Chief Experience Officer

The Barbican is a multidisciplinary international arts centre in the City of London. Across its theatres, concert halls, cinemas, galleries, business venues, public and community spaces, the Barbican showcases the most exciting artists and performers from around the world, pushing traditional artistic boundaries and helping us understand our lives in new and unexpected ways. Each year, the Centre presents hundreds of different performances, events and exhibitions that entertain and inspire millions of people, create connections, provoke debate, and reflect the world we live in. Firmly rooted in its neighbourhood, the Barbican collaborates on projects with local communities, and supports young people and emerging talent to develop their artistic practice and access jobs in the creative industry. As we approach our 50th anniversary, the Barbican stands at a pivotal moment. We are transforming into a 21st century organisation celebrating our people, place and programme, throwing open our doors and welcoming the world to join us. Our physical transformation takes a step forward in 2027 as we commence the first phase of restoration and renewal works. Through all of this combined, we are building the foundations for the next generation of experiences and cultural leadership.

Key Responsibilities

• Champion the growth and evolution of the Barbican’s impact, through fundraising, brand, advocacy, partnerships and communications.
• Develop innovative customer experiences that increase engagement, revenue, satisfaction and lifetime value.
• Strengthen stakeholder and partner relationships locally, nationally and internationally.
• Drive growth in commercial income across visitor services, memberships, events, hospitality and future revenue streams.
• Act as a visible ambassador for the Barbican and the wider cultural sector.

About You

We are looking for an inspiring and visionary leader with a proven track record of delivering transformational growth within complex organisations.

You Will Bring

• Significant senior leadership experience in a comparable executive role.
• Demonstrable success delivering customer growth and organisational transformation.
• Experience leading large, diverse and multi‑functional teams through change.
• Strong commercial and financial acumen, including responsibility for substantial operational and capital budgets.
• Expertise in customer experience, marketing, fundraising, partnerships, brand development or commercial operations.
• Outstanding relationship‑building and stakeholder management skills.
• Excellent communication and influencing abilities, with experience representing organisations at a senior level.
• A passion for inclusion, innovation and excellence.

What We Offer

• Barbican Membership
• Membership of the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
• 28 days annual leave plus bank holidays, increasing with service
• Access to Barbican Centre discounts including offers at the Barbican Shop and hospitality outlets
• City Corporation staff benefits and discounts throughout the City of London, including at Tower Bridge, Guildhall Art Gallery and others
• Reciprocal entry to a number of galleries and museums across London
• Employee volunteering scheme (up to 2 days per year)
• A vibrant, creative, inclusive workplace at one of the world’s leading arts centres

Equalities and Diversity

The City of London Corporation wants to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to thrive in the work that we do. The City of London Corporation is currently undergoing a programme to ensure that our pay and reward practices are competitive and equitable across the whole organisation – and is committed to regularly benchmarking and reviewing pay against external sectors. As part of our commitment to increasing the diversity of staff within the Barbican we are particularly keen to encourage applications from people from groups that are currently underrepresented, including people from the Global Majority and D/deaf and disabled people. We want to better reflect and understand the communities we exist to serve. We are members of the Disability Confident Scheme and guarantee to interview all disabled candidates who would like to be considered under this scheme and who meet the minimum essential criteria for the role. Please contact us if you require reasonable adjustments as part of the application process. Global Majority is a collective term that refers to people who are Black, Asian, Brown, dual‑heritage, indigenous to the global south, and/or have been racialised as ‘ethnic minorities’.