Applications close 10am Monday 29 September 2025. Successful shortlisted applicants will be invited to attend an initial interview during the week commencing 6 October 2025. We can provide a BSL interpreter if required.

The Role

Responsible to: Managing Director

Working Closely with: Event Sales Team, Senior Event Delivery Manager, Head of Business Development

Responsible for: Event Sales Manager, Building Hires Manager, Filming Lead

General Description 

This role will be part of BAC’s Enterprises Sales Team. It may be expected to contribute to a range of projects, but the role will primarily lead on all our Commercial Sales work as set out below.

The Head of Events Sales leads a vital income stream for BAC and is responsible for the majority of earned income that BAC Enterprises contributes to the charity every year. BAC is a Grade II* listed building which offers a unique and flexible setting for a wide variety of events.

Through weddings, filming, conferences, live music, rehearsal space, corporate hires, and more, the Events Team generates vital funds that directly support BAC’s charitable work. Last year, BAC Enterprises achieved a turnover of £1.6 million, and the team is committed to building on this success year on year.

The Head of Sales is central to sustaining and growing Enterprises income, with responsibility for leading the sales team and meeting ambitious income targets. This role combines team leadership with directly selling to clients, working closely across colleagues in both Enterprises and the Charity to maximise opportunities and drive commercial success.

We are seeking a leader with outstanding people and sales skills who can inspire and motivate the team, build strong relationships with clients and confidently negotiate and contract.

The role will involve regular meetings, communicating via phone/video, email and in person and using a computer for several hours across the day. For the purposes of this role, we kindly request that you are on site, at Battersea Arts Centre, for the majority of your working hours. We have a busy year of events planned and so the role will involve weekend working. Travel to external meetings may be required.

The culture at BAC is a collaborative and open one. We work in an open plan space with no closed private offices and frequently work across teams and roles. We are lucky to have an outdoor terrace adjoined to the office which is particularly nice in the summer months. There’s a good culture of people taking lunch breaks away from desks and two equipped kitchen and eating areas where the team tend to spend their down time. We organise regular social events and things can get competitive at our annual sports day and Christmas quiz. Though to be clear, spectating is respected as much as taking part here at BAC!

Job Description 

Event Sales Team Management

• Play a leadership role both internally and externally for the Events business, ensuring that the business is always presented in the best possible light and that there is buy-in for the events business across the organisation.

• Lead the Event Sales Team in the cultivation, management and conversion of event enquiries at Battersea Arts Centre, ensuring the strongest possible relationship is maintained with the client at all time
  
  
• Inform and implement accurate and timely financial procedures, ensuring the team are invoicing and securing client deposits and payments, and receipts are being issued in a timely and consistent manner.
  
  
• Collaborate closely with the Senior Event Delivery Manager to adapt and evolve event packages, ensuring they are deliverable as well as able to return the most profitable margin for BAC. This includes playing a key role in the evaluation of events delivery to ensure client satisfaction and ongoing improvements.
  
  
• Be proactive in ensuring the continuous improvement of sales processes at BAC

Marketing and Sales

• Work with the Head of Communications to oversee BAC’s profile and relationship with all major event listings sites, keeping up to date with new developments and platforms in the industry.

• Work with the Managing Director and Head of Business Development to continuously improve the events and catering offer at BAC, revising packages and identifying wider opportunities for income generation.

• Maintain an effective chase and trace system for all incoming enquiries and outgoing leads, ensuring a robust and well-oiled process is in place, suggesting any changes as required to ensure it works as efficiently and effectively as possible.

• Support the ongoing development of marketing assets to strengthen the reach of the business and maximise sales.

• Grow the client base. This will include conducting key client meetings and site visits, attending major events, trade shows, associations etc. and developing relationships. This will also include contributing towards creative ideas and strategies to drive business and up-sell to clients, ensuring enquiries are converted through highly professional and speedy contact and correspondence.
  
• Nurture and develop partnerships with a preferred list of agencies and suppliers to drive business.

Event Programming

• Keep an up to date diary of events/provisional events in place using the Artifax booking system and act as a main point of contact for any event diary or space allocation queries.
  
• Build strong relationships with other BAC projects and attend programming and other project meetings where required to ensure effective communication regarding all upcoming and potential event bookings.

Finance and Administration

• Regularly review how the business is performing, identify any gaps and ensure pro-active measures are taken to achieve targets, preparing monthly, quarterly and annual reports as required.

• Demonstrate a thorough understanding and ownership of the Events budget ensuring that income is achieved and expenditure is well managed, and regularly reporting on finances in a coherent and robust way.

• Record all client, event and financial information accurately on our event management software, event information documents and other relevant tracking spreadsheets, databases or reports.

• Maintain and present the relevant data for regular success measure reviews

• Lead on monthly reports on progress and financial performance against targets, the sales pipeline and analysing trends and preparing narrative for board papers as required.

• Contribute towards quarterly Enterprises board reporting supported by the Managing Director.

• Maintain accurate and timely filing systems and bring the expertise to review and revise client contracts.

• Keep up to date on best practice within the sector with a focus on special events, highlighting trends and insight that could inform planning.
  
• Any other duties that may reasonably be required in line with your main duties.

General Tasks

• Be an active participant in BAC’s wider creative life, attending performances and events, and supporting the venue’s public-facing activities.

• Contribute to staff meetings, cross-team collaborations, and organisational initiatives that support BAC’s mission and continuous improvement culture.

• Maintain professional development, staying informed of trends in hospitality, retail, and event services to bring fresh ideas and improvements.

• Ensure that BAC’s values of inclusivity, sustainability, and generosity are reflected in all aspects of your work and team leadership.
  
• Undertake any other duties as reasonably required by the leadership of BAC.

Person Specification

When we shortlist, we use these criteria to select the best candidates. 

Knowledge:

the understanding of a subject or information that a candidate has

• Proven knowledge of event sales processes (from generating leads to contracting)
• Understanding of different clients (weddings/corporate/filming/conferences/live events) and how to position a venue for different opportunities
• Familiarity with financial forecasting, managing a sales pipeline and data-driven decision making
• Strong contracting skills and knowledge of contract terms regarding hire agreements and risk management
• Awareness of event industry trends

Experience:

the practical application of the knowledge that a candidate has acquired through working or living

• Substantial experience in an events sales and delivery position with a proven sales record securing high-value contracts
• Previous experience in managing and motivating a sales team
• Experience of setting up and effectively monitoring systems and processes, including financial controls
• Experience of managing compliance with legislation for Health and Safety practice and venue licencing

Skills:

the specific abilities that a candidate has acquired through practice or training

• Strong sales and negotiation skills with an ability to build rapport easily with clients, upsell and convert leads into confirmed bookings
• Strong organisation and planning skills, and experience of successfully fulfilling sales from enquiry to confirmed booking
• Ability to multitask and stay agile in a fast-paced environment; being able to problem-solve challenges as they arise
• Excellent management skills; being able to motivate and inspire a team
• A positive outlook and ability to project a professional image to clients both face to face and via phone and email
• Strong attention to detail across the sales and contracting process contributing to excellent communication and leading to smooth event delivery
• Excellent written and spoken English and numeracy skills

Values:

the behaviours a candidate should be able to demonstrate

BACs values reflect the motto inscribed the walls of our old Town Hall building “Not for me, not for you, but for us”. We are inclusive and kind.

We expect all our staff to live this motto in their approach to work and BACs mission.

Terms & Conditions

This role is 5 days a week Monday-Friday; usual office hours are 10am-6pm. We offer flexible working where possible. This role will take a proactive lead on site visits so we expect this role to be based onsite on average 4 days per week.

Evening and weekend work will be required. All staff at Battersea Arts Centre are expected to attend performances and events and be a part of the artistic life of the organisation.

Salary

£38,000-£40,000 gross per annum (dependent on experience)

Hours

35 hours per week, excluding a daily one-hour lunch break

Overtime

No overtime payments; we operate a Time Off in Lieu (TOIL) system, to be taken within two weeks of accrual.

Annual Leave

4 weeks per year, pro rata (5 weeks following one full year of service)

Probation period

3 months

Notice period

2 months

Contract Period

Fixed Term (Parental Cover) for a period of 10 months, December 2025 to end of September 2026

Pension Scheme

BAC’s pension scheme provided by NEST

Staff Benefits

Complimentary tickets (subject to availability and staff ticket policy)

Employment Assistance Programme provided by Health Assured,

Cycle to Work Scheme

Discount in the BAC cafe (subject to discount policy)

5 Development Days (pro rata)