Head of Event Operations and Experience - Maternity Cover (Hybrid)
* Full-time
* Department: Events
* Employment Type: Fixed Term Contract (FTC)
Fastmarkets is an industry-leading price-reporting agency (PRA) and information provider for global commodities, providing price data, news, analytics, and events for the agriculture, forest products, metals and mining, and new-generation energy markets.
This is an exciting leadership opportunity to be truly instrumental in driving the success of our fast growth events business, which sits at the heart of one of the most trusted and rapidly expanding global Price Reporting Agencies.
We are looking for an experienced people manager who excels in developing, training, and coaching high performing operations/event experience and customer service teams across the in-person and digital event sectors. They will be responsible for overseeing the Fastmarkets Events portfolio delivery, ensuring that we are delivering the highest levels of customer service, constantly reviewing our operational processes before, during, and post event to ensure that we maintain our reputation for excellence.
They will be highly experienced in delivering content/conference-led and networking/trading event experiences (in-person and online) and able to leverage event technology wherever this can elevate and future proof our event experiences.
Reporting to the MD, they will work with key stakeholders across the business and the Senior Management Team to collectively support our ambitious fast growth event strategy by building a world-class Event Operations and Experience Team. They will head up a team of 12 including 6 Operations and 6 Customer Service specialists located across the UK, Bulgaria, and China.
They will be responsible for all operational event delivery costs across the business, ensuring that these are managed within the agreed budgets. As a senior leader, they will actively be involved in building the operations budgets for the business, as well as providing accurate forecasts on a regular basis. Managing venue and supplier contracts will be a key part of this role, always ensuring that any negotiated contract is secured at a highly competitive rate.
PRINCIPLE ACCOUNTABILITIES
1. Develop high performing Operations and Experience Team. Provide coaching, training, and development to enhance skills and create a learning and rewarding environment.
2. Manage and develop direct reports using KPIs to track performance.
3. Recruiting and training new members of the team.
4. Carry out supervision/appraisals and performance reviews.
5. Guiding day-to-day activities of the Operations and Experience Team.
6. Set and administer annual operations event by event budget.
7. Embed robust Health and Safety standards throughout all events.
8. Embed consistent and forensic management of event costs against agreed budgets.
9. Ensure all events are designed in line with their Event Briefs.
10. Manage Operations Team to ensure that event design is ambitious, innovative, and high value.
11. Manage Customer Service Team to ensure delegate service is the highest standard and efficient management of invoicing across delegates, sponsors, and suppliers.
12. Manage resources efficiently and effectively – identify bottlenecks and forward plan extra resources as required.
13. Stay ahead of the latest in event experience design trends and ensure Fastmarkets is at the cutting edge.
14. Negotiate competitive venue and supplier contracts.
15. Provide accurate forecasting at all times.
16. Travel to events as part of SLT team and onsite support (20% Travel).
KNOWLEDGE, EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS
1. At least 5 years’ experience successfully delivering outstanding event experiences (B2B or B2C, physical and digital).
2. Proven and successful leader of Event Operations Teams able to inspire and motivate (3 years +).
3. Experience in venue contracting and negotiating from £100K +.
4. Event Design Expertise – Based on customer needs.
5. Ability to manage outcomes in a matrixed organisation.
6. Proven ability to manage multiple stakeholders.
7. Ability to communicate and report clearly at a senior level.
8. Experience in delivering both in-person and digital event experiences.
9. Experience incorporating event technologies into event experiences.
10. Ability to think creatively and commercially.
11. Positive in nature, able to both develop and get the best out of those around them.
12. Ideally experience in Design Thinking and Customer Journey Mapping.
13. Able to drive initiatives through and resolve obstacles/blockers effectively.
14. Self-starter who loves taking ownership of processes and projects.
15. Commercially focused – Strong financial management, control, and reporting.
If you're excited about the role but your experience, skills, or qualifications don't perfectly align, we encourage you to apply anyway.
Our Values
Fastmarkets people come from all different walks of life. It’s this mix of brilliant personalities, experiences, and insights that gives us that warm, open, and friendly culture you can feel as soon as you meet us. But however wonderfully different we all are, there are six things we all have in common – and they form our Fastmarkets values.
1. METRICS DRIVEN. We use insights to improve our customers’ experience and our business performance.
2. ACCOUNTABLE. We are accountable to ourselves and those we work with: we keep our promises and get things done.
3. GROWTH MINDSET. This value enables us to be nimble to the changing realities and operate with a sense of urgency.
4. INCLUSIVE. We are inclusive and respectful, celebrating each of us and giving everyone a deep sense of belonging with the desire to bring their best self to work every day.
5. CUSTOMER CENTRIC. We are customer-centric in all that we do.
6. COLLABORATIVE. We are collaborative, able to work across teams and capitalize on the diversity of intellect, perspectives, and experiences.
You’ve read a little about us – now it’s over to you!
If you like what you’ve read so far and think you can see yourself as a Fastmarkets person, it’s time to fill in your application form. This form is an important part of the selection process: it’s used to determine whether or not you’ll be chosen to have an interview and acts as a basis for the questions we’ll ask you on the day.
It’s vital that you try to capture all the relevant information we have asked for on the form so we can get a good feel for who you are and why you’re great.
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