Strategy Director SEC

About the Role

The Strategy Director will lead the commercial growth, partnership development and strategic investment agenda for the Scottish Event Campus (SEC), with a clear mandate to identify and unlock new revenue opportunities across MICE, Conference & Events and the wider destination proposition. This is a highly commercial, strategic business-development role focused on identifying where SEC can grow its revenues, strengthen its market position and develop new commercial partnerships and propositions. The role holder will originate opportunities, develop compelling commercial propositions and translate them into robust business cases that demonstrate clear revenue, profitability and return-on-investment potential. Working closely with the Venue Director, Levy commercial teams and the client, the Strategy Director will identify opportunities across the MICE ecosystem and take them from market insight and relationship development through to proposition design, negotiation, business case, investment approval and delivery.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and own the long-term commercial growth strategy for SEC, focusing on MICE, Conference & Events and new revenue generation.
• Identify, evaluate and prioritise new commercial revenue streams using market intelligence, customer insight, competitor activity and emerging trends, and develop strategies to increase revenue per event, customer and square metre.
• Identify opportunities to develop new products, services, experiences and commercial propositions that generate incremental revenue, and build compelling propositions with clear revenue potential, margin opportunity and ROI.
• Develop a structured pipeline of commercial opportunities, tracking progress from initial concept through to conversion and delivery.
• Lead the identification and development of strategic commercial partnerships and sponsorship opportunities across SEC, including sponsorship, naming rights, brand activations and commercial collaborations.
• Build relationships with major brands, corporates, sponsors, event organisers, agencies, associations and strategic partners within the MICE ecosystem, and develop long-term partnership propositions that create value for SEC, Levy, clients and commercial partners.
• Work with internal commercial and marketing teams to develop propositions, pricing models and partnership packages, and lead senior-level commercial conversations and negotiations towards mutually beneficial agreements.
• Develop and maintain a strong external network across the UK and international MICE, events, tourism and commercial partnership landscape, and develop strategies to position SEC as a leading MICE destination in Scotland and the wider UK market.
• Identify new sectors, customer segments, event formats and international markets capable of driving incremental conference, exhibition and events revenue, and develop strategic relationships with convention bureaux, tourism organisations, destination partners, PCOs, DMCs
• Agencies and major corporate clients.
• Identify opportunities to attract and retain high-value conferences, exhibitions, incentives and corporate events, and translate changes in the MICE market, customer behaviour and competitor activity into commercially actionable strategies.
• Develop propositions that extend SEC's role beyond venue hire and catering into a broader destination and commercial experience, and lead the development of business cases for commercial growth, transformation and capital investment projects.
• Assess opportunities through financial modelling, revenue forecasting, investment appraisal, ROI and payback analysis, and build commercially robust cases for new spaces, experiences, partnerships, technology and propositions.
• Work with Levy's Design & Build, Commercial and central teams, alongside external partners, to turn concepts into investment-ready propositions, and present commercial strategies and investment cases to executive and board-level stakeholders.
• Track approved initiatives against agreed revenue, profitability and ROI objectives, and build strong relationships with senior stakeholders across Levy, SEC and the wider events ecosystem.

Required Experience & Qualifications

• Significant senior-level experience in commercial strategy, business development, partnerships, sponsorship, MICE, events, hospitality, venues or destination development.
• Proven track record of identifying and converting new revenue opportunities.
• Experience developing and negotiating strategic partnerships, sponsorships or commercial agreements.
• Strong understanding of the MICE, conference, exhibition and events ecosystem, with an established network across relevant stakeholders.
• Proven experience developing commercial propositions, business cases and financial models for senior or board-level approval.
• Experience managing complex, multi-stakeholder commercial opportunities from concept through to implementation.
• Experience of working with brands, corporate clients, sponsors, agencies or strategic partners to create mutually valuable commercial propositions.
• Strong commercial acumen, with a clear understanding of revenue generation, profitability, ROI and commercial value creation.
• Proven ability to originate opportunities rather than simply manage an existing pipeline.
• Exceptional relationship-building, influencing and negotiation skills, with the credibility to operate at senior client, corporate and board level.
• Strong understanding of partnership development, sponsorship and commercial proposition design.
• Deep knowledge of the MICE, events and destination landscape and the commercial drivers influencing the sector.
• Strong strategic and analytical capability, with the ability to turn market insight into commercially viable opportunities.
• Highly entrepreneurial, proactive and comfortable creating opportunities in an ambiguous environment.
• Confident presenting compelling commercial propositions to senior stakeholders and securing buy-in and investment.

Benefits & Perks

• Healthcare
• Wellbeing support
• 27 days' annual leave plus bank holidays
• Life assurance
• Meals on duty
• Real Living Wage or London Living Wage pay commitment