Royal Holloway Students’ Union (RHSU) is a vibrant, student-led organisation at the heart of the Royal Holloway, University of London community. Dedicated to enhancing the student experience, RHSU delivers a wide range of services, activities, and opportunities that support student life, wellbeing, and development. With a strong focus on community, inclusion, and innovation, the Union plays a vital role in shaping a positive and engaging university experience.
As part of its strategic ambitions, RHSU is committed to strengthening its commercial operations to ensure long term financial sustainability while continuing to deliver high quality, accessible services for its diverse student body. To shape the future direction of commercial services, driving innovation, long term sustainability, and an enhanced student experience, the Students’ Union is seeking to appoint a Head of Commercial Operations.
Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer and sitting on the Senior Leadership Team, the Head of Commercial Operations will play a pivotal role in leading the Union’s commercial and building services strategy. The postholder will oversee a diverse portfolio including commercial services, events and entertainment, facilities management, and health and safety, ensuring that all operations are innovative, efficient, and aligned with organisational priorities.
Leading a team of experienced managers, this role will drive the long-term commercial strategy, focusing on sustainable income growth, service improvement, and the development of new opportunities aligned to student needs. The postholder will ensure that services and facilities are continuously enhanced, efficient, and fully compliant.
A key priority will be leadership by building and empowering high-performing teams, fostering a collaborative culture, and driving organisational change. The role will also play a central part in financial planning and performance, overseeing significant budgets and ensuring delivery against strategic objectives.
The successful candidate will bring strong experience in commercial or operational leadership, with a proven track record of delivering strategic outcomes and leading complex, multi-functional teams in a dynamic environment. They will demonstrate excellent stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence and build partnerships across a wide range of internal and external stakeholders.
We encourage applications from candidates with a range of professional backgrounds, including retail, hospitality, and leisure. The role is site based and predominantly Monday to Friday.
Applications should include a CV and a covering letter of no more than two pages. Please send them to
The candidate brochure can be viewed at RHSU - Head of Commercial Operations
The closing date for applications is Thursday, 7th of May.