Head of Events

Contract type: Permanent
Location: Edinburgh, Alderley Park
Working style: Hybrid 50% home/office based

To help us manage applications effectively, we reserve the right to close this vacancy early once we have received a high number of applications or identified enough suitable candidates for the next stage of the process. We encourage you to apply as early as you can.

We are looking for a Head of Events to lead Royal London’s organisation-wide events function and shape a high-impact portfolio of colleague, member and external events. You will bring experience delivering medium to large scale events, with the ability to take a proposal from concept through to approval, including presenting clear recommendations to senior executive or equivalent stakeholders. You will set the strategy, standards and governance that connect every significant event to our purpose, brand, communications activity, and strategic priorities, while creating engaging, inclusive experiences across virtual, hybrid and in-person formats. As a trusted adviser to senior leaders, you will influence investment and priorities, lead and develop the events team, and ensure activity delivers measurable impact and value.

About the role

• Set the events strategy and annual plan for Royal London, ensuring activity supports our communications, brand, colleague engagement, member engagement, external reputation and wider campaign goals.
• Lead governance across the events portfolio, with clear standards, approvals, controls, risk management, and escalation routes.
• Oversee medium to large scale in-person, virtual and hybrid events, ensuring they are delivered to agreed quality, timeline, budget and audience experience expectations.
• Advise and influence senior stakeholders, executive sponsors, translating proposals into clear recommendations on priorities, investment, audiences, and delivery choices.
• Champion creative, accessible and audience-first event experiences that bring Royal London’s purpose, values, and mutuality to life.
• Own the events budget, forecasting and supplier model, securing quality, value and resilience through strong commercial management, supplier management, and negotiation.

• Apply strong governance, controls, and risk management across the portfolio, ensuring events are planned and delivered in line with internal standards and external requirements.

• Lead, motivate and develop the events team, building capability, clear ways of working and a culture of continuous improvement.

About you

• Experience leading large scale campaigns and major events programme within a large, complex organisation or similarly demanding environment.
• A strong record of delivering high-profile in-person, virtual and hybrid events for varied audiences, with good judgement on the right format for the audience and objective.
• Credibility with senior leaders, including the confidence to take proposals and recommendations to senior executive or equivalent stakeholders, advise, influence, challenge and negotiate constructively.
• Strong people leadership experience, with the ability to motivate a team, develop capability and create an inclusive culture.
• Excellent financial and commercial skills, including budget ownership, forecasting, supplier-management, and negotiation, with the ability to secure value and manage spend effectively.
• Experience managing governance, controls and operational, financial, health and safety, reputational and regulatory risks linked to event delivery.
• A creative, audience-focused, and insight-led approach, with the ability to manage competing priorities and make clear decisions under pressure.

If you feel you’d be a great fit for Royal London but don’t meet every requirement, we’d still love to hear from you. Research shows some candidates are less likely to apply unless they meet 100% of the criteria - if you meet most requirements and are keen to learn, we encourage you to apply!

About Royal London

We’re the UK’s largest mutual life, pensions and investment company, offering protection, long-term savings and asset management products and services.

Our People Promise to our colleagues is that we will all work somewhere inclusive, responsible, enjoyable, and fulfilling. This is underpinned by our Spirit of Royal London values; Empowered, Trustworthy, Collaborate, Achieve.

We've always been proud to reward employees by offering great workplace benefits such as 28 days annual leave in addition to bank holidays, an up to 14% employer matching pension scheme and private medical insurance.

Inclusion, diversity and belonging

We’re an inclusive employer. We celebrate and value different backgrounds and cultures across Royal London. Our diverse people and perspectives give us a range of skills which are recognised and respected – whatever their background.