Join the Biennale Team

Following the success of the third edition, in 2023 London Design Biennale will again occupy the entirety of Somerset House with a spectacular international exhibition accompanied by a programme of events and activities, presenting up to fifty national pavilions and special projects, from all over the world. The Biennale provides a prestigious, global stage for world-leading contemporary design and design-led innovation, creativity and research. Alongside Country, City and Territory installations, London Design Biennale will present Eureka! Innovation in Design, Research and Sustainability, in the Embankment Galleries, showcasing the importance of research and innovation taking place in universities. This focuses on the contribution of design and design-thinking to society and the economy, as well as its role in the training and development of tomorrow’s creative thinkers in developing solutions to the world’s problems.

Current vacancies

• Full-time
• Salary: £ 34-38,000 per annum, based on experience
• Based in: Central London office
• Start-date: Immediate

THE ROLE

The Biennale team is looking for an experienced and dynamic External Relations and Events Manager, with a passion for supporting and growing networks, developing new and existing relationships with Embassies, Ministries, cultural institutions, universities and designers. This role is vital to the mission of the organisation, communicating the vision to participants and working with them from preliminary enquiry to opening night and beyond.

We are seeking an individual who understands the complexities of working in international, diplomatic and academic fields, and can dynamically activate all stages of the process from igniting interest to confirming contracts, from managing outreach to attending Embassy events, with a genuine interest in the role of design in society. Experience of event creation and and sales cultivation in the cultural sector is a key asset.

The successful candidate will be a crucial member of the Biennale core team, with opportunities to make a real contribution to a developing event which has grown exponentially over 5 years of existence.

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES

• Cultivating and managing relationships with key stakeholders
• Creating and managing comprehensive address lists and communications in Salesforce
• Researching new partners within the international and academic design and design research community
• Administering Contracts
• Keeping participants to contracted timelines
• Creating reports, briefing documents and presentations
• Managing site and virtual visits with potential partners
• Team administration
• Assist on special projects as required
• Assisting the Director.

EVENTS

• Working with the LDB team to create the Public Programme of talks which takes place on site at Somerset House
• Working with the LDB team on inter-year events, such as LDB Summit
• Advising and facilitating hospitality and events at Somerset House, for Countries, Cities and Territories.

REQUIRED EXPERIENCE & SKILLS

• 6 years’ minimum relevant experience within a relationship management role
• Proven experience of cultivation of new networks / contacts
• Excellent written and spoken English
• Demonstrable diplomatic skills and the confidence to deal with high-profile contacts
• Exceptional organisational skills with meticulous attention to detail
• Enthusiasm and tenacity to see tasks through to completion
• Database management experience (Salesforce)
• Excellent time management skills
• Ability to work well in a small team while being able to manage and prioritise your own workload
• Additional: Experience and/or interest in curating events and talks programmes.

APPLY

To apply, please send your CV and a separate one page covering letter detailing your relevant experience and how you meet the key requirements, with the subject EXTERNAL RELATIONSHIPS MANAGER to jobs@londondesignbiennale.com by Friday, 20 May 2022. We look forward to hearing from you.

We are an equal opportunities employer and are committed to championing equality, diversity and inclusion in our workplace, so if you’re a suitably qualified applicant we encourage your application whatever your age, disability, gender, gender identity, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation or socio-economic background.

Unfortunately, due to the volume of applicants we receive we will only be able to respond to successful applicants. If you have not heard from us within 4 weeks of your application, please assume that you have not been successful on this occasion.