Programme Manager & Urban Designer

The King’s Foundation
The King’s Foundation provides holistic solutions to challenges facing the world today. We champion a sustainable approach to how we live our lives and build our communities, we run a diverse programme of education and training for all ages and backgrounds, and we regenerate and care for places where communities thrive and that visitors enjoy.
We work nationally and internationally but at the heart of our organisation is the heritage-led regeneration of the Dumfries House estate and its wider community, where our principles and philosophies are explored and put into practice.
The work of The King’s Foundation is inspired by our Founder and President, His Majesty The King, and his philosophy of harmony: that by understanding the balance, the order and the relationships between ourselves and the natural world we can create a more sustainable future.
We have a diverse and inclusive workplace, creating a welcoming, safe space for everyone. This means that every member of our team can bring their whole self to work. We encourage qualified applicants from a wide range of backgrounds to apply to and join The King’s Foundation and bring their valuable skills and experiences.
The Foundation is committed to the equal treatment of all current and prospective employees, including the provision of workplace adjustments.
We do not tolerate discrimination based on protected characteristics (age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, gender identity, or marriage and civil partnership) or other difference such as socio-economic background or social origin.
The Role
Reporting to an Associate Director within the Architecture and Heritage Projects Team, the Programme Manager and Urban Designer will be responsible for coordinating and managing key
projects on behalf of The Foundation, both in the UK and internationally – with particular emphasis on the ongoing development and rollout of The Foundation’s Rapid Planning Toolkit.
Key Tasks
The key objectives and specific duties will include:
Urban Design and Sustainable Place-making
Work with the Projects Director and team in facilitating design workshops and stakeholder engagement, and collating all outputs for review;
Developing design solutions and strategies for a project;
Preparing high quality visualisations from sketch through to illustrative and presentation standard;
Producing urban design framework plans with supporting strategies and design codes.
Coordination, rollout and application of Rapid Planning Toolkit (RPT) as a tool for both education and practical implementation, including:
Continuing to develop the suite of online courses for the RPT with UCEM and other partners, embedding the courses on the RPT website, and coordinating periodic update of the online materials to incorporate ongoing learning from practice;
Working with partners to develop and manage rollout of the RPT through online courses and other media as appropriate, to institutions and universities across the Commonwealth;
Exploring and developing potential twinning or mentoring in use of RPT between more well-resourced parts of the Commonwealth and those lacking capacity;
Promoting, overseeing and coordinating RPT case studies and pilot projects, in collaboration with other members of the Projects Team;
Collaborating with partners and The Foundation’s Development Team to identify and secure funding for implementation of the RPT to demonstrate impact on the ground.
Communications and Engagement
Leading or supporting delivery of workshops and presenting at events (both in-person and online) related to the RPT and other urban design projects;
Providing regular communications with partners and agencies in relation to the RPT and other project responsibilities, coordinating with The Foundation’s communications team;
Supporting development and delivery of events profiling The Foundation’s work, including in the UK and occasionally at international conferences.
Strategy
Support the Associate Director and the Executive Director to further the RPT and Projects Team strategy, and to identify and strengthen new opportunities as required;
Working with other departments within The Foundation, including Fundraising and Education, as necessary for the advancement of the RPT and other project responsibilities.
The Foundation works with a wide range of partners, meaning it is inevitable that tasks and responsibilities may change and adapt over the life of a project. All staff are therefore expected to work in a flexible way when the occasion arises, undertaking tasks which are not specifically covered in their Job Description.
Person Specification
The skills, knowledge and experience required are:
Professional qualification in planning, urban design or relevant built environment discipline, and a minimum of five years’ experience;
Highly organised, with experience of project management, ideally including complex international networks and projects;
Experience, interest and understanding of international development;
Proven stakeholder management skills, with ability to manage events;
Ability to manage research and training programmes with a range of stakeholder groups;
Ability to work collaboratively with others, including people from diverse cultures and backgrounds at all levels;
Fully proficient in Adobe Creative Cloud Suite, notably InDesign, Illustrator and Photoshop for the creation of event materials and reports;
Ideally proficient in AutoCAD for the creation and production of information for urban design and master planning projects;
Experience in Sketch-Up and 3D modelling;
Proven ability to self-manage, coordinate travel arrangements and engagements;
Strong oral communication skills; highly efficient administrative and report writing skills;
Experience in hosting Zoom Meetings and Zoom Webinar events;
Knowledge and experience using social media platforms to report on events.
Other:
The post will be based at The Foundation’s offices at 19-22 Charlotte Road, London EC2A 3SG. A degree of flexible hybrid working may be possible, while the position may also require periodic travel internationally.
The initial contract will be for a period of 12 months, with the possibility of extension.
Hours of work are 37.5 hours per week, Monday to Friday.
In addition to public holidays, 22 days annual leave are given, three days of which may be required to be taken between Christmas and the New Year.
You must have the legal right to work in the UK.
Enrolment in the charity’s pension scheme, managed by Royal London.
Applications:
Please submit a completed Application Form together with a cover letter and CV (please note four A4 page maximum for CV and one A4 page maximum for letter) to Gordon Watson, email address:- #####