Chief Operating Officer (FTA)

The Chief Operating Officer (COO) is responsible for the strategic and operational leadership of the QEII Centre, ensuring the effective delivery of world-class events and the achievement of commercial, operational and organisational objectives. As the principal deputy to the Chief Executive Officer, the COO will provide visible leadership and organisational resilience, ensuring continuity of senior decision-making, effective cross-functional delivery and a strong, aligned Senior Leadership Team (SLT).

The Chief Operating Officer (COO) is responsible for the strategic and operational leadership of the QEII Centre, ensuring the effective delivery of world-class events and the achievement of commercial, operational and organisational objectives. As the principal deputy to the Chief Executive Officer, the COO will provide visible leadership and organisational resilience, ensuring continuity of senior decision-making, effective cross-functional delivery and a strong, aligned Senior Leadership Team (SLT).

Working closely with the Chief Executive and Board, the COO will translate strategic priorities into high-quality operational delivery, driving performance, people development, efficiency, and continuous improvement across all functions. The role is critical to ensuring that the Centre remains a leading national and international conference and events venue, delivering exceptional client experiences while maintaining robust governance and financial sustainability.

As the principal deputy to the Chief Executive, the COO provides visible organisational leadership, ensuring business continuity, operational resilience and effective cross-functional delivery. The role is accountable to the Chief Executive and Board for the operational performance, governance, organisational resilience and delivery capability of the QEII Centre, ensuring operational decisions support the organisation's long-term strategic objectives and financial sustainability.

Strategic Responsibilities

Operational Performance & Service Delivery

• Lead and deliver the Centre's operational strategy, ensuring the successful delivery of world-class events and exceptional client experiences.
• Drive operational excellence across all venue functions, maintaining the highest standards of quality, efficiency, safety and customer service.
• Maximise operational performance, utilisation and value through effective planning, resource management and continuous improvement.
• Ensure seamless operational delivery across the full client journey, from event planning through to execution and post-event evaluation.

Executive Leadership & Governance

• Act as the executive lead for all operational matters, advising the Chief Executive and Board on operational performance, organisational capability, governance, business continuity and strategic investment.
• Present operational performance, organisational risks, major projects and strategic recommendations to the Board and relevant Committees.
• Support the Chief Executive in developing and delivering the Centre's long-term organisational strategy and business plan.
• Provide executive leadership across the organisation, ensuring operational priorities remain aligned with the Board's strategic direction and corporate objectives.

Governance, Risk & Compliance

• Ensure robust governance, compliance and assurance frameworks are embedded across all operational functions.
• Lead operational risk management, business continuity planning and organisational resilience.
• Ensure compliance with Health & Safety legislation, public sector governance requirements, procurement and financial controls.
• Provide assurance to the Chief Executive and Board that operational risks are appropriately identified, mitigated and managed.

Operational Transformation & Continuous Improvement

• Lead organisational transformation and continuous improvement initiatives across operational functions.
• Drive process optimisation, digital innovation and operational efficiency programmes.
• Lead the operational evaluation of major capital investment and refurbishment projects, ensuring operational considerations support the Board's long-term strategic objectives.
• Identify opportunities to improve productivity, sustainability, service quality and value for money.

People & Organisational Capability

• Build organisational capability through strategic workforce planning, talent development and succession planning.
• Develop leadership capability across operational teams, ensuring resilience and succession for critical roles.
• Foster a high-performing, inclusive and values-led culture focused on collaboration, accountability and continuous improvement.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership & People Management

• Provide clear, visible and values-led leadership across all operational functions, creating a unified operational vision aligned with the Centre's strategic objectives and business plan.
• Build a high-performing, inclusive and supportive culture where individuals and teams are empowered to succeed.
• Lead and inspire the operational leadership team, fostering accountability, collaboration, innovation and operational excellence.
• Ensure effective communication, engagement, coaching and performance management across operational teams.
• Lead talent development, succession planning and organisational capability to strengthen resilience and future leadership capacity.
• Role model QEII values and act as a senior ambassador for the Centre, taking accountability for operational performance, organisational culture and the delivery of strategic objectives.
• Act as a key member of the Executive Leadership Team, contributing to organisational strategy, transformation initiatives, investment decisions and long-term planning.
• Deputise for the Chief Executive as required, providing executive leadership, organisational continuity and confident representation of the Centre with the Board, Government stakeholders, clients, partners and employees.

Operational Strategy & Delivery

• Translate strategic priorities into operational plans, KPIs and delivery frameworks.
• Oversee all operational functions, including Event Delivery, Venue Operations, Facilities Management, Health & Safety and Security.
• Ensure effective deployment of people, resources and assets to optimise operational performance and value for money.
• Drive continuous improvement across operational systems, processes and service delivery.

Client Experience

• Provide executive oversight of operational delivery to ensure exceptional customer experiences across all events.
• Act as the executive escalation point for complex operational issues and major client events.
• Support business development through strategic engagement with key clients and major accounts.
• Ensure operational delivery supports the Centre's commercial objectives, brand reputation and customer retention.

Financial & Resource Management

• Oversee operational budgets, resources and assets, ensuring effective financial management and value for money.
• Work closely with Finance to support forecasting, cost optimisation and long-term financial sustainability.
• Provide assurance to the Chief Executive and Board that operational resources are aligned with strategic priorities and organisational objectives.

Governance & Risk

• Ensure robust governance, operational assurance and compliance across all operational functions.
• Lead operational risk management, business continuity, disaster recovery and resilience planning.
• Ensure effective reporting of operational performance, governance and organisational risks to the Chief Executive and Board.

External Relationships

• Build and maintain strong relationships with Government stakeholders, clients, partners and suppliers.
• Represent the QEII Centre externally at Board Committees, Government meetings, industry forums and stakeholder events on operational matters.
• Work collaboratively with the Chief Commercial Officer to ensure seamless integration between commercial strategy and operational delivery.

Additional information

Key Relationships

• Chief Executive Officer
• Board / Non-Executive Directors
• Senior Leadership Team
• Chief Commercial Officer
• Government stakeholders and sponsors
• Clients, partners and suppliers

The above is not exhaustive and other duties not outlined may form part of the employees’ job description.

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours.

.Candidates should apply by submitting:

• a tailored CV to hr@qeiicentre.london setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements, of no more than two pages. Please ensure you have provided reasons for any gaps within the last two years.
• a personal statement – in no more than 500 words showing how you meet the criteria of the person specification evidence.

The closing date for applications is 22nd October 2026 @ 23.59

We will be sifting applications using Experience from your job history, qualifications and personal statement week commencing 26th October 2026.

Interviews will take place in the week commencing 2nd November 2026.

2nd stage interviews will take place week commencing 9th November 2026.

For candidates invited for interview, this vacancy is using the Civil Service Success Profiles Framework, and we will be assessing Strengths, Experience, Behaviours and Technical Skills.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.