Senior Engagement Operations Manager

Can you deliver seamless operational management on our industry leading audience engagement programme?

We are looking for an Engagement Operations expert to be responsible for the delivery of our audience engagement programmes providing first class project, leadership and stakeholder management. 

About the role

This role at IGD is focussed on delivering excellence in our industry leading event programme, ensuring that both delegate and partner experience exceeds expectations before, during and after each Event.

We’re proud of our reputation for delivering leading retail partner and own brand Event/ audience engagement excellence and want to build on our strong foundations to grow and deliver our industry leading audience engagement  programme.  The financial and advocacy success of our programme supports IGD's charitable purpose and Social Impact programme.

You'll play a key role, and will be passionate, about ensuring our audience engagement programme is successful for IGD, our partners and has customer and delegate experience at its heart.

The responsibilities

Reporting into the Head of Engagement Operations and Delegate Experience with line management responsibility for a team of operations and delegate engagement managers, responsibilities include:

The project management and delivery of high-quality complex production focussed events, from stakeholder management and programme development to operational planning, customer service and onsite delivery.

Managing a team of operations and delegate engagement managers as well as managing external support agencies to deliver the engagement to the agreed plan and budget.

The role is responsible for the project and operational management of a variety of events including large scale retailer partnership events and IGD's programme of own brand content events.  All through an agreed model of engagement execution options including in person, hybrid and webinars.    

You will deepen stakeholder relationships with our retailer partner brands ensuring the engagement is successful for their business and delivers to their brief and agreed specifications. You will build trust with retailer partners and deliver added value through excellence in project management and delivery, from design and planning to event execution. A core part of this will be supporting the retailer in their product and brand activation through the showcasing of their food product in the event menu.

You will work with cross functional teams at IGD in Event Marketing, Digital, Design and Insight, to execute and deliver excellence in the engagement experience and operational execution.  And at IGD's flagship own brand events you'll be responsible for the delivery and operational execution of the OneIGD brand story, ensuring that we showcase our market leading Insight products and services through exciting and engaging formats and experience.  

Your operational management will include but is not limited to project managing critical path and timelines, budgets, planning meetings, sourcing and managing venues and F&B requirements, production management pre event and onsite, external supplier liaison and negotiations, speaker management and technical support and cost control.

You'll support the delegate engagement team on the optimisation of a first-class delegate experience, with an agreed model of engagement execution options including in person, hybrid and webinars.

And, with the delegate engagement team identify and innovate with the latest event technology to enhance the engagement experience for every delegate at every touchpoint, ensuring that the IGD brand and our loyalty and acquisition objectives are part of your approach.  

You'll be a proven negotiator with the ability to work with senior stakeholders across a number of external retail businesses, as well as with multiple stakeholders at IGD from design to finance.  You'll be a strong leader focussed on nurturing, growing and empowering an energised and expert delegate experience team, operating in the dynamic world of retail. 

What you bring

• An experience of, and passion for, the food and consumer goods industry
• Significant experience in project managing, leading and delivering high-quality complex production focussed events, from design, venue sourcing and contracting to operational planning and onsite delivery.
• Significant experience and excellence in project management and organisational skills with excellent attention to detail.
• Drive to deliver excellent customer care internally within IGD and externally to customers along with on site at events always going the extra mile to exceed customer expectations
• Ability to work across a number of events simultaneously with excellent organisational skills and initiative to manage own workloads with minimal supervision ensuring deadlines are met
• Flexibility to work outside of standard hours to deliver projects to tight deadlines
• Have a passion for events and be driven to achieve and develop your knowledge and experience
• Proven leadership skills, with the ability to inspire and motivate an operation and delegate engagement team, guiding and managing the team to deliver large complex operational projects and events on time and to budget.
• Experienced in leading and building critical paths for delivery, incorporating both client, supplier and venue deadlines into the delivery plan. 
• Proven client management and strong relationship building expertise, able to work with multiple clients and multi-disciplined cross functional teams at any one time, to deliver operational excellence.
• Proven commercial acumen with the ability to deliver plans at pace, focussed on budget processes and KPI's. 
• Dynamic, self-motivated and driven; calm under pressure, a pragmatic problem solver focussed successful delivery.
• You will have a broad understanding and working experience of technical delegate platforms and have a drive for knowledge and bringing new innovations and technology

The rewards

We offer a range of benefits, including a market leading pension, a bonus scheme, the ability to buy and sell annual leave plus a generous medical insurance package.
At IGD, we have a great work-life balance, where you are empowered & trusted to manage your time.

The location

We are operating a hybrid approach to working with a mix of home and office-based working. We are based in a very accessible location within the M25, just 20 miles from central London. 

More about our people

We’re looking for inspiring professionals; talented people who seek personal and career growth and are ambitious to develop their potential and unlock opportunities for society, for our customers and themselves.

We seek and attract the very best people and create an environment that supports and includes them. We aim to encourage a culture where people can be themselves and be valued for their contribution. We therefore welcome applications from diverse candidates. This includes people with disabilities, so please discuss any adjustments that you may require throughout the selection and assessment process.

More about IGD

IGD is a truly unique place, we connect and inspire, provoking and leading constructive debate that creates impact. Together we are working to make a tangible difference for Society, Business, and the Individual.

We use in-depth commercial understanding to uncover rich insights and data, leading to action that powers success. 

We reinvest profit from our Trading company into delivering Social Impact, through the Charity, aimed at uniting and mobilising our industry around the most crucial issues affecting society and business today.

#Inspire. Grow. Change: Join our team to help us make a positive impact and drive change.

Get in touch – we’re looking forward to
working with you.

careers@igd.com