Head of Ticketing & Customer Operations, Arts & Entertainment

Arts & Entertainment delivers world-class live experiences that celebrate culture, creativity, and community across the globe. From music and culinary festivals to immersive exhibitions and iconic seasonal events, our team produces and curates exceptional moments that connect audiences with the best in entertainment and the arts.

We are hiring a Head of Ticketing & Customer Operations for the entire event portfolio, including Hampton Court Palace Festival, Taste of London, Big Feastival, Glide at Battersea Power Station, Windsor Great Park Illuminated and Hyde Park Winter Wonderland, Blenheim Palace Festival, and Electric Summer.

Key Responsibilities and Accountabilities

The Head of Department is responsible for leading and developing the Ticketing and Customer Operations (CO) function across multiple large-scale events and year-round attractions. This senior leadership role will manage strategy, operations, technology, and partnerships to deliver a market-leading customer journey, maximise revenue opportunities, and ensure exceptional service standards.

• Lead, inspire, and manage the A&E Ticketing and Customer Operations team, ensuring strong leadership, mentorship, and training opportunities.
• Define and implement the CO strategy, ensuring scalable, efficient, and customer-focused solutions.
• Manage departmental budgets, including staffing, Zendesk functionality, technology, and accessibility provision.
• Drive continuous improvement through evaluation of systems, processes, and service models.
• Act as the senior point of escalation for all ticketing and customer operations matters.

• Lead the design, development, and optimisation of ticketing platforms and websites, ensuring seamless customer journeys.
• Manage the set-up of ticketing across events, including path design, allocations, complimentary tickets, and ongoing updates.
• Negotiate, oversee, and manage contractual arrangements with ticketing providers.
• Build strong relationships with ticketing partners, authorised selling agents, and marketing teams.
• Maximise revenue by aligning ticketing operations with marketing strategies and promotional activity.
• Collaborate with hospitality and sales teams to develop and deliver premium packages and group bookings.

• Oversee customer contact channels (email, phone, social media), ensuring professional and timely communication.
• Manage customer complaints, working with internal teams and external partners to resolve issues efficiently.
• Ensure accessibility standards are upheld across all events and attractions.
• Implement and manage Zendesk functionality and budgets to support customer service operations.
• Deliver post-event reporting and insight to drive improvements in customer experience and ticketing performance.

• Oversee Box Office and ticketing operations, including staffing, resourcing, and onsite scanning/hardware provision.
• Manage onsite customer service teams, ticketing managers, hospitality operations, and premium guest areas.
• Coordinate the logistics for press and preview evenings, ensuring smooth ticketing and access operations.
• Liaise with venues, Front of House teams, caterers, local residents, and other key stakeholders to ensure strong operational delivery.
• Oversee access provisions and ensure best practices are implemented across all sites.
• Support special operations such as Operation Mistletoe and Operation Falcon in collaboration with event directors.
• Provide ongoing support for year-round attractions (e.g., Lift 109) to ensure consistent service standards.

• Regular weekend work where you will be required to travel to events in line with the Arts & Entertainment portfolio, including occasions where staying on site may be required.
• Outside of event travel, there will be a requirement to travel for meetings as part of the role
• Unsocial hours, including evenings and weekends when required.

• Proven success in leading ticketing operations across multiple events/attractions.
• Track record of working with ticketing providers, technology platforms, and authorised selling agents.
• Hands-on experience managing large customer service teams in high-pressure environments.
• Strong background in contract management and negotiations with suppliers/partners.
• Knowledge and experience of Zendesk (or similar platforms).
• Demonstrated ability to deliver accessibility solutions and inclusive customer service.
• Experience of working across festivals, heritage venues, or multi-site event operations is desirable.

• Strong leadership and people management skills, with the ability to mentor and inspire teams.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management, both internally and externally.
• Strategic thinker with strong problem-solving and decision-making ability.
• Highly organised with the ability to manage multiple large-scale projects simultaneously.
• Customer-centric mindset with a passion for delivering exceptional experiences.
• Financially literate, with the ability to manage and report on departmental budgets.

• Accessibility training
• Customer service training
• Experienced in building ticket systems for large-scale events

• Hardworking and confident individual who will have a positive impact on the future direction of the Arts and Entertainment Events portfolio
• Strong leader with the ability to motivate a team and manage high-pressure situations
• Ability to handle pressure and stay calm whilst remaining enthusiastic
• Ability to fit into an organisational structure and team culture
• Ability to confidently manage and lead projects
• Ability to identify key areas of development and propose and manage solutions

• The work location is Chiswick Park, London.
• This is a permanent contract.
• Working hours are 9-5 pm.
• Occasional weekend work where you may be required to travel to events
• Occasional outside of event travel, there will be a requirement to travel for meetings as part of the role