Head of Events

The essentials …

•  Permanent, full-time
•  £55,000 - £62,000 (depending on experience)
•  5 total direct reports (including 3 Leads; Training Courses, Venue Hire, & Energy Group Events, Senior Events

Coordinator, and Events Marketing Executive)

•  Hybrid working with 2-3 days a week at our London office

Who are we?
Founded in 1807, we are the oldest geological society in the world. Today, we are a world-leading communicator of
Earth science – through publishing, library and information services, cutting-edge scientific conferences, education
activities and outreach to the general public. We also provide impartial scientific information and evidence to support
policy-making and public debate about the challenges facing humanity.

We have a membership (Fellowship) of c. 12,000, more than 2,000 of whom are based outside the UK. Approximately
3,000 are Chartered Geologists or Chartered Scientists - professionals who have demonstrated a high level of technical
competence in their field and a commitment to professional ethics.

What you’ll be doing …
Our Head of Events (HoE) will bring leadership and strategic vision to the Society’s Events team encompassing
scientific conferences, venue hire, and training courses, working to deliver the business plan and achieve targets for
this active, income-generating department.

This role will be responsible for supporting the six-strong team in delivery of our busy events programme, working
effectively with conference convenors, and providing exemplary support to our delegates, venue users, sponsors, and
clients throughout the year. Working closely with the Director of Science & Engagement, our new HoE will work to
develop robust and diverse income streams for the Society from our events as well as sponsorship and will oversee the
expansion of our venue hire provision into new markets (e.g. weddings) in addition to seizing other opportunities for
growth.

Overall responsibilities / requirements …

Management & Leadership:

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Shape and lead the Events team to deliver top-quality leadership and coordination of our events programmes
and customer service for both internal users and external clients

•  Continue to support a commercial approach to income generation across the Events department, to support

revenue growth and diversification across sectors

•  Grow event sponsorship, proactively identifying sponsorship opportunities and supporting the team,
convenors, and others to become more confident in developing sponsor relationships and securing
sponsorship income.

•  Grow and nurture relationships with Fellows and external partners
•  Grow and nurture relationships with internal staff across other departments, particularly those jointly

responsible for delivering upon the Society’s strategic aims

•  Provide leadership and mentorship to the Events team, supporting ongoing professional development
•  Act as the senior Events representative at internal committee meetings, providing expert input on event

strategy, performance, and future plans.

•  Manage external relationships with Events partners, including catering suppliers, AV technicians, and

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Security where appropriate
Lead on the delivery of appropriate Health & Safety management alongside equity, diversity, inclusion, and
accessibility actions across the Events team and throughout our programme of public facing events

Conference Delivery:

•  Oversee the management and delivery of Society conferences, events, and lectures alongside our Energy

Group Lead and Senior Events Coordinator, including offsite delivery where appropriate

•  Oversee the planning and delivery of flagship conferences for audiences of approximately 500+ delegates,

ensuring high-quality audience experience and strong financial performance.

•  Oversee the development and implementation of a strategy for the branding and marketing of events from

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web, print and social media alongside our Events Marketing Executive
Embed a commercial approach to conference development and delivery
Lead the development of partnerships across the Events team, including the management and delivery of
joint, flagship events such as the Energy Geoscience Conference (EGC) series in partnership with GESGB
•  Work closely with the Senior Leadership Team, staff, and Council, to grow the offering of Society events, in

London and beyond

•  Worth the wider staff team to ensure that our Conference provision is aligned to the Society’s science

strategy & supports ongoing professional development for our fellows and members

Training Courses Delivery:

•  Provide strategic oversight of the Society’s developing Training Course programme alongside our Training
Courses Lead and Training Courses Committee to ensure commercial sustainability, quality, and growth
Support the promotion and upscaling of our Training Courses programme alongside our Events Marketing
Executive

•

•  Work with the wider staff team to ensure that our Training Course provision is aligned to the Society’s

science strategy & supports ongoing professional development for our fellows and members

Venue Hire Oversight:

•  Provide strategic leadership, working with the Venue Hire Lead to develop and implement a comprehensive
strategy to grow and diversify venue hire revenue, aligned with the organisation’s wider commercial
objectives.

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Lead on the design, launch, and ongoing development of our new Weddings venue hire initiative in
partnership with our Venue Hire Lead following the granting of our wedding license from Westminster City
Council, ensuring strong market positioning and a high-quality client experience

•  Work with the wider events team to improve booking and on-the-day service for internal and external venue-

hire clients

•  Oversee and continuously improve the end-to-end booking journey and on-the-day service for internal and
external venue-hire clients, working closely with the wider events team to deliver a consistently high
standard of service.
Lead on the procurement and management of key suppliers (including catering and other event services),
running competitive tenders and negotiating contracts that best support the quality, profitability and
sustainability of our events programme.

•

What we’re looking for …
Candidates for the role of Head of Events will be required to demonstrate a range of skills, competencies, and abilities
for the post, and the successful candidate will have demonstrable experience within an Events team as well as
leadership experience. The individual will need to be able to build relationships with stakeholders and clients from a
variety of sectors and will need to demonstrate a variety of skills.

Qualification & Experience …

Leadership & Management:

Experience of successfully implementing and leading change

•
•  A track record of successfully building and nurturing strong and productive relationships, internally and

externally

•  A team worker with proven experience of working collaboratively to realise organisational objectives
•  An ability to influence and inspire people successfully at all levels.

Other Qualities:

Familiarity with the current Microsoft Office suite, and use of CRM systems

•  Demonstrable ability to prioritise multiple tasks and work to tight deadlines when required
•
•  Tact, tenacity, and a willingness to work in partnership with others
•  Positivity and enthusiasm for the role, and support for your team
Exceptional interpersonal and people-management skills
•
•  A commitment to personal development and learning

Essential Criteria:

Successful delivery of conferences and events

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•  A track record of successful leadership and management
•
•  Commitment to diversity, equality and inclusion, and to the Society’s other core values as set out in our

Financial management, commercial awareness, including budgetary management

strategy
Strong written and oral communication skills

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Desirable Criteria:

•  Venue management experience
•
•  Knowledge of legal and regulatory requirements relevant to public events and venue hire (e.g., licensing,

Successful delivery of academic and/or professional/B2B conferences

GDPR).
Experience of working with trustees, committee members, volunteers, and other stakeholders

•
•  Commercial experience in a relevant sector
•

Experience of training courses and/or ongoing professional development in a commercial capacity

A bit about us …
The Geological Society is a registered charity and employs just under 60 staff at its offices in London and Bath. Our
London office is situated in the beautiful London hotspot of Piccadilly in Burlington House, just next door to The Royal
Academy.

As an employee conscious company, we invest in our staff by emphasising training, growth and progression in
every role. We firmly believe in creating a positive workplace wellbeing culture and offer a range of benefits to
our staff including:

•  25 days basic holiday entitlement you start, increasing up to 30 days with continued service (pro-

rated for part-time staff)

Free premium Headspace account for you and 2 members of friends/family

•  Option to purchase up to 2 days extra holiday days per year
•  Contributary pension scheme with 10% employer contribution
•  Access to 24/7 online GP with mental health & wellbeing counselling
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•  Discounts and recognitions scheme
•  Cycle to Work scheme
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Season Ticket Loan scheme
Life Assurance and Income Protection schemes
Free access to Royal Academy exhibitions
Free Geological Society Fellow membership for qualified staff

The Society is committed to fostering an inclusive culture that promotes equality, values diversity and maintains a
harmonious inclusive environment in which the rights and dignity of all its members visitors and staff are respected.
We are an equal opportunities employer and the post-holder will be expected to adhere to and support the Society’s
commitment to diversity, equality and inclusion.

How to apply …
To apply for this position, please forward a copy of your CV together with a cover letter to
recruitment@geolsoc.org.uk. Please ensure that your cover letter highlights your experience in no more than 500
words.

As part of our inclusive recruitment initiative, we have introduced the concept of anonymous recruiting in order to
evaluate applicants solely on their skills and experience. With this in mind, we encourage you to:

•  Anonymise your application by stating only your initials in your CV (including your file name) and cover

letter.
State your initials and the role you are applying for in the subject line when sending your application.

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Ensure that you have included your contact email and number, as well as dates when you will not be
available or might have difficulty with the indicative timetable.

Please let us know if you will require any special provisions to be made should you be called for an interview. We
regret that unsuccessful candidates will not be contacted.

All applicants must have the right to work in the UK. We are currently unable to support visa applications.

Deadline to apply: 5th January 2026