Chief Operating Officer

Job Title: Chief Operating Officer (COO) Salary Range: £90-95k 1 year FTA with a view to extension Reports to: Chief Executive Officer Department: COO/CEO Office Onsite – Hours as required About us We are the QEII Centre – central London's premier venue for domestic and international events. Located in the heart of Westminster, our award-winning Centre offers modern, flexible spaces for all types of events from conferences and exhibitions to award ceremonies, dinners and fashion shows. We host hundreds of events each year, ranging from high-profile international conferences to bespoke corporate meetings. At the heart of everything we do is a steadfast commitment to exceptional customer service. As a government-owned trading fund, we operate commercially while remaining accountable for the responsible use of public funds and compliance with Government public spending guidance. Our people are central to our success. From our acclaimed in-house caterers, QEII Taste by Levy, to our expert Audio Visual (AV) and Event IT teams, every employee plays a vital role in delivering outstanding experiences. As of 2025, we've proudly achieved over 50 industry awards since 2014 — an ongoing recognition of our excellence in the events sector. Most recently, we were awarded three Gold Eventex awards for Best Venue, Most Versatile Venue, and Best Event Space. These accolades reflect our unwavering commitment to delivering outstanding experiences for every client and delegate. Job Purpose 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. Full candidate pack is available at hr@qeiicentre.london. Strategic Responsibilities Operational Performance & Service Delivery Executive Leadership & Governance Operational Transformation & Continuous Improvement People & Organisational Capability Key Responsibilities Leadership & People Management Operational Strategy & Delivery Financial & Resource Management Governance & Risk External Relationships 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. Person Specification Experience:
• Proven senior leadership experience operating at executive level, including deputising for a Chief Executive, Managing Director or equivalent senior accountable officer.
• Strong operational leadership with the ability to translate strategy into delivery
• Experience of leading operations management at senior level, including oversight of service delivery, resources, facilities, health and safety, risk, business continuity and performance improvement across complex operational environments.
• Commercial acumen with experience managing revenue-generating services
• Exceptional leadership, communication and stakeholder management experience, with the credibility and judgement to lead through QEII Centre values and behaviours.
• Experience of managing high-profile clients, partnerships and strategic commercial relationships, with the credibility to influence senior stakeholders and secure positive outcomes.
• Demonstrable experience of developing organisational talent pipelines and credible succession plans for business-critical roles.
• High level of personal accountability, with a proven track record of owning decisions, delivering results and taking responsibility for the performance, culture and outcomes of their area, while operating strategically and maintaining strong operational oversight.
• Experience operating within a regulated, public-sector or publicly accountable environment, with strong understanding of governance, assurance, risk management, value for money and responsible stewardship of public funds.
• Significant experience of operations management at senior level, including oversight of service delivery, resources, facilities, health and safety, risk, business continuity and performance improvement across complex operational environments. Desirable:
• Experience of leading complex, multi-disciplinary operations in a high-profile venue, visitor attraction, events, hospitality or comparable customer-facing environment, ensuring safe, resilient and commercially focused service delivery. Technical Skills and Qualifications:
• A relevant finance, accounting or business qualification, or equivalent senior-level financial management experience, would be an advantage. Behaviours and QEII Values (Team QEIIC) We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
• Leadership
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Delivering at Pace
• Working Together
• Changing and Improving Benefits
• Bonus scheme (discretionary) calculated on corporate and individual
• Membership of the Civil Service Pension Scheme with an employer contribution of 28.97%
• 25 days' annual leave with an additional day per year to a maximum of 30 days & 1 privilege day
• Subsidised staff restaurant/coffee bar
• Interest free season ticket loan
• Cycle to work scheme
• 3 days paid volunteering
• Participation at staff events; celebratory, educational, team
• Access to learning and development tailored to you
• A working culture which encourages inclusion and diversity
• Regular employment engagement activities Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. This vacancy is using Civil Service Success Profiles and will assess your Behaviours. Candidates should apply by submitting the following to hr@qeiicentre.london: -  a tailored CV 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. Further Information We recruit by merit based on fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles. If you feel at any time your application has not been treated in accordance with the values in the Civil Service Code and/or you feel that recruitment has been conducted in such away that conflicts with the Civil Service Commissioner's Recruitment Principles, you may make a complaint, by contacting the HR Department hr@qeiicentre.london in the first instance. Important Note Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is Counter-terrorist-check and the process can take up to 8 weeks to complete. Please note that successful candidates will need to pass the CTC security checks – this requires you to have been resident in the UK for the past 3 years