We are recruiting for a Sales Manager, Venue

About Nesta

We are Nesta, the UK’s innovation agency for social good. We design, test and scale solutions to society’s biggest problems. Our three missions are to give every child a fair start, help people live healthy lives, and create a sustainable future where the economy works for both people and the planet. 

For over 20 years, we have worked to support, encourage and inspire innovation. We work in three roles: as an innovation partner working with frontline organisations to design and test new solutions, as a venture builder supporting new and early stage businesses, and as a system shaper creating the conditions for innovation. 

Harnessing the rigour of science and the creativity of design, we work relentlessly to change millions of lives for the better. Find out more at nesta.org.uk. 

Whatever it takes

Everyone works at Nesta because we are driven by a deep commitment to our missions. A guiding principle of our culture is that we do whatever it takes to achieve them, bringing our best to all our work. You can read more about our culture on our website.

Overview

We are seeking a Sales Manager to join our venue and spaces team. The post holder will lead the sales strategy for our event and co-working spaces. You’ll be joining at an incredibly exciting time, as we relaunch our venue brand with a stunning new space. You’ll take full ownership of the event sales process from enquiry through to post-event feedback. You’ll be responsible for building and maintaining your own sales pipeline, selling everything from away days to awards dinners, conferences to product launches.

The Role

• You’ll work with the General Manager, Venue and the Marketing Officer to plan and execute an integrated sales and marketing approach for both the event and the co-working spaces.

• You’ll conduct thorough and continuous market research to identify competitors, spot opportunities and stay ahead of industry trends.

• You’ll build on your existing network of industry contacts by regularly attending events and engaging with social media groups.

• You will be instrumental in developing and maintaining a CRM system, using insights from reports to guide the sales and marketing strategy.

• You’ll build strong relationships with clients, internal departments and stakeholders

• You’ll manage any fractional sales staff, ensuring that they hit their set targets.

• You’ll prepare and present regular sales reports, including insights on revenue, customer feedback and performance against targets.

• Develop and maintain a feedback, learning and continuous improvement system to ensure you are meeting targets and hitting goals.

The person

• You’ll have at least three years of sales experience gained at an event venue, hotel or in a sales role at an events company or agency.

• You’ll have demonstrable success at setting, hitting and exceeding sales targets.

• You are a confident communicator who excels at networking and relationship building.

• You’ll have impeccable attention to detail.

• You are a strategic thinker with excellent planning and organisational skills, capable of managing multiple priorities at the same time.

• You have demonstrable experience in event operations and the expectations of event organisers.

• Ability to work autonomously, adapting to changing business needs.

What we offer

Salary: circa £56,700 plus commission and target-based bonus scheme. We also offer an array of benefits, including private medical insurance, dental insurance, the ability to buy and sell annual leave, eyecare vouchers and more. 

Location: This role is based in London, Blackfriars.

Term:  Permanent

Hours: Full-time, 37.5 hours per week (plus additional hours when required for events). During the initial setup phase, the role is expected to be office-based four days a week. Once this phase is complete, you will have more flexibility, with a minimum expectation of being in the office at least three days per week.

Reports to: General Manager, Venue

Making an application 

To apply for this role, please submit a CV and cover letter before 8:00am on 1 Dec 2025.

Interviews will take place w/c 8 Dec 2025.

58VE and Nest58 are trading names of Nesta Enterprises Limited. The profits from 58VE and Nest58 support the work of Nesta.  Nesta is a research and innovation foundation that designs, tests and scales solutions for the biggest challenges of our time.

At Nesta, we believe that a diverse workforce leads to an organisation that is more innovative, more creative and gets better results.

We want our workforce to represent the diversity of the people and communities we serve. We also want our workplace to be one where different experiences, expertise and perspectives are valued, and where everyone is encouraged to grow and develop.

This means that when we are recruiting, we actively seek to reach a diverse pool of candidates. It also means that we are happy to consider any reasonable adjustments that potential employees may need in order to be successful.

We recognise the importance of a good balance between work and home life, so we do everything we can to accommodate flexible working, including working from home, compressed or part-time hours, job shares and other arrangements.

Please just let us know in your application or at any stage throughout the process (and beyond) if these are options you’d like to explore.