Natural History Museum
Strategic Planning and Impact Lead
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About Us
We are a world-class visitor attraction and leading science research centre. We use the Museum's unique collections and our unrivalled expertise to tackle the biggest challenges facing the world today. We care for more than 80 million objects spanning billions of years and welcome more than five million visitors annually and 16 million visits to our website.
Today the Museum is more relevant and influential than ever. By attracting people from a range of backgrounds to work for us, we can continue to look at the world with fresh eyes and find new ways of doing things.
We employ 1100 staff in a variety of roles, all united by our vision of a future where people and planet thrive. We need everyone to have the passion and drive to help us with our mission to create advocates for our planet and inspire millions to care about the natural world.
Diversity and inclusion matter to us.
Our vision is of a future where both people and the planet thrive. Diversity is one of our core values and we strive to build a workplace where everyone feels a sense of belonging. All new staff who join us learn about the importance of diversity and inclusion to the Museum and how to contribute to creating an inclusive environment.
We know we have more to do, but we are committed to ensuring that everyone who works at the Museum feels they can thrive and feel valued and respected.
About The Role
The Strategic Planning and Impact Lead is a member of the Strategy and Planning Team which is part of the Strategy and Innovation Department. The Department encompasses a number of areas, focus on global commercial activity – through our Touring exhibitions, future innovation and commercial opportunities for the Museum and ensuring that the Museum has an effective strategy and can deliver that through optimum cross-organisational working.
The Strategy and Planning Team works across the organisation to shape its long-term direction, track progress and ensure the Museum is working as effectively as possible. In short, helping the Museum make smart decisions about what to do next and how to do it effectively.
Reporting to the Head of Strategic Planning, the Strategic Planning and Impact Lead is a trusted and highly visible member of the Museum’s Strategy and Planning Team, working closely with multiple stakeholders across all levels of the organisation including the most senior; Museum Director, Executive Board and Board of Trustees to ensure that the current Museum strategy is delivered effectively, that there is a culture of continuous improvement and strategic transformation and that there is sufficient future thinking about our Strategy beyond 2031. This is a role for someone capable of clear strategic thinking, confidently able to navigate complex priorities independently using sound judgement, excellent communication skills and professionalism, delivering to the highest quality.
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About You
We are looking for an experienced strategic thinker and communicator. You will be organised and structured in both planning and delivering work, able to demonstrate a good balance between both detailed and big picture thinking.
You will be an articulate and confident communicator, able to build good working relationships and trust with senior stakeholders internally and externally. You will be adept at facilitating cross-organisational discussions working collaboratively and effectively with cross-functional teams.
You will be a good team player and able to work independently within both a face to face and remote team culture. You will take a proactive, solutions-focused approach to problem-solving and will have a keen interest in the long-term implications of new or emerging plans.
Thriving at the Museum: the way we work
We are proud to work at the Museum and have identified the qualities we all need to embody to reach our shared ambition. This sits alongside the Museum’s values and forms the framework for the way we work.
Find out more here
What We Offer
- 27.5 days holiday plus 8 bank holidays (full time equivalent)
- Generous defined contribution Natural History Museum Pension Scheme (employer contribution 4 - 10%)
- Season ticket, bicycle and rental loan
- Life insurance
- Free admission to our exhibitions and many other paid exhibitions at museums, galleries and institutions across London and the UK.
- Staff discount at our Museum shops and cafes
- We offer a wide variety of training initiatives and opportunities to build skills. Investing in staff development is important to us, and we are ambitious about helping staff to grow and fulfil their potential.
- Affordable membership to the Civil Service Sports Council which offers a range of benefits including an extensive list of special offers and reduced entry fees at a selection of cinema chains, theme parks, theatres, retailers and supermarkets. It also provides entry to up to 300 English Heritage sites and other national treasures. For more details, visit https://www.cssc.co.uk
- Membership to our Sports and Social Association (for a small fee), which includes access to our in-house gym and clubs such as football, softball, table tennis and tennis and classes in Middle Eastern dance, yoga and Tai Chi
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Hybrid working
We are working towards a vision where both people and planet thrive, and nothing gives a greater connection with this, than seeing first-hand, the visitors, scientific research and collections that all of our work is inspired by and working side by side with the teams delivering the visitor experience and events. We also recognise the benefits and flexibility that hybrid working brings. We operate a hybrid working model that requires regular, weekly attendance for this role, with the precise pattern of days on site and worked from home to be agreed with your manager.
How To Apply
If this sounds like you, please apply below by clicking on Apply for job.
Please note that as part of our commitment to anonymised shortlisting, panels do not view CVs during the recruitment process. If you choose to upload your CV, our system will automatically pull information from your CV into our application form. We advise you to double-check your application form data before submitting as the tool may interpret CVs differently.
Closing date: 31 August 2026 at 23:59
Interviews expected: w/c 14 September 2026
Please note that this role does not qualify for Museum sponsorship so the successful postholder will need to have a valid right to work in the UK at the point of offer.
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