Eden Project
Head of Site - Cornwall
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Head of Site
Eden Project Cornwall
Salary: £60,000 to £70,000 per annum
Location: Cornwall (site-based)
Lead One of the UK's Most Iconic Visitor Attractions
This is an exceptional opportunity to lead the operational delivery of Eden Project Cornwall, one of the UK's most recognised and visited attractions.
As Head of Site, you will play a pivotal role in ensuring every visitor enjoys an outstanding experience while driving commercial performance, operational excellence and continuous improvement across a complex and dynamic environment.
Reporting to the CEO and working closely with senior leaders across the organisation, you will oversee the day-to-day operation of the site, leading multidisciplinary teams across visitor experience, hospitality, retail, facilities and commercial activities. You will ensure Eden continues to deliver against its mission while adapting and evolving to meet the needs of future generations of visitors.
This role combines strategic leadership with operational accountability. You will inspire and develop teams, champion innovation, strengthen community and stakeholder relationships, and ensure Eden Project Cornwall remains a world-class destination renowned for excellence, sustainability and impact.
We're looking for someone who brings:
- Significant senior leadership experience within a large-scale visitor attraction, hospitality, leisure, heritage, cultural or destination venue.
- A proven track record of driving operational excellence and commercial performance.
- Outstanding people leadership skills, with experience leading diverse, multidisciplinary teams.
- Strong stakeholder engagement and partnership-building experience.
- The ability to balance visitor experience, commercial objectives and organisational purpose.
- A passion for sustainability, education, community impact and delivering memorable visitor experiences.
Why Eden Project Cornwall?
Eden Project Cornwall is more than a visitor attraction. It is a globally recognised environmental destination, educational charity and cultural landmark that welcomes hundreds of thousands of visitors each year.
This is an opportunity to shape the future of an established and influential organisation, leading teams that inspire people, connect communities and demonstrate practical solutions for a better future.
Join Us
If you are an inspirational operational leader who thrives in complex visitor environments and is excited by the opportunity to lead one of the UK's most iconic attractions, we'd love to hear from you.
Be part of something extraordinary. Be part of Eden.
The closing date for applications is Wednesday 21st October 2026
Job Description: Head of Site – Eden Project Cornwall
Job Title: Head of Site
Department: Operations
Reports to: Chief Executive Officer
Direct Reports: Senior Leaders across the Visitor Experience, Facilities, Retail, Food & Beverage, Commercial Events.
Job Family Definition
Roles within the Operations, Services and Engagement job family focus upon the Eden experience, providing world class services, activities, engagement and events, which engage, inspire and entertain, thus enhancing individuals understanding, experience, skills and enjoyment.
Role Purpose
The Head of Site is a senior strategic and operational leader responsible for delivering an exceptional, inspirational visitor experience while ensuring the commercial and operational success of a world-class garden attraction.
The role combines leadership of complex visitor operations with stewardship of a unique natural and built environment, supporting the organisation’s mission to connect people with nature, sustainability, and learning. Providing strong leadership and representation for Eden Project Cornwall within the local, regional and national community, strengthening partnerships and enhancing Eden's reputation as a world-leading visitor attraction, educational charity and environmental organisation.
The postholder will lead multidisciplinary teams, drive commercial and operational performance, foster innovation and continuous improvement, and contribute to the long-term success and evolution of Eden Project Cornwall as one of the UK's leading visitor attractions and a globally recognised centre for environmental engagement and learning.
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Key Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership and Vision
- Contribute to the strategic development and future evolution of Eden Project Cornwall, ensuring the site continues to innovate, grow audiences, deliver commercial success and remain at the forefront of visitor attraction excellence.
- Lead the delivery of Cornwall's strategic objectives, ensuring alignment with Eden Project's mission, purpose and organisational priorities.
- Translate strategy into operational and commercial plans, ensuring delivery of visitor, financial, and impact objectives.
- Act as a key member of the senior leadership team, contributing to organisational strategy, governance, and transformation initiatives.
Visitor Experience and Operations
- Ensure a world-class, seamless visitor journey across all touchpoints—from pre-visit engagement to on-site experience and post-visit advocacy.
- Oversee daily operations across horticulture displays, visitor services, retail, food and beverage, events, learning, and interpretation.
- Champion service excellence standards and continuous improvement to deliver outstanding customer satisfaction and repeat visitation.
- Ensure facilities, infrastructure, and landscapes are maintained to the highest standards, supporting safety, accessibility, and sustainability.
Commercial Performance and Growth
- Deliver financial performance targets, including revenue growth, cost control, and profitability.
- Lead commercial strategy across admissions, retail, food and beverage, events, memberships, and partnerships.
- Identify and develop new revenue streams aligned with mission and visitor experience, including immersive experiences, educational programmes, and corporate partnerships.
- Monitor market trends, competitor activity, and visitor data to inform pricing, product development, and investment decisions.
People Leadership and Culture
- Lead, inspire, and develop a large multidisciplinary team, fostering a culture of innovation, collaboration, inclusion, and high performance.
- Ensure robust people management practices, including recruitment, performance management, talent development, engagement, and wellbeing.
- Champion organisational values, sustainability ethos, and inclusive leadership behaviours.
Stakeholder, Community and Partnership Engagement
- Act as an ambassador for the attraction, building relationships with government bodies, funders, academic institutions, industry partners, and local communities.
- Work closely with marketing, learning, and public engagement teams to broaden audiences and deepen impact.
- Represent the organisation with media and industry bodies, enhancing reputation and profile nationally and internationally.
- Build strong relationships with tourism bodies, local authorities, business partners and community organisations to enhance Eden Project Cornwall's role as a key regional and national destination.
Planning, Capital Projects and Sustainability
- Lead and support significant site developments, capital investments and operational improvement initiatives, ensuring minimal disruption to visitors and maximum long-term value to the organisation.
- Contribute to site master planning, capital development, and infrastructure projects to support growth and innovation.
- Work with sustainability and estates teams to ensure operations align with environmental and net-zero ambitions.
- Support fundraising, grants, and corporate partnership initiatives for capital and programme development.
Governance, Reporting and Risk
- Develop and manage annual operating plans, budgets, and performance frameworks.
- Report on KPIs, financial performance, and operational outcomes to the Executive Team and Board.
- Ensure compliance with health and safety, environmental, financial, and regulatory requirements.
- Oversee procurement, contract management, and risk management to ensure value for money and operational resilience.
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Values and Behaviours
The Head of Site will embody and promote the Eden Values:
- Connecting people with nature and sustainability
- Curiosity, innovation, and continuous learning
- Inclusivity, kindness, and collaboration
- Accountability, integrity, and commercial responsibility
- Positive, inspirational leadership
Person Specification
Essential
- Educated to degree level or equivalent professional experience.
- Evidence of continuing professional development in leadership, operations, hospitality, visitor attraction management, business management, or a related discipline.
- Significant knowledge of operating complex visitor-facing environments, hospitality, leisure, cultural or large scale public venues.
- Strong commercial and financial management skills, including budget management and revenue growth.
- Excellent strategic planning and operational delivery skills.
- Strong understanding of visitor experience design and customer service excellence.
- Knowledge of governance, risk management, health and safety, and regulatory compliance.
- Ability to analyse visitor and commercial data to inform decision-making
- Experience leading operational transformation, visitor experience enhancement programmes, or significant organisational change within a large-scale visitor attraction.
- Ability to make complex strategic and operational decisions with organisational-wide impact in a complex stakeholder environment.
- Proven ability to balance visitor experience, commercial performance, and operational priorities.
- Experience managing risk and making sound decisions in fast-paced environments.
- Ability to influence business planning and organisational strategy.
- Extensive experience leading and developing large multidisciplinary teams.
- Proven track record in performance management, engagement, talent development, and wellbeing initiatives.
- Experience managing significant operational budgets and resources.
- Commitment to inclusive leadership and organisational values.
- Deep understanding of visitor experience design and customer service excellence.
- Excellent communication, influencing, and stakeholder management skills.
- Demonstrable experience building effective relationships with senior stakeholders, partners, communities, regulators, and funders.
- Proven ability to lead delivery of exceptional visitor experiences.
- Senior leadership experience in a complex visitor attraction, hospitality, leisure, cultural venue, or similar operational environment.
- Experience managing health and safety, compliance, and operational risk.
- Ability to work flexibly, including weekends, evenings, and public holidays when required.
- Comfortable working across office, operational, and visitor-facing environments.
- Experience delivering operational excellence within high-volume visitor settings.
Desirable
- Degree or postgraduate qualification in Business, Hospitality, Tourism, Environmental Management, Leisure Management, or a related field.
- Professional leadership or management qualification (e.g. ILM, CMI, MBA).
- Knowledge of horticultural, environmental, sustainability, heritage, cultural, educational, or leisure sectors.
- Understanding of destination development, tourism trends, and audience engagement strategies.
- Experience of fundraising, grant funding, or corporate partnerships.
- Experience contributing at Board, Executive, or Trustee level decision making.
- Experience leading organisational change or transformation programmes.
- Proven ability to identify opportunities for operational improvement and commercial growth.
- Ability to develop innovative solutions to complex operational challenges.
- Experience developing new revenue streams, visitor products, or commercial initiatives.
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