Job description
Do you want to help us improve human health and understand life on Earth? Make your mark by shaping the future to enable or deliver life-changing science to solve some of humanity’s greatest challenges.

A new opportunity has arisen for someone to join our team as a Senior Events Manager to provide operational management of the programme of events on a fixed term contract up until end of September 2026.

About The Role

As the Senior Events Manager you will lead all the administrative, financial and operational requirements of event delivery for Connecting Science’s learning and training activities, which consist of around 50 courses, conferences and workshops each year.

You will lead, manage and support a small events team, ensuring all aspects of event management are delivered to the expected standard. You will be part of the Learning and Training management team, working closely with the Associate Director, Heads of Scientific Meetings and Digital Learning, and Training and Global Capacity, to ensure that all systems, processes, and policies, are robust, relevant, and deliver the best experience for event participants; while also being consistent with the wider Connecting Science ethos.

As Senior Events Manager you will be responsible for the day-to-day financial management of the event programme, forecasting and monitoring income and costs, and providing regular updates to the Associate Director on the financial position.

Other key responsibilities will include developing, delivering and maintaining shared approaches/SOPs for all event formats; overseeing the development, delivery and maintenance of the systems and processes that enable learning and training participants to access our offer; and regularly analysing and reporting on participant feedback data, to identify areas for improvement.

The Senior Events Manager will need to work effectively and collaboratively with a range of colleagues, from Learning and Training team members and leaders, to third party service providers, in order to deliver fully in this role.

You Will Be Responsible For

Finance, procurement and contract management

Day-to-day management of the Learning and Training event budget; Working closely with the Associate Director, Learning and Training and the team’s Finance Partner, to gather information, agree and set financial goals, and create budgets and forecasts incorporating costs and income over the short, medium and long-term.

Produce monthly delegate and participant figures for the Finance Partner; Analyse monthly budget reports received from the Finance Partner and ensure pertinent information is shared with the Associate Director, and any key challenges highlighted.

Taking the lead on procurement of suppliers to support event delivery. With high budget contracts, this would involve working with the organisation’s Procurement Team.

Acting as the contract manager for all events’ related contracts with external suppliers.

Systems and Processes

Oversee the development, delivery and maintenance of the systems and processes that enable learning and training participants to access our offer; Identifying and work with third party suppliers on technologies such as event registration platforms; ensuring these provide both a seamless experience for professional participants; and meet programme requirements around data acquisition for marketing and diversity monitoring.

Lead a team of Managers and Event Organisers to develop, deliver and maintain shared approaches/SOPs for all event formats. Agreeing with the Associate Director what the participant experience should be and working with the Events Team to ensure that this is delivered on the ground. Develop an ethos of ‘continuing improvement’ where learnings are shared, and any areas of challenge can be fed upwards.

Oversee the development and implementation of key policies relating to the participant experience – from data collection and retention, to expected behaviours during events. Ensure policies respond to any changes in the operating environment, and that they are deployed consistently by Event team members.

Evaluation and improvement

Regularly analyse feedback data and comments to identify areas for improvement – at both operational and strategic levels. Provide regular reports to the Associate Director on the participant base, highlighting whether it is meeting agreed goals around diversity and inclusion. Provide recommendations to improve the learning and training offer based on analysis of participant feedback.

Management and Leadership

Line management of the Conferences and Events Manager and the Systems and Process Manager, agreeing objectives and work plans. Support, coach and lead the Event team, identifying development opportunities relevant to achieving learning and training objectives.

Contribute as an active member of the Learning and Training management team. Support the Associate Director with programme development, contributing both operational and strategic insights.

Event Organisation and Management

Act as the event organiser for up to two events per year.

Provide event support to the Events Team as required, and particularly during times of high demand.

About You

You will be able to balance a varied and complex portfolio of tasks and oversight; maintaining high-level programme oversight (particularly in relation to financial matters) while also being able to understand and support the Events Team with day-to-day operational challenges.

You will be an experienced event organiser, who is seeking to develop their career in a more strategic or leadership direction. You will have knowledge, skills and experience, which include at least some of these elements.

Essential Skills
• Degree in a subject related to events management or relevant equivalent experience
• Qualification in financial management or equivalent experience
• Demonstrable experience of managing a diverse portfolio of events or projects, including financial management
• Demonstrable experience of using a variety of event management systems, platforms and software
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills required to lead and influence colleagues
• Flexibility in working style and practice, with ability to adapt to different local environments
• Excellent organisational and planning skills, with ability to apply these to large-scale strategic matters and day-to-day operational activities
• Experience with MS applications (Word/Excel/PowerPoint) and Google equivalents
• Ability to multi-task and prioritise workloads
• Ability to solve problems and resolve day-to-day conflicts with respect to delivery of activity
• Enthusiasm for research-related learning and training activities for scientists and healthcare professionals.

About Us

Wellcome Connecting Science’s mission is to enable everyone to explore genomic science and its impact on research, health and society. Drawing on the ground-breaking research taking place on the Wellcome Genome Campus, Connecting Science inspires new thinking, sparks conversation, supports learning, and measures and understands global attitudes and perspectives. We connect researchers, health professionals and the wider public, creating opportunities and spaces to explore genomic science and its relationship with people, and the world around us.

Our Learning and Training offer spans basic research, cutting-edge biomedicine, and the application of genomics in healthcare. We fund, develop and deliver courses and conferences, working with globally renowned scientists and healthcare professionals. We deliver events online, on the Campus, and in regional training hubs across Africa, Asia, and Latin America, which aim to educate, inspire, and transform careers.

To learn more please take a look at our websites: wellcomeconnectingscience.org/ and coursesandconferences.wellcomeconnectingscience.org/

Application Process

Please include a CV and cover letter outlining how your skills and experience meet the requirements and responsibilities of the role, as part of your application.

Other Information
• Salary range in the region of £50,000-£60,000
• Closing date: 23rd October
• Interviews expected to take place w/c 12th November

For more information please contact Michelle Bishop, Associate Director, Learning and Training at [email protected]

Hybrid Working At Wellcome Sanger

We recognise that there are many benefits to Hybrid Working; including an improved work-life balance, with more focused time, as well as the ability to organise working time so that collaborative opportunities and team discussions are facilitated on campus. The hybrid working arrangement will vary for different roles and teams. The nature of your role and the type of work you do will determine if a hybrid working arrangement is possible.

Equality, Diversity And Inclusion

We aim to attract, recruit, retain and develop talent from the widest possible talent pool, thereby gaining insight and access to different markets to generate a greater impact on the world. We have a supportive culture with the following staff networks, LGBTQ+, Parents and Carers, Disability and Race Equity to bring people together to share experiences, offer specific support and development opportunities and raise awareness. The networks are also a place for allies to provide support to others.

We want our people to be whoever they want to be because we believe people who bring their best selves to work, do their best work. That’s why we’re committed to creating a truly inclusive culture at Sanger Institute. We will consider all individuals without discrimination and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees, where everyone can thrive.

Our Benefits

We are proud to deliver an awarding campus-wide employee wellbeing strategy and programme. The importance of good health and adopting a healthier lifestyle and the commitment to reduce work-related stress is strongly acknowledged and recognised at Sanger Institute.

Sanger Institute became a signatory of the International Technician Commitment initiative In March 2018. The Technician Commitment aims to empower and ensure visibility, recognition, career development and sustainability for technicians working in higher education and research, across all disciplines.