Commercial Manager

Position: Commercial Manager
Closing date: 10/07/2026
Job Type: Full-time
Salary: Up to £50,000

Gunpowder Mills is a charitable organization dedicated to preserving, protecting, and sharing the rich history and natural heritage of 175 acres of historic buildings, wildlife, and archaeological sites situated in Waltham Abbey, Essex. We are home to 21 listed buildings and much of the site is designated as a Scheduled Monument and Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). Our visitor offer spans several attractions including railways, tractor tours, wild deer and museum exhibits. We aim to conserve, research, and display the historical, archaeological, and natural significance of site, and we undertake a range of educational, visitor, and volunteering programs as well as letting the site and its unique buildings out for hire, hosting events and film productions.

We are seeking our first Commercial Manager, a new role that will be critical in delivering our forward strategy towards becoming a self-sustaining, mixed-use site. The Commercial Manager will be responsible for the overall management, establishment, and development of Gunpowder Mills’s commercial operations (lettings, filming, commercial and partnership events, and venue hire). The candidate will manage and deliver commercial activities, ensure growth year-on-year, work towards building a team around them as revenue increases to support new roles, and support delivery of our Strategy to 2031.

We have all the raw materials for you to work with: Multiple large historic spaces full of character; physical space including a large open green space; enchanting woods; a 100-seat lecture theatre; a fully-equipped café and kitchen; a small amount of public opening days through the year providing many opportunities for private hire use; plenty of parking on site and good access from the M25 and M11. What we need is someone who can realise the potential of these assets and make a transformational difference to our organisation.

Our ideal candidate is a creative, driven self-starter who will bring new ideas and enjoys responsibility and the ability to make decisions as part of a senior leadership group. You will be a strategic thinker with experience of commercial activity in a heritage or cultural setting, and will have a strong track record that demonstrates a passion for high-quality customer service and an ability to get strong financial results, with a primary focus on external partnership working. You will possess excellent communication, numeracy and organisational skills, the ability to work well in a team, and have a positive and proactive attitude. An interest in industrial heritage, science or nature is important.

We can offer you an exciting organisational strategy to help deliver; a unique, one-of-a-kind setting to work with; and a blank canvas in how to approach our commercial activities. You will have the opportunity to propose and trial new ideas and ways of working, in a supporting environment that prizes learning through iteration. You will also have the opportunity to grow, build and shape your team and remit, through internal advocacy and data.

To apply, please email a full CV and a cover letter of no more than two sides in length, describing your skills, experience and how you fit the person specification, to admin@royalgunpowdermills.com

Interviews will be held on Friday 17 July, on site at the Gunpowder Mills, Waltham Abbey.