Head of Commercial

The UK Antarctic Heritage Trust, working with Antarctic Heritage Ltd, is seeking an experienced Head of Commercial to drive revenue and profit growth across our trading activity. This is a hands-on commercial leadership role with real purpose. You will lead our product proposition, trading performance and commercial strategy across e-commerce, wholesale, licensing, partnerships and our iconic on-continent retail operation at Port Lockroy in Antarctica. Port Lockroy is distinctive, successful and globally known and is a vital and inspiring retail experience upon which we want to build. The biggest growth opportunity now is to scale online sales, develop wholesale, and broaden our licensing reach, turning global interest in Antarctica into sustainable, unrestricted income that directly supports UKAHT’s conservation and public engagement work. UKAHT exists to conserve British Antarctic heritage and bring people closer to Antarctica’s extraordinary stories, from wildlife and human endeavour to conservation, science and climate change. Antarctic Heritage Ltd is our trading company, and building a stronger, more profitable model will help us protect historic sites, grow public programmes and extend our impact in protecting Antarctica. Salary £50,000 pro rata Hours 30hrs/4 days per week Rooted in Cambridge but hybrid working

The opportunity

This is a unique commercial role in a truly unique context.

You will lead a high-potential trading portfolio spanning retail in Antarctica, a growing international e-commerce offer, wholesale, licensing and commercial partnerships. Your priority will be to grow revenue and profit by developing our online offer, strengthening product range architecture and trading discipline, and building high-quality licensing partnerships that extend our reach and income.

You will have end-to-end ownership of the product proposition, from concept and range development to positioning, trading performance and commercial partnerships. Sustainability, authenticity and brand integrity will sit at the heart of your approach.

We have a clear ambition to grow trading income over the coming years while sustaining the unique value of Port Lockroy. The Head of Commercial will lead delivery against agreed growth plans and be accountable for key commercial KPIs, including revenue, margin, contribution, conversion and stock performance.

Key relationships

Reporting to: Chief Executive
Accountable to: Directors of Antarctic Heritage Ltd
Collaborating with: Heads of department and colleagues across UKAHT

Key responsibilities

Strategic commercial leadership

Define and deliver a commercial strategy for retail, wholesale, e-commerce and licensing, aligned with UKAHT’s mission and strategic priorities.
Position commercial activity as a core driver of income, engagement and advocacy.
Translate organisational goals, audience insight and market opportunity into clear trading, product and growth plans.
Set and monitor relevant KPIs, commercial metrics and performance targets.
Identify opportunities to grow unrestricted income in ways that strengthen UKAHT’s reach, reputation and impact.

Brand, sub-brands and licensing growth

Harness the strength and trust of the UKAHT brand to drive engagement and income.
Develop compelling sub-brands, product stories and thematic ranges rooted in Antarctica, heritage, science and conservation.
Build and grow a strategic licensing programme with carefully selected partners.
Ensure brand extensions maintain authenticity, quality and alignment with UKAHT’s environmental and conservation values.
Balance commercial growth with long-term brand stewardship.

Commercial and operational delivery

Lead performance across all retail, e-commerce, wholesale and licensing activity.
Drive revenue, margin, contribution and customer conversion.
Own budgets, forecasting and P&L performance.
Develop operational models suited to seasonal, remote and logistically complex environments.
Ensure effective delivery across physical, digital and partner-led channels.
Improve stock planning, range performance, merchandising and trading discipline.

Product, storytelling and experience

Develop distinctive, high-quality and sustainable product ranges inspired by Antarctic heritage, science and environmental protection.
Ensure retail is not simply transactional, but a way to bring Antarctica and UKAHT’s message to life.
Embed sustainability, ethics and positive environmental impact across the retail offer.
Use product, interpretation and content to communicate why Antarctica matters.
Create customer experiences that deepen connection with UKAHT’s mission.

Supporter and customer journey

Work with the Development team to embed commercial activity within the supporter journey, from first interaction to long-term advocacy.
Create opportunities for people to express and deepen their connection with Antarctica.
Work with colleagues across the organisation to use retail as a gateway to wider engagement with UKAHT’s conservation and public programmes.
Use insight and data to refine the offer and improve performance.

Leadership and collaboration

Work closely with colleagues across fundraising, communications, public engagement, operations and finance.
Contribute to organisational strategy and leadership as part of the Heads team.
Build strong internal relationships and ensure a joined-up approach across income generation, audience engagement and brand development.
Represent commercial activity confidently with senior stakeholders, including the Board and Directors of Antarctic Heritage Ltd.

About you

You will be an experienced retail or commercial leader looking for a distinctive opportunity to apply your skills in a unique environment, an organisation working at the extremes with global reach.

You will combine strong commercial judgement with creativity, collaboration and a commitment to sustainability. You will be confident working across e-commerce, product development, trading performance and partnerships, and motivated by the opportunity to turn commercial success into conservation impact.

Essential

Proven senior leadership experience in multi-platform retail, with a strong operational foundation.
Experience driving online sales growth in an e-commerce, D2C or digitally led retail environment.
Strong commercial and financial capability, including trading metrics, P&L or budget accountability, and data-led decision-making.
Experience developing and optimising product offers, including range architecture, pricing, merchandising and customer proposition.
Ability to build commercial partnerships, ideally including licensing or brand collaborations.
Strong judgement on brand fit, commercial value and reputational risk.
Proven ability to work with and influence senior stakeholders, including at Board level.
A collaborative leadership style and the ability to work across organisational boundaries.
A strong team ethic, excellent communication skills and motivation to contribute to a high-performing team.
A personal commitment to conservation, heritage and environmental impact.

Desirable

Experience of physical retail operations, especially within cultural, heritage, museum or visitor attraction settings.
Experience of licensing programmes and partner product development.
Experience working with purpose-led brands where commercial growth funds public benefit.
Experience working with seasonal, international or logistically complex retail operations.