Senior Commercial Manager

National Trust; West of England; Hybrid; GBP 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Substantial pension scheme

Free entry to National Trust places

Rental deposit loan

Season ticket loan

EV car lease scheme

Perks at work discounts

Holiday allowance (up to 32 days)

Flexible working

Employee assistance programme

Free parking

Benefits package

Job summary

National Trust is seeking a Senior Commercial Manager to lead a large Food & Beverage and Retail operation, driving profitability while delivering outstanding visitor experiences. You will steer managers, align commercial strategy with conservation goals, and inspire teams across multiple sites.

You will apply strong commercial acumen, stakeholder influence, and a commitment to inclusion to ensure safe, welcoming environments and sustainable operations for visitors, staff and volunteers.

Qualifications

• Senior leadership experience with large teams.
• Experience in Food & Beverage and/or Retail operations.
• Track record of growing income and controlling costs.
• Adept at using data and KPIs to drive decisions.
• Strong communication and stakeholder influence.

Responsibilities

• Oversee performance of a large Food & Beverage and Retail operation.
• Lead managers and teams to deliver excellent customer service.
• Use data to identify opportunities and improve profitability.
• Manage forecasting, labour, stock, costs and waste.
• Collaborate across the Trust to align visitor experience with conservation mission.

Skills

Strategic leadership

People management

Data-driven decision making

Budgeting

Customer experience

Stakeholder engagement

Job description

Summary

We're looking for a Senior Commercial Manager to join us. You'll lead a large and complex commercial operation across Food & Beverage and Retail, driving profitability and exceptional visitor experiences that support the National Trust's conservation work. The National Trust's commitment is "For everyone, for ever." Bringing that promise to life starts with the people that work here. It means building teams with a diverse range of backgrounds, cultures and experiences. It means creating an inclusive environment where everyone can thrive. Our roles are open to all. However, we particularly welcome applications from people from ethnically diverse communities because they are underrepresented at the Trust.

What it's like to work here

At the National Trust, our commercial operations play a vital role in supporting our charitable purpose. Whether through Food & Beverage, Retail, or a combination of both, every purchase helps us care for the places people love. As Senior Commercial Manager, you'll be at the heart of this work, leading a large team across a significant and complex operation. You'll work closely with a range of teams to deliver outstanding experiences for visitors while driving commercial success. This is a varied and rewarding role that combines strategic leadership, operational excellence and a clear connection to our mission.

What you'll be doing

As Senior Commercial Manager, you'll have overall responsibility for the performance of a large Food & Beverage and Retail operation. You'll lead managers and their teams to deliver exceptional customer service and consistently high standards across multiple outlets. You'll use commercial insight and performance data to identify opportunities, solve complex operational challenges and improve profitability. You'll oversee forecasting, labour deployment, stock management, cost control and waste reduction, ensuring resources are used effectively and sustainably. Working closely with colleagues across the Trust, you'll help deliver new initiatives and ensure the visitor experience is fully integrated with the property's spirit of place. You'll also champion climate-conscious ways of working and identify opportunities to reduce waste and energy use. You'll be responsible for maintaining high standards of food safety, allergen management, health and safety and compliance, creating a safe and welcoming environment for visitors, staff and volunteers.

You’ll bring a broad range of the following knowledge, skills and experience

• Experienced senior leader with a track record of developing high-performing management teams and delivering commercial success.
• Knowledgeable about Food & Beverage and/or Retail operations, including multi-outlet environments and service delivery.
• Commercially astute, with experience of driving income growth, managing budgets, controlling costs and improving profitability.
• Confident using data, KPIs and performance insight to inform decisions and solve operational challenges.
• Experienced in delivering exceptional customer service and creating outstanding visitor experiences.
• Skilled communicator who can build strong relationships and influence a wide range of stakeholders.
• Knowledgeable about food safety, allergen management, licensing, health and safety and compliance requirements. Passionate about supporting and developing people, creating inclusive environments where everyone can thrive.

The package

• Substantial pension scheme of up to 10% basic salary
• Free entry to National Trust places for you, a guest and your children (under 18)
• Rental deposit loan scheme
• Season ticket loan
• EV car lease scheme (for roles that meet the salary criteria)
• Perks at work discounts such as gym memberships, shopping discount codes, cinema discounts
• Holiday allowance up to 32 days relating to length of service, plus holiday purchase scheme, subject to meeting minimum criteria.
• Flexible working whenever possible
• Employee assistance programme
• Free parking at most Trust places
• Click here to find out more about the benefits we offer to support you.