Head of Event Operations and Experience - Maternity Cover
* 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 oversee the Fastmarkets Events portfolio delivery, ensuring that we deliver the highest levels of customer service, constantly reviewing our operational processes before, during, and post-event to maintain our reputation for excellence.
Reporting to the MD, they will work with key stakeholders across the business and the Senior Management Team to 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 manage all operational event delivery costs across the business, ensuring that these are kept within the agreed budgets. As a senior leader, they will be involved in building the operations budgets for the business, as well as providing accurate forecasts regularly. Managing venue and supplier contracts will be a key part of this role, 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. Recruit and train new team members.
4. Carry out supervision/appraisals and performance reviews.
5. Guide 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 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 of 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 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
* At least 5 years’ experience successfully delivering outstanding event experiences (B2B or B2C, physical and digital).
* Proven and successful leader of Event Operations Teams (3 years +).
* Experience in venue contracting and negotiating from £100K +.
* Event Design Expertise based on customer needs.
* Ability to manage outcomes in a matrixed organisation.
* Proven ability to manage multiple stakeholders.
* Ability to communicate and report clearly at a senior level.
* Experience in delivering both in-person and digital event experiences.
* Experience incorporating event technologies into event experiences.
* Ability to think creatively and commercially.
* Positive in nature, able to develop and get the best out of those around them.
* Ideally experience in Design Thinking and Customer Journey Mapping.
* Able to drive initiatives through and resolve obstacles/blockers effectively.
* Self-starter who loves taking ownership of processes and projects.
* 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. Our values are:
* METRICS DRIVEN. We use insights to improve our customers’ experience and our business performance.
* ACCOUNTABLE. We are accountable to ourselves and those we work with: we keep our promises and get things done.
* GROWTH MINDSET. This value enables us to be nimble to the changing realities and operate with a sense of urgency.
* INCLUSIVE. We are inclusive and respectful, celebrating each of us and giving everyone a deep sense of belonging.
* CUSTOMER CENTRIC. We are customer-centric in all that we do.
* COLLABORATIVE. We are collaborative, able to work across teams and capitalise on the diversity of intellect, perspectives, and experiences.
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.
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