West Horsley Place is an extraordinary historic house and estate in the heart of Surrey; with 400 acres of woodland and grazing, historic gardens and outbuildings and at the heart of the estate, a 15 th century manor house. We have a joint mission: to conserve and protect the heritage in our care, and to enrich people’s lives through culture, heritage and nature. We do that by offering an ever-growing public programme centred on arts and nature, giving people the freedom to explore and discover, to create stories and become part of ours.
The Commercial Income Lead is a senior, entrepreneurial role responsible for shaping, growing and diversifying West Horsley Place’s commercial income.
This is a highly proactive position for a self-starter who thrives on identifying opportunity, creating new sales channels and turning ideas into deliverable, income-generating activity. The post holder will develop and lead commercial strategy while remaining closely involved in hands-on sales, client management and on-site delivery.
The role oversees a broad portfolio including corporate venue hire, filming and photography, third-party commercial activity and estate partnerships. It also provides strategic oversight of weddings and private events, line-managing the Weddings & Private Events Coordinator who leads day-to-day sales and delivery in that area.
Commercial leadership & strategy
* Develop and lead a clear commercial income strategy, aligned with the Trust’s charitable purpose and long-term sustainability.
* Identify, test and launch new sales channels, commercial products and partnerships, taking ideas from concept to implementation.
* Drive income growth by improving yield, diversifying offer and unlocking under-utilised assets across the house and estate.
* Monitor market trends and competitor activity, using insight to evolve pricing, positioning and proposition.
* Personally lead sales activity for corporate hire, filming/location hire and other non-wedding commercial use.
* Build and maintain strong relationships with clients, agents, production companies and partners to generate repeat business and referrals.
* Represent West Horsley Place confidently in commercial negotiations and external relationships.
* Act as commercial lead for the planning and on-site delivery of non-wedding hires and events.
* Ensure high standards of delivery, client experience, risk management and operational coordination.
* Work closely with colleagues, contractors and tenants to ensure smooth delivery with minimal impact on public activity.
* Review performance and delivery post-event, embedding learning and continuous improvement.
* Serve as principal contact for filming and location hire, including management of the relationship with the location agency.
* Oversee relationships with regular and seasonal traders and third-party hirers.
* Identify, negotiate and secure commercial partnerships and estate-based opportunities that align with the Trust’s values and character.
Weddings & private events – strategic oversight
* Provide strategic oversight of weddings and private events to ensure alignment with wider commercial objectives.
* Line-manage the Weddings & Private Events Coordinator, setting priorities, supporting development and monitoring performance.
* Enable cross-support between weddings and other events where appropriate, while protecting the coordinator’s primary focus on wedding sales and delivery.
Organisational contribution
* Contribute to Trust-wide planning, commercial thinking and income development.
* Support Trust-led events and fundraising activity as required.
* Champion continuous improvement, new ways of working and a confident commercial culture.
* Undertake other reasonable duties as required.
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