Overview
Senior Experience Design Consultant – Heelis,Swindon, United Kingdom
Are you passionate about how people engage with the historic environment and natural world?
Are you skilled at leading multi-disciplinary teams to create ambitious plans for places?
Do you enjoy thinking strategically about business development in purpose driven operations?
We’re looking for a Senior Experience Design Consultant to join our Visitor Experience Proposition team and help shape the future of visitor experiences across the National Trust.
In this strategic role, you’ll have significant scope to innovate a substantial scale of impact. You’ll lead and develop our Experience Design practice, ensuring experiences are audience-led, inclusive, commercially sustainable and rooted in what makes each place distinctive. Working on some of our most significant strategic projects, you’ll bring together audience insight, conservation priorities, access, placemaking and commercial considerations to create meaningful experiences that benefit both people and places. You’ll influence how millions of people experience some of the UK’s most loved places while helping build capability and best practice across the organisation.
Reporting to the Head of Visitor Experience Proposition, you’ll work closely with colleagues across the organisation, including specialists in operations, commercial, communications, fundraising, membership and curation.
As part of a collaborative and purpose-driven team, you’ll help turn audience insight into inspiring visitor experiences. You’ll draw on diverse expertise to influence strategic decisions and support long-term plans for change across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Your contractual location will be our head office in Swindon and there will be an expectation for you to attend the office. However, there is flexibility on where you are based at other times. You’ll be required to work at a National Trust location for 40-60% of your working week. This will be discussed in more detail at interview.
You’ll champion audience-led, inclusive design-led change, helping teams create more welcoming, relevant and impactful experiences. Using audience insight, evidence and design thinking, you’ll shape long-term visions, investment priorities and business plans, providing expert challenge and advice on major projects and programmes. You’ll build capability across the organisation by developing frameworks, tools and partnerships that support effective change, while leading the Experience Design community of practice and supporting the growth of practitioners.
You’ll bring a broad range of the following knowledge, skills and experience, shaped by different roles, sectors or career paths, and the judgment to apply them effectively at scale;
- Detailed understanding of the principles of place-making and creating spaces which promote happiness, health and well-being.
- Experience leading major audience-led, place-based change
- Experience using audience insight to significantly influence business priorities and the design and operation of our properties
- Strong communication, presentation and influencing skills.
- Experience influencing at a senior level both internally and externally
- Experience of people leadership across multidisciplinary teams, creating a collaborative, inclusive environment where different perspectives are valued.
The National Trust has the motto ‘For everyone, for ever’ at its heart. We’re working hard to create an inclusive culture, where everyone feels they belong. It’s important that our people reflect and represent the diversity of the communities and audiences we serve. We welcome and value difference, so when we say we’re for everyone, we want everyone to be welcome in our teams too.
• 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.
Heelis, Kemble Drive, Swindon, SN2 2NASenior Experience Design Consultant Grade 4.pdf Compliance.Eligibility to Work in the UK
Closing Date: 25 October 2026
Interview Date: 20 November 2026
To apply for this vacancy simply click the ‘apply’ button in the top right hand side of the page.
If you need any help with your application, i.e. due to technical difficulties, please call us on 0370 240 0274 or email us at recruitmentenquiries@nationaltrust.org.uk
If you require an adjustment to the application process, for example due to disability or medical condition, please call us on 0370 240 0274 or email us at adjustments@nationaltrustjobs.org.uk and we’ll support you as best as we can. For examples of how, please see our supporting you page.
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.
IMPORTANT: Before applying for this role, please make sure you have the right to work in the country where the role is based. Unless it clearly stipulates within in the job advert above that the hiring company is looking to or able to sponsor applicants it is deemed that the hiring employer will only consider applications from those able to comply with and work in the country where the role is based.
