The posting
Job Description: Head of Site – Eden Project Cornwall Job Title: Head of SiteDepartment: Operations Reports to: Chief Executive OfficerDirect Reports: Senior Leaders across the Visitor Experience, Facilities, Retail, Food & Beverage, Commercial Events. Job Family Definition Roles within the Operations, Services and Engagement job family focus upon the Eden experience, providing world class services, activities, engagement and events, which engage, inspire and entertain, thus enhancing individuals understanding, experience, skills and enjoyment. Role Purpose The Head of Site is a senior strategic and operational leader responsible for delivering an exceptional, inspirational visitor experience while ensuring the commercial and operational success of a world-class garden attraction. The role combines leadership of complex visitor operations with stewardship of a unique natural and built environment, supporting the organisation’s mission to connect people with nature, sustainability, and learning. Providing strong leadership and representation for Eden Project Cornwall within the local, regional and national community, strengthening partnerships and enhancing Eden's reputation as a world-leading visitor attraction, educational charity and environmental organisation. The postholder will lead multidisciplinary teams, drive commercial and operational performance, foster innovation and continuous improvement, and contribute to the long-term success and evolution of Eden Project Cornwall as one of the UK's leading visitor attractions and a globally recognised centre for environmental engagement and learning. Key Responsibilities Strategic Leadership and Vision
Contribute to the strategic development and future evolution of Eden Project Cornwall, ensuring the site continues to innovate, grow audiences, deliver commercial success and remain at the forefront of visitor attraction excellence. Lead the delivery of Cornwall's strategic objectives, ensuring alignment with Eden Project's mission, purpose and organisational priorities. Translate strategy into operational and commercial plans, ensuring delivery of visitor, financial, and impact objectives. Act as a key member of the senior leadership team, contributing to organisational strategy, governance, and transformation initiatives.
Visitor Experience and Operations
Ensure a world-class, seamless visitor journey across all touchpoints—from pre-visit engagement to on-site experience and post-visit advocacy. Oversee daily operations across horticulture displays, visitor services, retail, food and beverage, events, learning, and interpretation.
Champion service excellence standards and continuous improvement to deliver outstanding customer satisfaction and repeat visitation. Ensure facilities, infrastructure, and landscapes are maintained to the highest standards, supporting safety, accessibility, and sustainability.
Commercial Performance and Growth
Deliver financial performance targets, including revenue growth, cost control, and profitability. Lead commercial strategy across admissions, retail, food and beverage, events, memberships, and partnerships. Identify and develop new revenue streams aligned with mission and visitor experience, including immersive experiences, educational programmes, and corporate partnerships. Monitor market trends, competitor activity, and visitor data to inform pricing, product development, and investment decisions.
People Leadership and Culture
Lead, inspire, and develop a large multidisciplinary team, fostering a culture of innovation, collaboration, inclusion, and high performance. Ensure robust people management practices, including recruitment, performance management, talent development, engagement, and wellbeing. Champion organisational values, sustainability ethos, and inclusive leadership behaviours.
Stakeholder, Community and Partnership Engagement
Act as an ambassador for the attraction, building relationships with government bodies, funders, academic institutions, industry partners, and local communities. Work closely with marketing, learning, and public engagement teams to broaden audiences and deepen impact. Represent the organisation with media and industry bodies, enhancing reputation and profile nationally and internationally. Build strong relationships with tourism bodies, local authorities, business partners and community organisations to enhance Eden Project Cornwall's role as a key regional and national destination.
Planning, Capital Projects and Sustainability
Lead and support significant site developments, capital investments and operational improvement initiatives, ensuring minimal disruption to visitors and maximum long-term value to the organisation. Contribute to site master planning, capital development, and infrastructure projects to support growth and innovation. Work with sustainability and estates teams to ensure operations align with environmental and net-zero ambitions. Support fundraising, grants, and corporate partnership initiatives for capital and programme development.
Governance, Reporting and Risk
Develop and manage annual operating plans, budgets, and performance frameworks. Report on KPIs, financial performance, and operational outcomes to the Executive Team and Board. Ensure compliance with health and safety, environmental, financial, and regulatory requirements. Oversee procurement, contract management, and risk management to ensure value for money and operational resilience.
Values and Behaviours
The Head of Site will embody and promote the Eden Values:
Connecting people with nature and sustainability Curiosity, innovation, and continuous learning Inclusivity, kindness, and collaboration Accountability, integrity, and commercial responsibility Positive, inspirational leadership
Person Specification
Essential
Desirable
Education and Qualifications
Educated to degree level or equivalent professional experience. Evidence of continuing professional development in leadership, operations, hospitality, visitor attraction management, business management, or a related discipline.
Degree or postgraduate qualification in Business, Hospitality, Tourism, Environmental Management, Leisure Management, or a related field. Professional leadership or management qualification (e.g. ILM, CMI, MBA).
Knowledge and Skills
Significant knowledge of operating complex visitor-facing environments, hospitality, leisure, cultural or large scale public venues. Strong commercial and financial management skills, including budget management and revenue growth. Excellent strategic planning and operational delivery skills. Strong understanding of visitor experience design and customer service excellence. Knowledge of governance, risk management, health and safety, and regulatory compliance. Ability to analyse visitor and commercial data to inform decision-making Experience leading operational transformation, visitor experience enhancement programmes, or significant organisational change within a large-scale visitor attraction.
Knowledge of horticultural, environmental, sustainability, heritage, cultural, educational, or leisure sectors. Understanding of destination development, tourism trends, and audience engagement strategies. Experience of fundraising, grant funding, or corporate partnerships.
Decision Making
Ability to make complex strategic and operational decisions with organisational-wide impact in a complex stakeholder environment. Proven ability to balance visitor experience, commercial performance, and operational priorities. Experience managing risk and making sound decisions in fast-paced environments. Ability to influence business planning and organisational strategy.
Experience contributing at Board, Executive, or Trustee level decision making. Experience leading organisational change or transformation programmes.
Resourcefulness
Proven ability to identify opportunities for operational improvement and commercial growth. Ability to develop innovative solutions to complex operational challenges. Strong problem-solving and project management skills. Ability to manage competing priorities and respond effectively to emerging issues.
Experience developing new revenue streams, visitor products, or commercial initiatives.
People and Asset Management
Extensive experience leading and developing large multidisciplinary teams. Proven track record in performance management, engagement, talent development, and wellbeing initiatives. Experience managing significant operational budgets and resources. Responsibility for maintaining operational assets, facilities, infrastructure, and visitor environments to high standards. Commitment to inclusive leadership and organisational values.
Experience leading teams across multiple functions including visitor services, retail, food and beverage, events, learning, facilities, or estates.
Communication and Visitor Experience
Deep understanding of visitor experience design and customer service excellence. Excellent communication, influencing, and stakeholder management skills. Demonstrable experience building effective relationships with senior stakeholders, partners, communities, regulators, and funders. Proven ability to lead delivery of exceptional visitor experiences. Experience representing an organisation externally and acting as an ambassador for a brand or destination. Strong presentation and reporting skills.
Experience working with media and public relations activities. Experience engaging with local communities, educational institutions, tourism bodies, or government agencies. Passion for nature, sustainability, education, and public engagement.
Operational Environment
Senior leadership experience in a complex visitor attraction, hospitality, leisure, cultural venue, or similar operational environment. Experience managing health and safety, compliance, and operational risk. Ability to work flexibly, including weekends, evenings, and public holidays when required. Comfortable working across office, operational, and visitor-facing environments. Experience delivering operational excellence within high-volume visitor settings.
Experience within horticultural, environmental, sustainability-led, heritage, or educational organisations. Experience supporting site opening, major capital projects, or transitioning from project delivery to operational management. Understanding of net-zero and sustainability-led operational practices.
