Head of Event Operations in Fleet

Base Location: Fleet street /Hybrid (3 days in the office)

Employment Type: Full time, Permanent

Salary: £ Competitive + 30% Bonus

The Head of Event Operations is accountable for the end-to-end operational management and delivery of all events within the portfolio, including awards, conferences, and careers fairs. The role ensures consistently exceptional standards across every aspect of event delivery, while driving efficiency, scalability, and cost effectiveness.

Key Responsibilities:

• Operational Leadership & Governance: Provide senior operational leadership across the full events portfolio, ensuring consistently high standards of delivery across awards, conferences, careers fairs and bespoke events.
• Budget Management & Cost Control: Create, own, and manage detailed operational budgets for all events, ensuring budgets and operational folders are accurate, current, and well-governed.
• End-to-End Event Delivery & Project Planning: Build and oversee detailed end-to-end project delivery plans for all events, from initial planning through to post-event debrief and evaluation.
• Customer Experience & Service Excellence: Develop and implement a clear strategy to enhance the end-to-end customer journey for delegates, sponsors, speakers, judges, and award guests.
• Supplier & Venue Management: Lead venue procurement processes to secure appropriate venues that deliver best value, quality, and service across the annual events calendar.
• Resource Planning & Team Leadership: Plan, schedule, and deploy operational resources effectively to meet delivery deadlines and maximise team efficiency.
• Onsite Leadership & Execution: Take overall responsibility for onsite operational planning and delivery, ensuring smooth execution, rapid issue resolution, and strong leadership presence.
• Compliance, Risk & Safety Management: Ensure full compliance with all relevant legislation, regulations, and internal policies across the events portfolio.

Skills and Experience:

• Proven experience in a senior event operations role within a commercial events, publishing, or information-led business.
• Strong track record of delivering complex B2B events across multiple formats, including conferences, awards, exhibitions, careers fairs, and virtual or hybrid events.
• Demonstrable experience leading and developing event operations teams, including line management of teams of three or more.
• Extensive experience in end-to-end event operations, including venue sourcing, supplier management, logistics, onsite delivery, and post-event evaluation.
• Strong understanding of operational budgeting, forecasting, and cost control.
• Clear evidence of strategic thinking and operational planning.
• Strong working knowledge of health & safety, risk management, and compliance.
• Confident user of Microsoft Office applications and experienced in working with event technology and virtual event platforms.
• Organised, detail-oriented, and delivery-focused.

Core Competencies:

• Operational & Financial Management: Strong capability in owning and managing operational budgets.
• Commercial Judgement & Brand Alignment: Commercially aware and outcome-focused.
• Stakeholder Influence & Collaboration: Highly effective at influencing and aligning senior stakeholders.
• Leadership, People & Capability Development: Proven ability to lead, motivate, mentor, and coach operational teams.
• Project Management & Delivery Excellence: Exceptional organisational and project management skills.
• Communication, Credibility & Presence: A first-class communicator with gravitas, authority, and influence.

Personal Attributes:

• Confident, autonomous, and resilient.
• Articulate and credible, with a polished presence.
• Strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills.
• Highly organised with exceptional attention to detail.
• Proactive and solutions-focused.
• Calm, adaptable, and effective in fast-paced environments.

What we offer:

• 25 days of annual leave, with the option to buy or sell additional days.
• Health plan
• Life assurance
• Private virtual GP access
• Continuous learning & development opportunities
• In-house Excellence Awards and other innovation projects
• Cycle-to-work scheme
• Discounted gym memberships
• Pension scheme
• One paid volunteer day per year

Diversity and Inclusion: We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity and inclusion. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, age, religion or belief, pregnancy and maternity, marriage and civil partnership, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or disability status.

How to apply: Please submit your CV and covering letter.