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RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT CONSULTANT, St John's Chatham

  •  South East
  •  Â£15k-20k
  •  Part time
  •  Closes May 2, 2025
  •  Helen Masters
  •  office@stjohnschatham.co.uk
  • #Charity

Description

Job Summary

This is a unique and exciting opportunity to work with local community groups and volunteers to research and re-engage with the rich and varied heritage of St John the Divine, a Grade II* Listed church in Chatham, Kent.

Job Description

As part of a National Lottery Heritage funded project with a range of partners, the Diocese of Rochester is seeking to appoint a Heritage Consultant to scope and manage research projects to increase the knowledge of the history of St John's Chatham, a Waterloo church in the heart of the Medway towns. The church was closed for over 20 years between 1997 and 2021 and there is a considerable lack of social knowledge of the building and its rich history. There is however significant archive material available.


We are looking for a candidate with extensive experience of researching heritage who enjoys working with community groups and volunteers and has direct knowledge of delivering publicly funded projects on time and on budget. As well as possessing excellent communication skills, the ideal candidate will have the ability to communicate historical research of the highest quality and be able to engage with a variety of stakeholders (including members of the local church community, community groups, heritage organisations and other potential partners).


The commission will last for 12 months during which time the consultant will be required to scope and manage research projects that will be delivered by community groups, academics, students and community volunteers that help build and bring together the existing knowledge of the history of St John's Chatham. The resulting research will be used in a variety of ways to interpret the history of the church, including the development of Key Stage teaching resources aligned to the national curriculum and creative responses by local schools and community groups that may be performances or art works.

NB Contract Details:

The contract is a 12 month consultant services contract commencing May/June 2025.
The fixed fee for the Research Development Consultant post is £15,000.00 excluding VAT, but including all personal expenses. Application submission will thus include approximate hours you will input.

Job Requirements

Scope of the work for the Research Development Consultant

The consultant will help to scope and manage the research projects including

  • Work with Medway African and Caribbean Association (MACA) to research and interpret the story of Omoba Aina (Sarah Forbes Bonetta),
  • Post-doctoral research offered in collaboration with University of Kent to understand the history of St John's Chatham that will feed into the Volunteer Training Plan and the interpretation on site.
  • Research into aspects of the history of St John's Chatham undertaken by history students from the University of Greenwich.
  • Identify and manage the development of at least three research packages and outputs for volunteers, such as an investigation into the births, marriages and deaths registered with the church, the heritage around some of the war memorials, the history of the organ.
  • Create teaching resources for Key Stage 3 about St John's Chatham and the Waterloo Churches to be included on the Age of Revolution website

Job Responsibilities

Outputs: The Research Development Consultant will:

  • develop a detailed project plan for the delivery of the research including the specific activities and tasks listed above
  • identify the areas of research to be undertaken and the outputs for each area of research (essay/ dissertation/film/digital slideshow etc).
  • Work with the different partners to create a programme that meets both partners' needs.
  • Ensure that the research is delivered on time and on budget.
  • Ensure the research is delivered in a way that means it can be used by primary and secondary schools, community groups and St John's Chatham volunteers in an engaging way to interpret local histories.

Useful Links

How to Apply

By 12noon on Friday 2nd May Candidates are asked to provide a consultant’s brief of no more than 1,000 words, explaining their methodology, how they will work with partners/volunteers, the delivery of the outputs and their relevant experience and skill sets. Send by email as below

For further information and/or to organise a site visit, please contact Helen Masters (St John’s Chatham Administrator) at [email protected] or 07595 075958.

NB Location is flexible but the role requires time to be spent in Chatham on a routine basis - mostly at either the Church or the Medway Archives Centre.

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