Head of Research Programme at Future Observatory, Design Museum

Future Observatory is coordinated by the Design Museum in partnership with the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and is the largest publicly funded design research initiative in the UK. The Head of Research Programme reports to the Future Observatory Director, leads the AHRC-funded research portfolio, liaises with grantees, organises roundtables and research forums, oversees budgets, timelines, reporting and evaluation, leads grant writing and fundraising, and line manages the Programme Manager, Community Manager and Coordinator. The museum asks for significant experience of research portfolio management in a higher education institution or an equivalent setting such as a museum or an independent research organisation, experience reporting on the expenditure of public funds and evaluating against KPIs, and knowledge of research activities such as roundtables, forums, design crits and sprints. Salary up to GBP 50,000 a year, 35 hours a week, fixed term until 31 March 2028. The place of work is the Design Museum in Kensington, London, with 60 percent of the role at the museum and 40 percent remote. Applications close on Sunday 25 October 2026 at midnight; interviews are on Wednesday 4 November 2026. Source: Design Museum careers