Senior Hospitality and Events Manager (Temporary)

Starting salary: £52,150 pro rata, per year
Contract type: 12 months fixed term contract
Grade: 5
Location: Longmore House, Edinburgh, EH9 1SH with hybrid working
Working Hours: Monday - Friday, 35 hours per week
Interviews: To be held in person at Longmore House, Edinburgh on Monday 28th September

This is an exciting time to join the team with the organisational focus on commercial income and the opportunity to embed new ways of working and shape the direction of the hospitality team.

For more information about the post and information about the team, please access the full job description: 20260909_Senior HE Manager (temporary).docx for this post. Please note that if you don't have Office 365 installed on your device, this can be opened using your browser.

Benefits of joining us at Historic Environment Scotland

• Enrolment onto a Civil Service Pension scheme – 28% employer contribution
• 25 days annual leave, pro-rata (increasing to 30 days after 3 years) + 11.5 public holidays
• Reimbursement for relevant professional subscriptions
• Support for further education and personal development
• Study leave for work related courses
• Flexible working hours (where appropriate)
• Free entry to all of our properties (with up to three guests)

• Free entry to English Heritage, Manx and Cadw properties

Key Responsibilities of this role

• Work collaboratively with the Interim Head of CD&E and Head of Strategy & Planning to finalise a two-year growth plan, driving delivery of the implementation roadmap and embedding new ways of working to capitalise on short-term opportunities while building strong foundations for sustained long-term growth.
• Line management of a team of 6 in total, with direct management of the Hospitality and Events Manager.
• Review the current structure and sales and promotional activities of the Hospitality and Events team to ensure they are aligned to deliver the growth plan and wider corporate objectives. Provide recommendations to the Interim Director and Interim Head of CD&E, while supporting the broader CD&E function in the development of sales planning processes and performance metrics.
• Work with the Hospitality and Events Manager to develop an annual sales plan focussing on lead generation, conversion growth and retention, as well as quarterly delivery and effective reporting. Review all event pricing to ensure maximisation of profit for HESe.
• In partnership with site operational teams, finalise and deliver a set of expected event delivery standards to support operational excellence. Ensure all contracts are fit for purpose and teams are confident in application of our terms and conditions.
• Accountable for the department’s budget, forecasting, monthly business updates and managing expenditure and delivering a profitable return on investment.
• Apply strong commercial rationale to ensure profit and loss (P&L) delivery of the department projects and report as part of the wider Commercial Development and Enterprise Team to the Head of Department and the HES Enterprise Board as required.
• Take the lead on high profile HES commercial partnership events to ensure contracts and delivery are in line with the HES commercial direction while protecting the organisation’s reputation and interests.
• Work with Senior Ecommerce Manager to develop implement effective Events System.
• Work with the Hospitality and Events Manager to consider any product development opportunities and develop proposals for pricing and delivery, following defined sign off procedures. Identify opportunities for continuous improvement across all areas of the department. Recommend new areas for partnership or business growth.
• Review the objectives of the team and ensure they align with the organisation, directorate and team deliverables. Make recommendations as required to support cross directorate working.
• Lead and support the team to foster a positive, high-performance culture while ensuring consistent adherence to organisational policies, processes, and behavioural standards

Key requirements of the role:

In order for you to be successful in this post, we will be looking for you to submit a cover letter which addresses how you can meet each of the essential and desirable criteria (in up to 1,200 words), using examples of where you have demonstrated these criteria previously. Please ensure that you provide real life examples for each of the criteria to be considered for this post. You can use examples of how you have met this criteria from your work life, home life, education or volunteer experience. Please read our CV and Cover Letter Guidance first before completing, as you will only be eligible for selection if you use examples of how you meet the essential and desirable criteria.

Essential:Significant senior-level experience in hospitality, events, venue sales, or commercial development, with a proven record of driving income growth and commercial performance. Understanding of the opportunities the sector can offer.

• Demonstrable experience developing and implementing growth strategies, sales plans, and commercial initiatives that deliver measurable business results.

• Experience establishing and managing sales performance frameworks, including pipeline management, lead generation, conversion metrics, reporting, and KPI development.

• Strong commercial and financial acumen, including budget management, forecasting, pricing strategy, P&L accountability, and return on investment analysis.

• Excellent project management capabilities, including the preparation and delivery of complex business cases.

• Experience of effective leadership, team management and senior stakeholder engagement, with experience working with Director and executive levels. Experience in managing change.

• Strategic thinker with a solid background in organisational leadership. Experience reviewing and improving business processes, operating models, and ways of working to increase efficiency, effectiveness, and commercial outcomes

• Practical experience of working with a range of external partners and an understanding of complex partnership agreements. Excellent negotiation skills.

• Strong influencing and networking skills.

• Experience in implementing CRM systems and processes. Introducing and coaching best practise.

• Committed to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, with a proven ability to support strategic EDI goals.

Find out more about desirable skills and experience in our full job description: 20260909_Senior HE Manager (temporary).docx.

We are dedicated to building a workforce which is reflective of diversity within Scotland. We warmly welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds, regardless of age, race, gender or gender identity, religious beliefs, marital status, sexual orientation, disability, or neurodiversity. In support of our Gaelic Language Plan, we welcome applications from Gaelic speakers.

We want every candidate to have the best chance to succeed during the recruitment process. If you require your application in an alternative format, please reach out to us via email at recruit@hes.scot or call our Head Office at 0131 668 8600 and speak to a member of our People Team.

Please note that, at this time, we are unfortunately unable to provide sponsorship as part of the recruitment process, therefore you must have current right to work in the UK to be considered for a post.

To submit your application online, please read our ‘How to Apply’ followed by ‘Apply Now’ button to begin your application.