to impact. This includes the annual flagship Summer Showcase festival, the nationwide public engagement funding scheme SHAPE, Involve and Engage, and key partnerships and collaborations with other organisations in the sector.

You will work closely with the Head of Events and Public Engagement on the strategic development of these programmes and will be responsible for supporting and guiding researchers to develop high-quality, innovative projects which provide meaningful opportunities for two-way dialogue with the public about their research and the humanities and social sciences more broadly.

About you

You will be someone who has passion and experience of delivering high-quality public engagement activities and who thrives in the ‘live’ environment of events and other public-facing activities. You will be equally as comfortable with planning, including developing frameworks for monitoring and evaluation.

You will also have experience in managing and developing people, whether directly managing staff or leading on a task with a dotted-line basis. A core part of this role is working in partnership with both internal teams and external organisations, and so we are looking for someone who is collegiate and flexible and who understands how to build positive working relationships across a diverse range of skillsets and experiences.

You will be joining at an exciting time, with the recent completion of three brand-new state-of-the-art events spaces at our home on Carlton House Terrace and continued growth in the Academy’s role as a research funder. You will play an important role in contributing to the ongoing programme for this new development.

About the Academy

The British Academy is the UK’s national body for the humanities and social sciences, established by Royal Charter in 1902. We mobilise these disciplines to understand the world and shape a brighter future. Today’s complex challenges can only be resolved by deepening our insight into people, culture, and societies. With a Fellowship of around 1,700 leading national and international academics, the Academy invests in researchers and projects across the UK and overseas, engages the public with fresh thinking and debates, and brings together scholars, government, business, and civil society to influence policy.

The Academy currently has five directorates: Communications & Marketing, Development, Policy, Research, and Resources, plus a small Governance & Fellowship Team. We have increased staffing in the last 12 months and expect to continue to grow this year.

Working at the Academy

Our senior management team has worked with staff to foster a culture of collaboration, respect, and empathy in which all contributions are recognised as we work towards our common goals. Our people strategy and working practices focus on building strengths and sharing insights, with learning and development, wellbeing, and equality, diversity and inclusion at the centre of how we operate as an organisation. Investing in our staff and encouraging a healthy work/life balance is central to our success as we move forward and continue to grow. Find out more about the British Academy, including our Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Statement, by visiting our website.

Terms and conditions

The British Academy is based at 10–11, Carlton House Terrace, St James Park, London, SW1 – a Grade 1 listed building. We offer a competitive benefits package, including a 35-hour working week, 34 days’ annual leave plus Bank Holidays, a subsidised canteen and an excellent occupational pension.

How to apply

We use Applied for our recruitment. Applied aims to overcome unconscious bias in recruiting. Instead of using CVs, candidates are asked to answer questions that test the skills needed for the role. The responses are then anonymised and reviewed in a random order by members of the hiring panel.

We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, in line with our commitment to creating a diverse and inclusive working environment, promoting equal opportunity, and addressing under-representation. We will make reasonable adjustments to support disabled job applicants and offer an interview to those meeting the minimum selection criteria.

To apply and to see the full job description and our workplace values, please follow the link to apply now on the Applied recruitment platform. Please contact the HR team if you have any questions.

Closing date: Noon on 30 April 2025.