F1 Events & Hospitality Account Manager

Crunch is a leading motorsport consultancy, working with some of the biggest brands in the sport and the world. We are different and we’re proud of it. People who know us all comment on how we’re... well, different. There’s being different for the sake of it. There’s being different to stand out from the crowd and there’s being different because you’re brave enough to trust yourself and be who you want to be. We believe that deep within the heart of sponsorship activation lies one key ingredient: brave, confident people. People are the lifeblood of sponsorship. The fans, the readers, the viewers, the players, the drivers, the mums and dads, the media, the clients and the customers.

The successful candidate will have a proven competence of working on large-scale events/hospitality programmes for high-profile brands or organisations within the F1 team/sponsorship landscape, with four-plus years’ experience in client servicing/account management/onsite event management. The candidate will thrive on multi-tasking in a fast-paced environment, displaying exceptional attention to detail and excellent communication skills both spoken and written. In this role you will be the central day-to-day contact for our client and have responsibility of the overall events/hospitality programme delivery and management, reporting directly to the Account Director. You will develop and maintain strong relationships with clients and partners to understand their needs and expectations and ensure seamless and exceptional service throughout their hospitality experience.

As part of a small team delivering globally, a willingness to be involved in every element of the programme both on and off-site, is essential. An energetic, enthusiastic and ‘can do’ team attitude is critical, as well as the ability to work under minimum supervision, leading a team in a high-pressured environment such as at an event during a race weekend.

Key responsibilities include:

• Lead the event & hospitality planning from start to finish and oversee all deliverables
• Onsite event lead – accountable for onsite programme deliverables
• Plan onsite activation logistics and operations including hotels, transport, venues etc. where required
• Pre-event project management including RoS, staff travel, hotel and logistics’ management, guest transport matrix etc.
• Host guests onsite in Paddock Club, delivering client-facing service excellence. Keeping guests well informed throughout the day, conducting tours of the F1 Paddock and facilitating all scheduled guest activities
• Management of dinner requirements (venue booking, set-up, F&B and event production) and any other related off-track activity and operations
• Ensure the client-facing pre-race guest documentation, including activity schedules, transport plans and ticket distribution details are accurate
• Utilise and manage supplier relationships to deliver projects on brief and within budget
• Private suite management incl: guest activity management, gift distribution, staffing
• Pre-event comms: guest invitation development, distribution, RSVP and tracking
• Management and monitoring of guest/staff accreditation supplied for F1 races (ensure 100% accuracy)
• Act as the main day-to-day contact for clients and partners, ensuring the programme is delivered on time and within budget
• Ability to plan and prioritise own workload
• Full quality control over the account’s project management documentation (planners, logistics, budgets etc.). Project management documentation is essential
• Act as reliable support for senior team members as well as providing line management and direction to more junior team members
• Monitor the Account Executives’ work to ensure it is reaching the correct standards
• Manage and lead the weekly internal team meetings and client calls, ensuring all team members are clear on tasks and priorities are aligned with the overall plan
• Manage account budgets and expenses including creation of estimates, purchase orders and project reconciliations
• Monitor hours/time on the account for internal resource management
• Produce measurable results as per the targets set by the client
• Account reporting incl. end-of-year review
• Timely, professional responses to high amount of client email traffic and queries
• Creative thinking around event planning and VIP guest programmes
• Continuously seeking opportunities to enhance guest experience and exceed expectations, personalising the hospitality offering
• Knowledge sharing within the team and wider business at company meetings
• Championing best practice across every single aspect of the project, following Crunch’s processes
• Support with writing client responses, PPT presentations and reports for the client / Crunch

Candidate Requirements:

• A proven track record of planning and managing live F1 guest experiences and Paddock Club hospitality programmes is essential
• Familiar with F1 accreditation management (guest and staff)
• Happy to travel globally to races on a regular basis, working some evenings and over multiple weekends – must have a valid and usable passport (it must be renewed if it is about to run out)
• Happy to adapt to global time zones when required (e.g. meeting times)
• You should revel in hard work and be conscientious with a positive professional attitude and an enthusiasm to succeed
• Experience of event management processes and support beyond delivery of objectives alone
• Ability to manage junior team members and coordinate their workload
• Organised with good time management, both independently and when working as part of a team
• Experience of logistics and operations management including hotels, transport and venues
• Experience assessing and managing supplier contracts (e.g. hotels and venues)
• Experience of working with production companies to set up venues and bespoke guest spaces
• Calm and collected under pressure and someone who thrives in a fast-paced environment able to multi-task and prioritise to meet deadlines
• Excellent client servicing, management and communication skills
• Proficient with Microsoft Office to manage budgets and to prepare presentations/PPT decks
• Keen attention to detail and highly solutions-orientated
• Confident with budgets, managing finance processes and account time management
• Champion of best practice, leading by example and making sure that project systems and procedures are set up and adhered to correctly by all team members
• Desire to constantly learn new things and improve on current methods
• Confident to communicate effectively with all levels throughout the company (with the ability to manage upwards and downwards)
• An agency background preferable, but not essential
• Ability to speak another language is desirable

Why Should You Come to Work at Crunch...?

If you’re looking for a vibrant place to work, where you can get involved in fast-paced projects working on some of the largest and most well-known global clients in motorsport, then you’re in the right place. We’re committed to investing in career development and look to promote internally so will help you grow in your role. We have a generous holiday allowance which increases by one day each year you work for us. Plus, we have a great benefits scheme and pay an industry-competitive salary.