Events and Retail Section Head - Emirati Hire

Overview

Section Leadership and Strategy

• Lead and manage the Events Unit and F&B & Retail Unit, ensuring alignment with the strategic objectives.
• Develop and implement annual business plans, budgets, and commercial strategies for events, retail, and F&B operations.
• Establish an integrated commercial experience framework that enhances visitor engagement and commercial performance.
• Identify and develop new revenue-generating opportunities across events, retail, F&B, memberships, sponsorship activations, and venue hire.
• Monitor market trends, visitor behaviour, and industry best practices to continuously improve commercial offerings.

Events Unit Management

• Oversee the planning, development, and delivery of all events, including public programmes, educational activities, VIP events, corporate functions, venue hire, exhibition-related events, and community engagement initiatives.
• Develop annual, seasonal, and thematic programming calendars aligned with the exhibitions, scientific themes, and audience engagement objectives.
• Manage event pricing strategies, venue hire policies, event requests, and commercial event opportunities.
• Ensure successful execution of internal and external events while maintaining high visitor experience standards.
• Establish strategic partnerships to support event programming and sponsorship opportunities.

F&B and Retail Unit Management

• Lead the development and implementation of retail and F&B strategies that enhance visitor satisfaction and revenue generation.
• Oversee retail operations, merchandising strategies, inventory planning, product development, and retail performance.
• Manage relationships with F&B operators and concession partners to ensure quality service delivery and alignment with standards.
• Develop retail and F&B concepts that reflect the identity, exhibitions, collections, and educational mission.
• Monitor sales performance, customer trends, profitability, and operational efficiency across all commercial outlets.
• Drive the development of exclusive merchandise, publications, branded products, and themed retail experiences.

Commercial Experience and Visitor Journey

• Ensure events, retail, F&B, and visitor engagement activities operate as a cohesive and integrated visitor journey.
• Assess visitor touchpoints and implement initiatives that improve visitor satisfaction, dwell time, spending, and repeat visitation.
• Develop experience-led activations and commercial storytelling initiatives that enhance audience engagement.
• Collaborate with Visitor Experience, Education, Curatorial, Marketing, and Operations teams to ensure consistent visitor messaging and programming alignment.
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives based on visitor feedback, commercial performance, and operational insights.

Partnerships and Stakeholder Management

• Develop and maintain relationships with sponsors, tourism stakeholders, hospitality partners, educational institutions, vendors, and community organizations.
• Support fundraising and partnership initiatives through commercial activations and special events.
• Negotiate contracts and service agreements with suppliers, operators, event partners, and commercial vendors.
• Represent in relevant commercial, tourism, hospitality, and cultural industry forums.

Financial and Operational Management

• Manage section budgets, forecasts, revenue targets, and expenditure.
• Monitor and report on commercial performance, event outcomes, retail sales, and F&B performance.
• Ensure compliance with procurement, health and safety, security, and operational standards.
• Develop KPIs and performance measures for all commercial activities and monitor achievement against targets.

People Leadership

• Lead, coach, and develop a multidisciplinary team across Events and F&B & Retail functions.
• Foster a culture of collaboration, innovation, customer service excellence, and accountability.
• Support succession planning, capability development, and performance management across the section.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration, Marketing, Event Management, Hospitality Management, Tourism, Museum Studies, or a related field.
• Master's Degree preferred.

Experience

• Minimum 8–10 years of progressively responsible experience in events management, commercial operations, retail, hospitality, visitor attractions, tourism, or cultural institutions.
• Minimum 4–5 years in a leadership role managing multiple functions or business units.
• Experience overseeing events, retail, and/or F&B operations within cultural destination, hospitality venue, tourism attraction, or major public venue is highly desirable.
• Proven track record of driving revenue growth, visitor engagement, and commercial partnerships.