Commercial & Marketing Director

Organisation: Kent County Cricket Club
Salary: Negotiable
Location: The St Lawrence Ground, Canterbury
Contract type: Permanent (Full time)
Closing date: 17 April 2026
Interview date: 27 April 2026
Job Description: JOB TITLE: Commercial & Marketing Director
REPORTS TO: Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
CONTRACT: Full-Time/Permanent
BOARD STATUS: Executive Director
BASED AT: The St Lawrence Ground, Canterbury
Summary of Role:
As a Club, we are building something special in Kent and we are looking an outstanding Commercial & Marketing Director to lead the Club’s commercial growth and increase the value of our brand and services for our partners, Members and supporters.
You will drive your executive team colleagues and advise the Board on building the value of our data led commercial strategy. You will inherit a solid base of well-established and cherished partnerships and go on to build high value services and lead a multi-disciplinary team covering marketing and digital, media & communications, Membership, ticketing, sales, customer experience and fulfilment.
This is a pivotal role shaping the future of one of the country’s 18 first class county cricket clubs with a heritage and supporter base that sets it apart.
We’re seeking a proven senior commercial leader with experience delivering revenue growth, managing significant contracts and budgets, and driving customer focused strategies. You’ll bring strong strategic vision, excellent leadership and communication skills,
and the ability to inspire high performance. A passion for cricket and alignment with Kent Cricket’s value, our heritage, community, competitiveness, and inclusivity is essential.
Background:
Kent Cricket is one of only 18 first-class county cricket clubs in England and Wales. From our headquarters at the St Lawrence Ground in Canterbury, and with a satellite ground at The County Ground, Beckenham, we are responsible for the growth and development of all cricket across Kent and our four London Boroughs of Bexley, Bromley, Greenwich and Lewisham - from community and schools’ cricket to the professional game.
Equality Statement:
We’re passionate about creating an inclusive workplace that promotes and values diversity.
Companies that are diverse in age, gender identity, race, sexual orientation, physical or mental ability, ethnicity and perspective are proven to be better companies. More importantly, creating an environment where everyone, from any background, can do their
best work, is the right thing to do and we therefore encourage applicants from diverse areas to apply.
Principal Duties & Responsibilities:
Leadership and Strategy
• Lead the Club’s data-led and driven Commercial and Marketing Strategy, setting
clear objectives, values, and standards to drive sustainable revenue growth.
• Own the development of a centralised 'Revenue Growth Engine', integrating
marketing, CRM, digital, and commercial performance
• Provide Commercial and Marketing leadership to the Executive Leadership
Team and the Board, ensuring commercial activity aligns with the Club’s overall
strategy and values.
• Lead the active engagement and development of the Commercial Advisor Group,
ensuring specialist and independent expertise, challenge, network development and
input is regularly maintained in the effective management and delivery of
the Club’s commercial strategy.
• Lead the Commercial Team (Marketing, Media, Communications, Membership,
Ticketing, Sales, Business Development, Retail, Digital and Customer
Services), ensuring clear functional accountability and focus on the delivery
of strategic outcomes whilst developing and managing the agreed commercial
budget and maximising income across all revenue streams
• Lead and attain the highest level of compliance for all our commercial activities.
Ensuring a high degree of record keeping and contract assurance tracking.
• Ensure ongoing staff development with a focus on commercial capability, data
literacy, and performance-driven decision making
• Identify new commercial opportunities and innovation to support the long-term
financial objectives.
• Lead on the performance delivery and communication of the relevant commercial
and marketing KPIs for Kent Cricket, implementing integrated reporting and
dashboards for real-time performance visibility.
Commercial Revenue and Growth
• Responsible for the performance of Kent Cricket’s commercial performance and
P&L, with ownership of revenue growth, yield optimisation and log term
sustainability for all commercial income streams, (inc. sponsorship, partnerships,
hospitality, concerts, events, retail, advertising, and digital revenue and
services) and
• Ensure the club delivers a progressive and continued commercial and brand growth
in new, retained and recovery of lapsed B2B and B2C business channels.
• Drive a customer-centric commercial strategy aligned to audience insight and lifetime
value, ensuring strong alignment with Club values and brand.
• Develop a structured commercial pipeline with clear targets and accountability and lead high-value contract negotiation and partner management focusing on long-term value.
• Work closely with the Kent Cricket Foundation and other departments to maximise commercial opportunities across cricket, our venues, events and community engagement activities.
• Ensure our Commercial growth captures, converts and optimises
opportunities across all of the communities Kent Cricket represents / serves.
Membership and Ticket Sales
• Responsibility for the management and performance execution of Membership and Ticket Sales strategy. Ensure our product and service mix is fit for purpose, adds value to our target segments and creates demand growth.
• Drive growth in membership numbers, focusing on new, retention, recovery of lapsed as well as developing a strong level of member advocacy.
• Ensure alignment with marketing, CRM, and audience growth
strategies and introduce CRM-led lifecycle marketing to improve acquisition, retention, and re-engagement.
• Use data, analytics, and attribution to optimise performance.
• Oversee pricing, packaging, promotions, and sales campaigns, ensuring all our product and service mix are a match to our target audience requirements.
• Ensure a strong customer experience for members and ticket purchasers
Business Development
• Lead business development with structured and measurable pipeline
approach, developing insight-led commercial propositions.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders, sponsors, and commercial partners, integrating our services to match their business plans to add partner value.
• Seek opportunities for the Club to externally to grow its
commercial performance locally, regionally, nationally and internationally.
• Own customer acquisition, conversion, and retention strategies, supporting Club partners in promoting Kent Cricket and enhancing mutual value.
Marketing, Brand and Communications
• Lead the marketing and communications team (as head of the Commercial Team) to strengthen the Kent Cricket brand.
• Ensure commercial activity complies with Club policies, ECB regulations, and relevant legal requirements.
• Define and lead club-wide marketing and brand strategy, ensuring high quality, consistent and commercially aligned brand representation.
• Ensure the Management, Executive teams and Board are fully and diligently informed with effective, regular and ongoing analysis, reports
and communications covering performance, planning and risk.
People Leadership
• Ensure scalable team structure with appropriate delegation
• Foster a collaborative, inclusive, and performance-driven culture
• Support professional development and succession planning within the commercial team.
• Work collaboratively with the CEO, Finance Director, Director of Cricket, and COO.
• Effectively liaise with the ECB, partners, sponsors, and external agencies.
Essential Criteria
Qualifications & Experience
• Senior commercial leadership and marketing experience within
sport, service, entertainment, leisure sectors or a comparable commercial environment.
• Proven track record of delivering commercial growth and managing significant budgets
• Experience of leading customer-focused revenue streams
• Experience in delivering rapid / sustainable growth business partnerships.
• Experience of negotiating and managing high-value commercial partnerships
• Experience of operating at Executive and Board level
Personal Attributes
• Strong commercial acumen with strategic vision
• Excellent leadership, communication, and influencing skills
• Customer focused, data led, and a results driven approach with strong analytical
skills and a strong evidence-based approach to business growth and development
• Ability to build long-term relationships with partners, agencies and stakeholders
• Appreciation of Kent Cricket, its values, and its role within the County and the wider game / community
• Commitment to equality, diversity, inclusion, and wellbeing
• Sound knowledge of progressive technology and systems, especially in commercial development (i.e. CRM) as well as a baseline in Microsoft Office applications.
• A full driving licence
• Right to work in the United Kingdom (Applicants must have the legal right to work in the UK at the time of application. The Club is unable to offer visa sponsorship for this role. Successful candidates will be required to provide valid documentation to evidence their right to work in the UK prior to employment commencing).
How to apply: How To Apply: Please submit your CV and a short (maximum 150 words) statement of support stating why you are the ideal candidate for the role by emailing jobs@kentcricket.co.uk with a subject heading of “Commercial & Marketing Director”. The deadline for applications is 11:59pm on Friday 17 April 2026, with interviews to take place week commencing 27 April 2026. Safeguarding Statement: Kent Cricket is committed to safeguarding and protecting children, young people and adults in cricket and we expect all employees to share this commitment. All posts are subject to a process of vetting with references taken up. Candidates invited to interview should note we may conduct online searches as part of pre-recruitment checks. In accordance with the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) (Amendment) Order 2023, you will be required to declare any unspent convictions but do not need to declare any spent convictions. If you have any information to disclose, please provide this under separate, confidential cover, to HR Manager - omolola.oshinlaja@kentcricket.co.uk. If you wish to discuss your criminal record, or whether you need to disclose something, please contact Bridget Owen, the County Safeguarding Officer for Kent – safeguarding@kentcricket.co.uk. Having a criminal record will not necessarily prevent you from working with us; this will depend on the nature and circumstances of the offence. We undertake to discuss your criminal record with you before any withdrawal of a job offer. Kent Cricket complies with the DBS Code of Practice and a copy is available on request.