Director, People's Palace Projects

Queen Mary University of London - School of the Arts

Location:	London
Salary:	£64,331 to £71,834 per annum (pro-rata), inclusive of London allowance.
Hours:	Full Time
Contract Type:	Permanent

Placed On:	19th January 2026
Closes:	30th January 2026
Job Ref:	8781

About the Role

We are seeking a Director to lead People’s Palace Projects (PPP), a research centre using the arts to address social and environmental injustices in the UK, Brazil and beyond. Based in the School of the Arts at Queen Mary University of London, PPP brings together artists, activists, academics and audiences. As Director, you will shape PPP’s strategic vision and ensure its continued local, national and global impact.

The post is based at the Mile End Campus in London. It is a full-time (35 hours per week), permanent appointment, with an expected start date of 1st April 2026. The starting salary will be Grade 7, in the range of £64,331 - £71,834 per annum (pro-rata), inclusive of London allowance.

About You

You will hold a PhD, or equivalent professional experience, with proven leadership experience in the arts, research and community engagement sectors. You will have strong expertise in participatory arts practices and experience of raising grant funding for, and leading, international participatory art-based research projects. You will have the ability to provide strategic direction and vision and have experience of senior management in a UK not-for-profit organisation and of translating research into impact.

About Queen Mary

At Queen Mary University of London, we believe that a diversity of ideas helps us achieve the previously unthinkable.

Throughout our history, we’ve fostered social justice and improved lives through academic excellence. And we continue to live and breathe this spirit today, not because it’s simply ‘the right thing to do’ but for what it helps us achieve and the intellectual brilliance it delivers.

We continue to embrace diversity of thought and opinion in everything we do, in the belief that when views collide, disciplines interact, and perspectives intersect, truly original thought takes form.

Benefits

We offer competitive salaries, access to a generous pension scheme, 30 days’ leave per annum (pro-rata for part-time/fixed-term), a season ticket loan scheme and access to a comprehensive range of personal and professional development opportunities. In addition, we offer a range of work life balance and family friendly, inclusive employment policies, flexible working arrangements, and campus facilities.

Queen Mary’s commitment to our diverse and inclusive community is embedded in our appointments processes. Reasonable adjustments will be made at each stage of the recruitment process for any candidate with a disability.

We are open to considering applications from candidates wishing to work flexibly, including job share arrangements.

We particularly welcome applications from female applicants, persons with a disability and those from an ethnic minority, as they are under-represented within Queen Mary at these levels.

Informal enquiries should be addressed to (Rosie Hunter, Executive Director People’s Palace Projects) atrosie.hunter@qmul.ac.uk.