Head of Business Development & Customer Experience

Head of Business Development & Customer Engagement Overview A leading charitable event organisation is seeking a dynamic and visionary Head of Business Development & Customer Engagement to enhance visitor experiences and drive strategic growth at one of the UK's most prestigious public events. This is a senior-level opportunity for a professional with a background in premium events, visitor attractions, or public experiences. You'll lead the transformation of a large-scale outdoor venue into a dynamic, customer-focused destination. Reporting directly to the Chief Executive, you'll oversee visitor engagement, customer operations, and new business development-ensuring excellence from first interaction to final exit. Key Responsibilities: Strategic Development: Design and implement strategies that elevate the public-facing event experience and align with the long-term vision for growth and sustainability. Customer Experience Oversight: Manage all aspects of the visitor journey, including enclosures, amenities, retail, and information services, ensuring seamless and exceptional service delivery. Revenue Generation: Maximise secondary income through sales of upgrades, hospitality, merchandise, catering, and other visitor services. Marketing Integration: Collaborate with the marketing team to drive engagement, measure impact, and optimise conversion across customer touchpoints. Volunteer Team Leadership: Oversee a large volunteer workforce delivering front-line customer service during the event. New Partnerships: Identify and onboard new commercial and strategic partners that enhance the event's value and appeal. Sustainable Growth Planning: Contribute to a 10-year vision for the showground, delivering an inspiring, inclusive and sustainable experience for future audiences. Mission Support: Drive commercial performance to support the organisation's wider charitable aims, especially youth development in science and technology. About You You are a strategic, people-focused leader who thrives in fast-paced, high-profile environments. You bring both commercial acumen and a passion for delivering exceptional visitor experiences at scale. Essential Skills & Experience Senior leadership experience in large-scale events or public venues. Demonstrated success in driving customer-focused strategies. Strong commercial awareness and sales performance. Skilled in stakeholder engagement, partnership development, and team leadership. Detail-oriented with excellent planning and problem-solving capabilities.At Gleeson Recruitment Group, we embrace inclusivity and welcome applicants of all backgrounds, experiences, and abilities. We are proud to be a disability confident employer. By applying you will be registered as a candidate with Gleeson Recruitment Limited. Our Privacy Policy is available on our website and explains how we will use your data

Location: Gloucestershire, GB

Posted Date: 7/8/2025