Head of Sales & Commercial Development - Mice

Job Description

• The Head of Sales & commercial development will lead the Sales and Marketing department, set the commercial direction for the venue and personally drive new business. The role will take ownership of sales strategy, business development, major accounts, agency relationships, marketing activity, brand awareness, pipeline management and revenue forecasting.
• The role is the senior commercial lead for proactive and reactive sales, new-business development, strategic partnerships, major accounts, agencies, marketing and commercial development across the University venue portfolio.
• This is not a desk-based management position and it is not simply an escalation point for incoming enquiries. The successful candidate will be expected to be visible in the market, build relationships, open doors and convert opportunities.
• Create the structure, standards and commercial discipline needed for the team to perform consistently.
• Lead the commercial development of large, multi-space and strategically important opportunities across the University estate, coordinating Sales, Catering, Operations, AV, Facilities and relevant University stakeholders from initial concept through to confirmed operational handover.
• The immediate priority is to secure at least £200,000 of additional external business by 31 July in the first year. Alongside this, the postholder will build the client base, qualified pipeline and market presence needed to support annual external conference revenue of £1 million in the following financial year, with a longer-term ambition to grow beyond £2 million.

Qualifications

• Strong experience in a senior sales, commercial or business development role within conference venues, hotels, meetings and events, hospitality, venue finding or a closely related sector.
• Clear evidence of personally winning new business, developing high-value accounts and delivering measurable revenue growth. Applicants should be able to explain the sales actions they took and the results achieved.
• Experience of leading and developing a sales, events or commercial team, including setting objectives, reviewing performance, coaching individuals and creating clear accountability.
• Strong proactive business development skills. This must include prospecting, networking, account planning, negotiation, proposal development, closing and maintaining relationships after the first sale.
• A working understanding of sales and marketing as connected commercial functions. The successful candidate must be able to turn marketing activity into awareness, qualified demand, client engagement and revenue.
• Strong pipeline management and forecasting capability, with confidence using CRM or booking systems to manage opportunities and report performance accurately.
• Commercial confidence with budgets, pricing, targets, conversion, average booking value and revenue reporting.
• Credibility with senior clients, university stakeholders, agencies, partners and internal leaders. The postholder must be able to present a clear commercial case and handle challenging conversations constructively.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including proposal writing, client presentations, commercial reports and team communication.
• Good judgement. The role requires someone who can balance immediate revenue opportunities against operational capacity, margin, client experience and long-term account value.
• A full understanding of the conference and events sales journey, from lead generation and qualification through to proposal, negotiation, contracting, handover and rebooking.

Additional Information

For almost 20 years, for every client, in every location (whether that’s an office, stadium, cathedral or university), we have created beautiful spaces, exciting menus and friendly teams, so that each and every customer can have the hospitality experience they deserve.

We need the brightest and the best to join us to make this all possible. We will support you to create your hospitality legacy and build a career that you are proud of.

Our drive and belief in our people, means that we always strive to supercharge our team’s careers. ‘Better’ is a daily habit that sits deep within our DNA, meaning learning will be front and centre of your experience working with us.

Join us, and be part of the food revolution!

BaxterStorey Values:

ALWAYS VISIONARY

We strive for better, we never settle, never compromise, never follow. We lead the way, blazing our own trail.

WHOLEHEARTEDLY POSITIVE

We are up-beat, motivating and inspiring. Our love for what we do radiates through our food, and is amplified by our people.

CREATIVELY COLLABORATIVE

We embrace our differences to push creativity and we work together to be better.

FOREVER CONSCIOUS

We work together as a team to lead by example, protecting the planet and supporting local communities.

Interested? Even if you don’t meet all requirements, we’d like to hear from you. If you are motivated and hungry to learn, we can work together to develop your potential.

We are proud to be an inclusive employer and welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds. We celebrate individuality and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We encourage applications from people of all ages, abilities, gender identities, sexual orientations, races, religions, and socio-economic backgrounds.

BaxterStorey is committed to encouraging equity, diversity, and inclusion (ED&I) among our workforce and aim for our workforce to be truly representative of all sections of society, and for each employee to feel respected and able to give their best. To support our commitment to this we have set ourselves an ambition to ‘set the standard and to be recognised for having the most inclusive culture in hospitality’.

Join us and bring your unique perspective to our team.

Compensation: 55000 to 60000 (GBP) (YEARLY)