VIP Events Manager (Events & Experiences)

Job Introduction

Are you looking for a new challenge that gives you the chance to get creative in producing market leading VIP events? Are you looking to take Selfridges to the next level by strategically enhancing our customer experiences for our VIP customers? Looking for a company that wants to help further your career as well as provide you with an exciting, inspiring and fun place to work?   

If the answer to all of these questions is ‘yes’ then you’re just the kind of person we’re looking for!

Role Responsibility

Role Scope:

To support the Brand and VIP Experiences Lead in delivering innovative, highly effective, market leading events which deliver against key business objectives. To research, create and produce market leading VIP events that strategically drive engagement within our VIP customers. 

To act as a strong and influential ‘voice’ across both the Events Team and the Customer Engagement Team, ensuring that project needs are articulated and understood, whilst ensuring that business wide objectives are met.

Key Purpose:

As an events manager with wide ranging VIP experience, you’ll develop and produce a programme of exclusive market leading events, projects and customer engagement strategies that ensure our VIP customers receive the most personal level of service, extraordinary experiences and tailored communications across all touchpoints.

You’ll deliver on multiple, simultaneous, complex projects, whilst managing various stakeholders and working with teams across the business. The role will involve working with the regional and central events teams to deliver events and experiences retaining our existing elite customers and acquire new VIP customers.

You won’t be afraid to push the boundaries, ensuring that Selfridges remains a leader in VIP experiences. You will be an excellent communicator who will keep everyone up to speed and will bring teams and stakeholders on the journey with you along the way.

Key Responsibilities:

• Support Senior Event Manager to curate, develop & deliver strategic communications, events and experiences across all stores and online
• Work directly with key leads within customer engagement team to produce a comprehensive, strategy led VIP programme
• Produce, Project Manage and Deliver VIP events and activities to an exceptionally high standard, collaborating with team members to push objectives for VIP
• Collaborate with Customer Engagement Team and Retail Operations Teams to communicate projects effectively to the customer via the newsletter and other channels
• Manage direct customer communications in collaboration with the VIP Concierge and Customer Engagement Teams ensuring that our VIP customers are effectively informed of event and experience information and booking details
• Attend and be a considered voice within project meetings and communicate effectively across the business with all project stake-holders in Customer, Communications, Creative, Buying, Finance, Legal and Retail Operations Teams
• Manage conversations and relationships with external partners and suppliers to ensure that project deliverables are met
• Manage Project budgets and affectively monitor and report finance, raise POs and manage suppliers
• Provide production and technical expertise on all new proposals to support project teams and share knowledge
• Manage internal business stakeholders such as Customer Engagement, Personal Shopping, Buying, Graphics, Multimedia Creative, 3D Creative, Visual Merchandising and Retail Operations to ensure projects are briefed and delivered seamlessly
• Utilise strong leadership skills to develop event and project proposals to ensure they reflect the Selfridges vision and are market leading
• Ensure that Senior Leadership teams receive regular updates regarding all planned activity and act upon feedback where appropriate
• Generate and present detailed project reports analysing status and KPIs for senior audiences
• Line Management of Event Coordinator

The Ideal Candidate

Key skills:

• High level Event Production experience (5 years)
• Excellent Project Management Skills
• Proven experience leading high performing and successful teams (internal and external)
• Exceptionally good networker and people manager who possesses effective leadership and mentoring skills
• Possess strong financial acumen with budget tracking and reporting experience
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Excellent presentation, pitching skills
• Exceptional research skills
• Creative flair and a commitment to quality programming
• Highly effective negotiating skills
• Strong organisational skills, being able to manage multiple projects at the same time
• Has the ability to work under pressure calmly and effectively, and to tight deadlines  
• Experience working with VIP / HNWI
• Experience leading and managing a team
• An interest in fashion, art and culture

This job is a brilliant opportunity to join a close-knit team who are incredibly passionate. If you’re looking to come into a new role and make a real impact, then this will be perfect for you. 

About the Company

Our Creative Spirit 

We are more than a shop. We are a social space where culture and commerce collide to release an energy that we call the Selfridges spirit. We are here to make our world brighter, and everyone is welcome. 

Our Awards Cabinet 

We’re not ones to brag, but since you asked...Selfridges has won the award for The World’s Best Department Store an unprecedented four times at the IGDS awards, with an additional award for the Best Sustainability Campaign. We were also recognised as a ‘Best 25 Big Company to Work For 2020’ as awarded by The Sunday Times.

Our Future 

Since 1909 we have been at the forefront of retail and today our stores in London, Manchester and Birmingham – alongside selfridges.com and the Selfridges App – continue to redefine the way we shop and socialise. As a Selfridges team member, you will learn what it takes to consistently drive innovation, success and amazing customer experiences. 

Everyone is welcome

We are committed to a diverse and inclusive working culture, and we see this as key to our success and our working culture. Here at Selfridges, everyone is welcome - irrespective of race, gender, ethnicity, sexuality, age or disability, we stand by equal opportunities for all. We are diverse, we are inclusive, we are Selfridges.

The Fun Stuff  

There are lots of reasons to be excited about joining Team Selfridges – from our fantastic team member communities to volunteer days and behind-the-scenes Selfridges experiences throughout the year. 

Other benefits and rewards include:

• Generous bonus and/or commission scheme 
• Discounted gym memberships 
• Pension contributions  
• Annual travel pass and cycle to work schemes 
• Up to five paid volunteering days
• Access to a wide range of training programmes to help your career development

Selfridges