Job description

Senior Operations Manager - B2B Exhibitions
London - Hybrid working, 4 days in the office
£50,000-£53,000 basic + 20% bonus

Ready to own large-scale shows from first plan to final breakdown? This is a chance to take the operational lead on major UK exhibitions with a fast-growing, people-first events business.

Our client is an ambitious, investor-backed events and media business running market-leading exhibitions across a range of vital industries, with offices around the world. The business has grown fast, and with all shows moving in-house next year, they're strengthening their operations team. Their culture is sociable, open and supportive, and they put their people first.

The role
Reporting to the Head of Operations, you'll own the operational delivery of your own large-scale shows. That means managing budgets of seven figures and running multiple features at once, from initial planning through to onsite delivery and the post-event review. You'll be:

Owning end-to-end operational delivery of your allocated events
Working with Exhibition Directors on event plans, budgets and forecasts
Building and managing critical paths, and flagging risks early
Overseeing floorplans, consolidations and exhibitor manuals
Managing operational budgets, tracking spend, reporting variances and negotiating with suppliers
Coordinating suppliers across security, traffic management, catering, furniture, AV and feature build
Bringing creative flair to features that look great and enhance the visitor experience
Leading health and safety planning, reviewing RAMS and monitoring contractor compliance
Acting as the senior onsite contact across build-up, open days and breakdown
Leading debriefs, post-event reporting and budget reconciliation

What you'll get

£50,000-£53,000 basic salary plus up to 20% bonus, based on staying within budget, the look and feel of your shows and teamwork
Hybrid working, with 4 days in the office and 1 from home
Full ownership of major UK exhibitions
A well-organised team that plans ahead, so you won't be firefighting at the last minute
A sociable, supportive culture in a business that's growing quickly

About you

Significant operations experience in exhibitions or comparable large-scale events
You've owned complete shows yourself, not just supported someone else's
You've owned an operations budget from start to finish and delivered within it
Experience running multiple features at once on large exhibitions
Strong knowledge of floorplans, exhibitor services, contractor coordination, build-up and breakdown
Good event health and safety knowledge, including RAMS
Calm, decisive and solutions-focused when things are live onsite
Strong Excel skills and experience with CRM, event management and floorplan systems
Adaptable and open to new systems and processes, while bringing fresh ideas
Happy to travel and work extended hours, including evenings and weekends, around shows
IOSH or a similar health and safety qualification is a bonus. Contractor-side experience is also welcome.