Head of Commercial Sales

Head of Commercial Sales

Final date to receive applications: 31 August 2026

Department: Venue Hire

Employment Type: Permanent - Full Time

Location: London

Reporting To: Commercial Director

Compensation: £57,000 - £60,000 / year

We are looking for people to join our fantastic team at Somerset House Trust. As the home of cultural innovators, the Trust connects creativity and the arts with the broader society. Somerset House pursues a ‘Step Inside, Think Outside’ spirit and is born from the creative community we nurture - the experience and perspectives we host across background, age, race, and stage, and the intersections and crossovers we encourage.

The Head of Commercial Sales is responsible for leading the Venue Hire Sales Team and driving revenue growth through effective sales strategies and relationship-building. They will lead and inspire the sales team, optimise revenue generation and deliver an excellent service to clients. They will be proactive, commercially astute, and strategic in developing revenue opportunities, whilst balancing these with our charitable aims.

The role involves managing key client relationships, developing sales strategies and working closely with the Head of Commercial Operations to ensure a seamless customer journey for all clients.

The Head of Commercial Sales will work closely with the Commercial Director to implement new opportunities and with the Audience and Development team to ensure the marketing and promotion of Somerset House as one of London’s most impressive and versatile venues. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in sales within the events industry, strong leadership skills, and a process driven approach.

• Lead, mentor, and motivate the Commercial Sales team, providing direction, training, and support to achieve high performance across events, filming and activations.
• Conduct regular team meetings and 1-1 meetings to review performance, provide feedback, and set individual goals.
• Foster a positive, collaborative, and goal-oriented team culture, encouraging continuous improvement and professional growth.
• Line management of the Commercial Sales team:
  Senior Sales Manager, 2x Event Sales Managers and Event Sales Coordinator.

• Accountable for the commercial success of the sales team. Monitor sales performance, ensure a flexible and creative approach to securing new business, meet and exceed monthly sales targets and grow the venue hire business.
• Responsible for leading complex, high revenue event enquiries, and cross-departmental events, ensuring buy in from key stakeholders across the Trust when required.
• Develop a key account management framework and cultivation strategy, which retains and develops new relationships with direct clients, suppliers, agencies and key stakeholders.
• Develop new Venue Hire opportunities – identify and implement opportunities for growth across new and enhanced offers, new sectors and underutilised spaces.
• Work closely with the Head of Commercial Operations and wider team, to ensure a consistently strong focus on customer service, ensuring a seamless client journey, from initial enquiry through to post event debrief.
• Develop a close and effective working relationship with the Development team to optimise corporate members and brand partnership opportunities.
• Grow repeat business in line with departmental objectives.
• Woking closely with the Head of Commercial Operations, deliver the supplier tender process.
• Maintain and build relationships with accredited suppliers.
• Work closely and creatively with all departments across the Trust to maximise opportunities where possible.
• Act as an effective ambassador for Somerset House.

• Work with the Commercial Director and Head of Commercial Operations to set annual sales and marketing budgets.
• Responsible for delivering the annual sales and marketing budget.
• Work closely with the Finance team to ensure accurate monthly reporting of actual versus forecast income across sales, commission and expenditure.
• Ensure the Sales team follow correct financial processes, tracking and invoicing all…