Living Labs Cultural Heritage & Climate

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Working with people in over 200 countries and territories, we are on the ground in more than 100 countries.

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Living Labs Cultural Heritage & Climate Manager

Purpose of the role:

 The British Council are a partner in the EU Horizon funded European partnership for Resilient Cultural Heritage. The European Partnership for Resilient Cultural Heritage aims to enhance the preservation of cultural heritage while addressing the impacts of climate change and promoting sustainable practices. It aligns with the European Green Deal and the Creative Europe programme, facilitating research on heritage resilience and sustainable management.

The British Council is leading two strands of this EU Horizon funded partnership programme:

 Accelerating transfer to policy and society: a living labs approach which positions Living Labs as both a testing ground for emerging findings across the partnership and a long-term participatory infrastructure for embedding cultural heritage within relevant climate change and sustainability and green transitions.

Fostering international collaboration which focuses on Cultural Heritage and Climate Policy Engagement including the developing an international engagement strategy for the Partnership and engagement with policy platforms.

Over the next five years, working with partners from across the Partnership, you will lead on:

• Mapping of current Living Labs around Cultural Heritage and Climate across the EU
• Develop a Living Labs methodology for Cultural Heritage and Climate Change
• Pilot and review the Living Labs methodology

Working with EU partners, research institutions, cultural actors and policy platforms, the Senior Manager will design, test and scale methodologies that enable cultural heritage to inform climate policy, community resilience and green transition agendas.

Accountabilities:

•  Map the landscape of existing Cultural Heritage & Climate Living Labs across the EU, identifying models, gaps, capabilities and opportunities for alignment.
• Develop a shared Living Labs methodology tailored to cultural heritage, climate resilience and sustainable transitions, co‑designed with partners and grounded in participatory, community‑led practice.
• Pilot, test and refine the methodology across selected small number of sites, ensuring robust learning, evaluation and evidence generation.
• Lead cross‑partner coordination for the Living Labs workstream, ensuring coherence with research outputs, policy engagement and the Partnership’s strategic objectives.
• Oversee monitoring, evaluation and learning, ensuring evidence informs EU reporting, policy dialogues and future programme design.
• Manage budgets, risks and governance requirements, ensuring compliance with EU Horizon frameworks and British Council standards.

Requirements of the role:

•  Strong presentation and communication skills
• Embedding culture and behavioural change to improve effectiveness and efficiency
• Evidence based decision making and problem solving
• Relationship building and management
• Understanding of the dynamics of EU Cultural Heritage and climate sectors and of the related academic and policy landscape
• Understanding of EU Horizon reporting requirements

Important Information:

Department: Research & Insight, Cultural Engagement.

Contract type: FTC for 5 years
Pay band: 8

Salary: £40, 381 - £47,418 plus £3,300 London Market Allowance if you are based in the London area only. 

Benefits:

32 days annual leave plus public holidays

Excellent Civil Service Pension Scheme

Location of the role:  London, Cardiff, Edinburgh or Belfast ONLY.  

Closing Date: Sunday 1st November 2026 at 23:59 UK time.

Please note that candidates must have the pre-existing, legal right to work in the UK at the time of application.  Mobility / relocation / visa sponsoring support will not be provided.
 

A connected and trusted UK in a more connected and trusted world.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Statement

We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion and welcome applications from all sections of the community as we believe that a diverse workforce gives added depth to our work. The British Council is a Disability Confident Employer. The Disability Confident scheme helps challenge attitudes, increase understanding of disability and ensure staff are drawn from the widest possible pool of talent. We guarantee an interview for disabled applicants who meet the minimum role requirements. We welcome discussions about specific requirements or adjustments to enable participation and engagement in our work and activities.

Safeguarding Statement

The British Council is committed to safeguarding children, young people and adults who we work with. We believe that all children and adults everywhere in the world deserve to live in safe environments and have the right to be protected from all forms of abuse, maltreatment and exploitation as set out in article 19, UNCRC (United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child) 1989. Appointment to positions where there is direct involvement with vulnerable groups will be dependent on thorough checks being completed in line with legal requirements and with the British Council’s Safeguarding policies for Adults and Children.

If you experience any difficulties with submitting your application, please email [email protected]