Cultural & Heritage Benchmarking Co-ordinator

Job Summary

Kew is hiring a freelance Cultural & Heritage Benchmarking Co-ordinator, to support research into sector-wide best practice, as part of our £10m NLHF funding application.

Job Description

Kew's iconic Palm House was constructed between 1844 and 1848 by engineer Richard Turner, based on designs by Decimus Burton. Built to house tropical plants brought back by Victorian scientists and collectors, it remains one of the most recognised glasshouses in the world. Last restored between 1984 and 1988, the Palm House is now due for another major refurbishment. As part of Kew's Manifesto for Change, the Palm House will be re-imagined as a lush tropical rainforest environment that helps visitors understand how these extraordinarily diverse ecosystems regulate the global climate and why they require urgent protection.

Kew is currently developing a Delivery Phase proposal for submission to the National Lottery Heritage Fund in August 2026. This proposal will support both the renovation of the Palm House and the delivery of an Activity Plan designed to engage, grow, and diversify audiences. The Activity Plan will follow National Lottery Heritage Fund guidance and includes consultation, testing of ideas, and benchmarking against comparable organisations and projects.

Benchmarking allows teams to understand sector practice, identify indicators of success, and situate Kew's work within the wider heritage and engagement landscape. This is a crucial phase of activity design, informing best practice and assisting with ambitious, achievable goal setting.

Job Requirements

We are seeking a highly motivated and organised individual to support the benchmarking process of our National Lottery Heritage Fund application. Working independently and in collaboration with Activity Leads (who are responsible for designing funded activities), you will research heritage sector industry standards by directly contacting comparable projects and organisations, gathering vital information to ensure that Kew's proposed activities grow our profile as a leader in the field.

This freelance role is an opportunity to work at the heart of the cultural and heritage sector, learning about a wide range of leading projects and organisations. You will work in a fast-paced environment to meet strict deadlines, as part of a supportive team who is passionate about what they do, to support a funding application with national impact and international significance.

Job Responsibilities

The co-ordinator will be expected to:
Work closely with the project team to identify relevant organisations and initiatives to benchmark against.
Agree a set of comparison points with the team for benchmarking.
Work with Activity Leads to identify and contact relevant projects and organisations.
Collating of benchmarking information from participating organisations, organise, analyse and document the information collected and findings.
Produce a benchmarking report summarising the findings.
Circulate the benchmarking findings internally within Kew, including with teams involved in the Activity Plan. Where appropriate, share benchmarking findings with participating organisations.

The co-ordinator will be responsible for delivering:

A benchmarking framework, outlining methodology and rationale
Benchmarking reports for each of the 14 activities in the funding application, collecting and summarising data for Activity Leads
Summative report aligning with NLHF aims

Useful Links

Job Description

Job Overview

Job Title: Cultural & Heritage Benchmarking Co-ordinator
Salary: £30k-£40k
Hours: Full time
Artform: Museums
Role: Research
Contract: Contract
Closing date: Mon, 25 May 2026
Location:

London

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Job: Cultural & Heritage Benchmarking Co-ordinator

Organisation: Royal Botanical Gardens Kew

Postcode: TW9 3JR

How to Apply

To apply for this role, please contact Tomara Garrod ([email protected]) with the following information:
• A CV detailing your experience.
• A cover letter of no more than 2 pages.

Applications to be submitted by 23:59 on 25th May

Contact name: Tomara Garrod
Contact email: [email protected]

About Royal Botanical Gardens Kew

International leader in botanical research and education. Sites include Kew Gardens, the largest and most diverse botanical and mycological collections in the world, and Wakehurst, which hosts the Millenium Seed Bank.

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