Commercial Development Lead (Recreation & Access)
Salary: £55,000–£58,000
Location: North West (with travel across regional sites)
Contract: Full-time, permanent
Benefits:
*26 days annual leave plus bank holidays
*Competitive pension scheme
*Performance-related bonus
About the Role
We are seeking a highly commercial, strategic and driven Commercial Development Lead (Recreation & Access) to accelerate the growth of our recreation estate and transform it into a thriving, scalable commercial operation.
You will be responsible for identifying, developing and delivering high-value revenue opportunities across a diverse outdoor and leisure portfolio. This role requires a proven track record in commercial development within sectors such as visitor attractions, outdoor experiences, leisure, events, concessions, tourism or similar.
Your work will directly support reinvestment into recreation, heritage and environmental outcomes.
Key Responsibilities
Drive Significant Income Growth
*Lead delivery of ambitious annual revenue targets
*Develop pricing, revenue optimisation and product strategies
*Identify underperforming income streams and deliver turnaround plans
*Introduce strong commercial controls and income assurance measures
Shape a Scalable Commercial Strategy
*Build a 3–5 year commercial growth plan
*Design new propositions with clear ROI and investment cases
*Benchmark commercial approaches to leading UK recreation and heritage organisations
*Produce robust business cases with modelling, forecasting and risk analysis
Concessions & Partner Management
*Maximise performance of existing concession partners through active management and negotiation
*Redesign commercial agreements to improve returns and reduce revenue leakage
*Lead tender processes to introduce new partners, offers and income opportunities
Deliver Commercial Projects
*Oversee delivery of new revenue-generating assets
*Work with engineering and capital teams on infrastructure changes that unlock income growth
Data, Insight & Market Intelligence
*Use visitor behaviour, footfall, pricing data and financial metrics to inform decisions
*Produce high-quality performance reporting
*Monitor trends across leisure, outdoor recreation and tourism markets
Stakeholder & Reputation Management
*Work collaboratively with environmental, heritage and community groups to ensure responsible commercial development
Skills & Experience Required
*Proven experience delivering significant commercial growth in leisure, outdoor recreation, visitor attractions or similar
*Demonstrable success growing income across multiple revenue streams
*Strong commercial acumen with financial, analytical and negotiation skills
*Experience improving performance of third-party operators or concessions
*Skilled in developing commercial strategies and writing strong business cases
*Experience delivering commercial projects end-to-end
*Ability to balance commercial ambition with environmental and heritage considerations
*Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills
*Experience working within protected landscapes or heritage environments is desirable
*Familiarity with commercial leases, revenue-share models or concession frameworks
Qualifications
Essential:
*Degree or equivalent experience in business, land, recreation management, environment or leisure.
*Professional chartership in a relevant field (e.g., CMLI) is advantageous.