Chief Experience Officer

This is a unique opportunity to lead the transformation of how audiences, visitors, supporters, partners and communities experience the Barbican. As Chief Experience Officer, you will be responsible for ensuring the Barbican becomes the first choice for creative experiences in London, driving growth in our reach, relevance and revenue. You will lead a team that will strengthen lifelong relationships with our audiences while delivering outstanding experiences at every touchpoint. Working in close partnership with the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Operating Officer and Chief of Staff, you will help establish the future direction of the organisation through a combination of commercial leadership, innovation, audience insight and cultural ambition.

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

This is more than an executive leadership role. It is an opportunity to shape the future of one of the world's most celebrated cultural institutions at a defining moment in its history. You will help create a more accessible, engaging and sustainable Barbican, ensuring that future generations continue to experience extraordinary creative encounters at the heart of London.

Apply now to help lead the Barbican into its next 50 years. Your supporting statement should be no more than 1000 words and clearly demonstrate how you meet the criteria in the person specification, using specific examples.

If you have any questions or issues with the application process, please contact the Barbican Careers team at careers@barbican.org.uk. Deadline for applications is 23:55 on Sunday 02 August 2026. Interviews are anticipated to take place w/c 17 August 2026. Please note we reserve the right to close the advert early if a significant number of applications are reached. We'll update the advert with 24 hours' notice if that happens. Please note that we are unable to accept late applications. We regret that we are unable to provide feedback on your application.

The City of London Corporation want 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.