Sales & Business Development Manager – Canterbury, Kent

Canterbury, Kent
Chilham Castle

Sales & Business Development Manager – Canterbury, Kent

About Us:

Chilham Castle, once owned by Henry the XIII and its stunning estate undoubtedly provide one of England’s finest destinations. Steeped in history and grandeur with its formal gardens designed by Capability Brown and unique architecture, Chilham Castle is an outstanding location never open to the public in its 400+ years of history. The estate comprises of 330 acres of formal listed gardens, equestrian facilities, deer park, woods, and parkland including an avenue of ancient avenue of trees and a lake. Sitting high with sweeping views of the historic Stour valley, Chilham Castle provides an exclusive stay experience that once inspired Shakespeare amongst many others

Role Overview

As the Business Development Manager, you will play a pivotal role in driving the growth of Chilham Castle as a premier destination for private hire, wellness retreats, weddings, celebrations, and exclusive events. Your primary focus will be to proactively develop a robust sales pipeline, manage CRM systems and workflows, and maintain Chilham Castle’s reputation as a premier hire destination.

Key Responsibilities

• Identify and secure new business opportunities in exclusive use, Retreats, Collaborations Events, and Celebrations.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with clients, event planners, brands, agencies, and bookers
• Develop and execute a strategic sales and marketing plan aligned with revenue goals
• Schedule and oversee site visits and familiarisation trips to showcase the castle and grounds
• Develop annual sales plans and budgets to achieve revenue targets.
• Update and manage leads using working towards scheduling events into the annual calendar.

About You

We are looking for an ambitious, results-driven professional who thrives in a dynamic, fast-paced environment. You should possess:

• Exceptional communication and negotiation skills.
• Proven experience in sales or business development, ideally within events, hospitality or private hire sector
• A track record of exceeding sales targets and building long-term client relationships
• Exceptional communication and negotiation skills
• Creative flair with the ability to market a luxury venue to ultra-high-net-worth individuals (UHNW)
• Proficiency in creating process flows, using CRM systems, and optimising system integrations.
• A proactive and entrepreneurial mindset

What We Offer

• The opportunity to work at one of the UK’s most beautiful and historic venues
• Competitive salary
• Creative, collaborative environment where your ideas are valued with opportunities for professional development and growth
• Complimentary team parking
• Seasonal team celebrations and events