Imperial is a world Top 10 university with an international reputation for excellence in teaching and research. The Hospitality Department of the Property Division are responsible for operating various cafes, restaurants, bars, events and guest accommodation located across all their Campuses to provide affordable and high-quality food and services for the Imperial community and external clients. They create a valuable resource for Imperial, which in turn supports our academic community of world leaders in the provision of Engineering, Medicine, Natural Sciences, Business Management, Research and Teaching.
We are looking for an experienced Sales Development Manager who will be responsible for leading the management and direction of the Events Sales Team to ensure the delivery of high-quality internal and external events, drive revenue growth, and improve overall performance in line with Imperial’s vision and values.
You will also manage the Reservations Team to ensure the maximising of revenue and profit of guest accommodation through effective systems, pricing, inventory, yield, and revenue management. You will ensure the effective management of the reservations and bookings to deliver a high-quality guest experience.
You will develop and execute a comprehensive Events Sales strategy encompassing both internal and external events. You will be required to ensure the seamless planning and execution of events and conferences to uphold Imperial's reputation for excellence. The role will oversee high-profile internal events, including graduation ceremonies, with meticulous attention to detail and a focus on achieving organizational objectives.
You will be required to develop effective systems and ways of working to support staff productivity. You will also prepare annual budgets which reflect organisational objectives to both support internal events and the needs of the Imperial community, as well as generating revenue from external clients.
Working with the Marketing Manager you will develop and direct the implementation of a sales and marketing strategy to increase venue visibility and brand recognition to repeat and new external clients, which is a key objective.
You will integrate and develop new and existing campuses and events offers into our sales portfolio ensuring that events at other campuses are Imperial led and delivered.
1. Degree or equivalent qualification/experience in a similar role
2. Previous management experience, ideally in a higher education environment or hotel/conference venue, of sufficient quality to demonstrate proven success in this area
3. Proven experience in a team leadership/senior team role with proven ability to manage, direct, train, develop motivate and performance manage staff, with changing priorities
4. Proven experience in prioritising and progressing multiple tasks alongside each other, and the flexibility to respond effectively to changing demands and priorities to ensure deadlines are met
5. Knowledge and experience of a diary-based booking system with database (. Kinetic Solutions Kx)
6. Excellent IT capabilities, including sound working experience of Outlook and Office 365 (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Teams)
7. Excellent communications skills, both written and verbal, to present and deliver information in an appropriate manner
8. Experience of providing high quality customer service and relationship building
9. Ability to plan, prioritise, make decisions, and manage a workload without supervision and with own initiative and sound people-management and delegation skills
10. A pro-active and flexible approach to work with the ability to adapt to changing situations in a considered and calm manner and to work well under pressure
11. Excellent person-management skills and the ability to communicate, interact and build effective working relationships with a broad range of people both across Imperial and externally
12. Be flexible and able to work longer hours at business-critical times and across all Imperial campuses which may include evenings and weekends, as and when required
13. The opportunity to continue your career at a world-leading institution and be part of our mission to use science for humanity.
14. Benefit from a sector-leading salary and remuneration package (including 39 days’ annual leave and generous pension schemes).
15. Access to a range of workplace benefits including a flexible working policy from day one, generous family leave packages, on-site leisure facilities and cycle-to-work scheme.
16. Interest-free season ticket loan schemes for travel.
17. Be part of a diverse, inclusive and collaborative work culture with various and resources to support your personal and professional .