Regional Director

We’re looking for a Regional Director to lead our London & South East region. This is a pivotal leadership position at the heart of our ambition to deliver lasting impact for people, places and nature. Operating in one of the most complex and high‑profile regions, you’ll bring together strategic leadership, operational delivery and external engagement at scale.

You’ll lead a team of more than 2000 staff and take responsibility for leading our strategy across the region, while holding and developing relationships with civic partners, donors, trustees and communities. The role reports in the Chief Operating Officer and requires confident and collaborative working with national strategic leads. You’ll have a focus on partnership building, fundraising, influencing and system leadership alongside accountability for performance and outcomes across the region.

The National Trust’s commitment is “For everyone, for ever.” Bringing that promise to life starts with the people that work here. It means building teams with a diverse range of backgrounds, cultures, and experiences. It means creating an inclusive environment where everyone is able to thrive. Our positions are open to all, and we welcome applications from all backgrounds to support our ambitions of reflecting the communities we serve and ending unequal access.

Salary: £112,500 - £125,000, dependant on experience.

What it's like to work here

This is a high‑trust, high‑impact environment where leadership really matters. You’ll have 7 direct reports including Assistant Directors and Business Services Managers. The region will bring a wide variety of stakeholders including trustees, historic families, major donors and political partners offering a unique opportunity to shape agendas that extend well beyond organisational boundaries. You’ll have close exposure to national leaders and play an active part in shaping thinking, capability and ways of working organisation wide.

As this role covers the London and South East region, your contractual place of work can be one of the National Trust offices within your region. Our hybrid working policy means you can balance office and home working with site visits and meetings at other National Trust places. We’ll talk about this in more detail at interview, but you should expect to be at a National Trust site for 40–60% of your working week.

What you'll be doing

You’ll provide visible, confident leadership to a large operational team as well as more than 12000 volunteers. With national colleagues you will set clear direction and enable teams to deliver the regional business plan in line with national priorities.

The role is accountable for the care and operation of the beautiful and diverse land and buildings that we hold for the nation, but the task stretches far beyond these places to deliver our strategy for everyone in the region.

Acting as our senior representative in the region, you’ll build and hold key external relationships, including civic leaders and major partners, and lead on deal‑making, influence and fundraising activity. A core part of the role is making the operating model work in practice, integrating systems, aligning teams and embedding continuous improvement. You’ll balance strategic vision with hands‑on leadership, ensuring the region delivers for communities now while contributing to our long‑term ambitions to restore nature, end unequal access and inspire people to engage with nature and heritage.

Who we're looking for

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:

• Proven success in relationship management and influencing external bodies and organisations, with a track record of delivering ambitious commercial targets.
• Leadership of multi-functional teams, managing and motivating to deliver strategic priorities.
• Experience of leading & embedding major change; technological, behavioural, cultural.
• Demonstrable experience of managing and developing high performing teams.
• Business and financial acumen.
• Clear visionary thinking and strategic ability.
• Builds alliances for nature & culture

The package

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