Dovecot Studios
Commercial Manager
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Commercial Manager
Location: Edinburgh
Salary: £35k pa
Reports to: Head of Commercial & Operations
Full time: 40 hours per week excluding break
Days: 7 day operation, working flexibly at weekends and evenings
Pension: Dovecot operates a group pension scheme
Annual Holidays: 28 days + 9 bank holidays pro rata
Are you an ambitious and commercially minded creative professional with a passion for art and culture?
Dovecot Studios are seeking a dynamic Commercial Manager to shape a new retail strategy that will drive our future growth for Dovecot Studios. This is a fixed term post designed for you to bring fresh perspectives and have a positive impact on one of Scotland's most distinctive cultural institutions.
This is an opportunity to shape our retail offer, influence the visitor experience and contribute directly to Dovecot's commercial sustainability, while working alongside artists, designers, makers and colleagues across our exhibitions and creative programmes. You will manage the Visitor Services team to deliver ambitious sales targets across retail, exhibition and event tickets.
A key focus of the role will be helping to develop and implement a new retail strategy, ensuring that our shop is commercially successful while remaining true to Dovecot's distinctive artistic identity. You will combine commercial awareness, excellent customer service and practical management skills to improve performance and create an engaging experience for every visitor.
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Key Responsibilities:
- Retail & Merchandising: Oversee retail buying, supplier liaison, stock management and visual merchandising to create an engaging shopping experience that maximizes average spend per visitor.
- Visitor Experience & Sales: Implement revenue-driving initiatives to hit our ambitious financial targets across all key commercial channels of retail and exhibition ticketing.
- Team Leadership: Provide inspiring line management and coaching to a target-focused visitor services team, ensuring a culture of exceptional customer care and sales conversion.
- Operations: Maintain high standards of health and safety across the site, ensuring a secure and welcoming environment for all visitors.
What We Are Looking For:
You will ideally have experience in retail, visitor attractions, museums, galleries, arts, hospitality or another customer-focused commercial environment. We are particularly interested in people who can demonstrate transferable commercial experience and a willingness to develop their skills in a cultural environment. Excellent communication skills and a proactive, problem-solving attitude are essential. This is an opportunity to join a distinctive and ambitious cultural organisation at an exciting point in its commercial development.
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https://dovecotstudios.com/about/vacancies
We want to hear what you could bring to Dovecot, so alongside your CV and cover letter, we'd like you to respond to one short question:
You have six months to make a noticeable difference to Dovecot's commercial performance. What would you prioritise in your first 100 days, and why?
Please respond in no more than 300 words. We are interested in your thinking, judgement and ideas rather than a fully developed business plan.
Please submit your CV, cover letter and response, together with the completed Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Monitoring Form, to recruitment@dovecotstudios.com by midnight on Wednesday 30 September 2026.
Interviews: Monday 5 October 2026
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