Head of Events & Programming

The Head of Events will be responsible for leading, organising, and executing a diverse array of events, ranging from small gatherings and regular programming activities to large-scale signature initiatives, all designed to align with organisational priorities, including TAP’s charitable, social and commercial objectives.

Reporting into the Director of Operations, you will develop an events & programming strategy, produce and manage budgets, set standards for operational effectiveness and utilise evaluation to measure impact and value to help shape future offers. You will be financially and commercially astute, a confident negotiator, and able to work successfully with a wide range of stakeholders - an inspirational and dynamic leader, with strong operational and commercial expertise.

This senior position requires an individual with strong leadership capabilities, excellent organisational skills, and an in-depth understanding of event planning and execution. The ideal candidate will lead a team and work closely with other departments to ensure the successful delivery of events which engage a wide range of audiences enabling people to enjoy and learn from our sites, stories and collections, whilst generating commercial income to contribute significantly towards the long-term sustainability of TAP.

You will be hands on, supporting operationally with delivery of events, whilst also operating in a strategic and managerial capacity too. You will have a proven track record of successfully delivering events and driving income generation, with experience of leading teams in heritage, hospitality, or commercial sector, bringing strong commercial acumen and be adept at working toward ambitious targets and KPIs.

As a compassionate and capable leader, you will have a keen ability to identify opportunities where others may not. You will develop an effective events offering, initially with assistance from other teams (primarily Visitor Operations staff and volunteers, F&B, as well as external partners) to facilitate delivery. Based on high presentation and hospitality standards, excellent operational understanding and extensive experience of delivering high quality events, the post holder will help to grow and develop the team through a time of transition to form a positive, efficient, well-trained and knowledgeable group.

An established programming team and schedule is in place and you will be expected to lead and further develop this offering to deliver our cultural and social engagement activities for the public, including community groups, visitors, adult and family audiences and others. You will have excellent communication and presentation skills to be able to articulate and demonstrate the value and importance of this work internally and externally.

The post holder will act as a key internal champion for audiences who may face real or perceived barriers to engagement – social, cultural, physical or financial – particularly in our local area. In addition, you will build strong relationships with other stakeholders including local organisations, consultants and peers in the cultural sector.

Person Specification

We are looking for a talented senior events expert with a strong customer service focus and significant event management experience, including in logistically complex venues. The role requires an expert problem-solver with a strong track record of managing client relationships and demonstrable proven experience of venue sales and marketing. A proactive attitude and strong commercial acumen is required, as well as exceptional communication skills.