Head of Sales

Peppermint is a multi-award-winning events business, founded in 2003 by Alex Brooke and Adam Hempenstall, passionate in providing first-class bars and drinks-led solutions to the UK’s greatest events & venues. Today, Peppermint services over 50 events and venues every year and has developed long-standing relationships with the likes of AEG, IMG, Brand Events and Live Nation. Events include BST Hyde Park, Hyde Park Winter Wonderland, All Points East, Lytham, Rewind festivals and many more. Peppermint has recently partnered with Levy UK and supports venues with premium F&B experiences - including The O2, Dreamland (Margate), The Piece Hall (Halifax) and the Johan Cruff Arena in Amsterdam. Peppermint’s success has been driven by its relentless passion for its people, innovation and sustainable practices – with 20 years’ operational experience - it’s a powerful combination.

The Head of Sales leads Peppermint’s sales function and drives new business growth across our key sectors (Greenfield, Venues and Seasonal Venues), with a primary focus on Greenfield events. This is a target-driven role, accountable for delivering agreed revenue/profit and pipeline targets. Working closely with the founder (Alex Brooke) and Commercial Sales Director, you will open new opportunities, build relationships with key decision-makers and convert leads through to commercial agreement. You will own the sales pipeline and ensure Peppermint maintains strong visibility across the market. You will lead the sales team, setting clear direction, priorities and standards. This includes structuring how the team works (planning, bid/tender timelines, CRM discipline and follow-up) so that opportunities are identified early and progressed efficiently. A key responsibility is to own Peppermint’s Greenfield pipeline while contributing to wider growth across events and venues. You will personally lead major pitches and strategic opportunities, while overseeing delivery of smaller opportunities by the Sales team. This role is outward-looking and self-starting. You will actively create opportunities (not just respond to inbound), stay close to the market, and bring ideas and insights to the business. Internally, you will work proactively, planning ahead, removing blockers early, and driving clear next steps to keep work moving at pace. You will take ownership of opportunities from initial outreach through to contract signature, leading commercial structuring, budgets and negotiations in collaboration with the Commercial Finance Analysis function. Peppermint already works with some of the most recognised venues, festivals and promoters in the industry, and the product offering is strong. This role provides the platform to build on that momentum and take the business further. For the right person, there is real scope to shape the commercial direction of the business and make the role your own.

Core Accountabilities

• Team Management
  • Lead the sales function, setting a high-performance culture focused on opportunity creation, quality execution and commercial outcomes.
  • Manage and develop the Sales team with clear goals, coaching and accountability for progressing opportunities and delivering to deadlines.
  • Ensure the sales team has the tools, templates and processes required to operate efficiently and deliver high-quality sales submissions.
  • Prioritise workflow and oversee pipeline activity to ensure opportunities are progressed effectively and deadlines are met.
  • Role-model proactive ways of working (clear owners, agreed next steps, early risk escalation) and ensure consistent market engagement across the team.
• Pipeline Management
  • Develop and own Peppermint’s Greenfield pipeline, ensuring strong forward visibility of opportunities across events and venues also.
  • Own the end-to-end sales process from first contact through to contract signature, ensuring rigorous follow-up and accurate Compass CRM updates.
  • Provide regular pipeline reporting and sales updates to the Commercial Sales Director and Founders (weekly and monthly).
  • Provide Levy Growth Team pipeline updates and join Levy weekly growth calls.
• Sales
  • Generate new business opportunities through industry engagement, networking and relationship development.
  • Lead major pitches and strategic opportunities and oversee delivery of smaller opportunities by the Sales Manager.
  • Work collaboratively with the Levy bid team to deliver high-quality tenders and submissions.
  • Lead negotiations with prospective clients to secure commercially strong agreements.
  • Develop commercial proposals, budgets and deal structures in collaboration with the Commercial Finance Analysis.
• Account Management
  • Ensure a clear and efficient handover of successfully won business to the client account management team following contract agreement.
  • Maintain strong client relationships throughout the sales process to support a smooth transition into delivery.
  • Work collaboratively with the Head of Client Relationships and account managers to ensure commercial agreements are clearly documented and understood prior to project delivery.

Performance Indicators

• Success in this role will be measured through delivery against agreed sales targets and through:
• Building and maintaining a strong, realistic and regularly updated pipeline. Documented on both Peppermint excel system and on Compass CRM.
• Converting opportunities from first conversation through to signed contracts.
• Securing profitable events aligned with Peppermint’s growth strategy, with a focus on Greenfield.
• Proactive generation of opportunities through networking and being active in the market.
• Delivering bids that reflect Peppermint’s personality, clearly communicate our message and avoid unnecessary complexity.
• Providing assistance to founders and directors with bids as required, making sure all responses are proactive, punctual, and of high quality.
• Strong collaboration across teams to support successful delivery of opportunities.

Contacts / Key Relationships:

• Internal:
  • Sales and Commercial Director
  • Founder, Day to Day (Alex Brookes)
  • Sales Manager
  • Commercial Finance Analysis
  • Operations / Project Director
  • Finance Director
  • Founder (Adam Hempenstall)
  • Levy Growth Team
  • Strategic Bid Director (Levy) & Bid Writing Team
• External:
  • Event, festival, venue and commercial rights holders
  • Music promoters
  • Commercial partners and stakeholders across the events sectors

Knowledge/Experience/Skills

• Essential:
• 5 + years’ experience managing a sales team.
• Strong track record in business development and pipeline management.
• Experience working to clear sales targets/quotas and reporting performance against them.
• Excellent relationship building.
• The ability to cope with pressures and conflicting work priorities.
• Influential presentation and communication skills.
• Ability to articulate risks and get internal sign off.
• Expert negotiating skills.
• Self-starter who spots opportunities, takes ownership and follows through without being prompted.