Head of Commercial

About the role

The Fitzwilliam Museum, the principal museum of the University of Cambridge, is recruiting a Head of Commercial to lead on commercial strategy and income. Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, the post-holder decides how to grow, sustain and deliver this income stream as part of the Museum's business model, while building an entrepreneurial culture and developing colleagues' skills and confidence. The role is full-time, Monday to Friday, in Cambridge.

Key responsibilities

• Develop a commercial income strategy and policy, set and monitor KPIs, and contribute to the annual planning cycle with trading forecasts.
• Lead the venue hire and commercial events programme, including galleries, commercial events and location filming, and maintain a competitive pricing model.
• Manage the exhibition ticketing strategy and the end-to-end ticketing journey, using the CRM and Ticketing systems.
• Work with the Membership and Individual Giving Manager on the Friends membership strategy, including training front-of-house staff to upsell membership and donations.
• Lead the café and catering contract and other third-party contracts.
• Identify new commercial opportunities such as publishing, image licensing and training/consultancy, and integrate them with the brand strategy.
• Share learning with the University's collections and advise on commercial conditions for the wider collections.

Required profile

• Senior-level experience in a commercial, trading or income-generation role within a cultural, heritage, visitor attraction or not-for-profit environment.
• Evidence of strong commercial acumen and a track record of turning strategy into delivery.
• Ability to balance income generation with audience experience and ethical considerations, and to build relationships across stakeholders.

What we offer

• Salary of £63,606 to £67,468 (Grade 10).
• A supportive and inclusive workplace, a pension scheme, substantial holiday allowance and employee benefits including retail discounts.

Applications are made online through the University's recruitment system, quoting reference DA51348. Interviews are scheduled for 2 December and 10 December 2026; the closing date is 22 November 2026. A basic criminal records check and security check follow acceptance.