Manager, Brand Experience

At McLaren Racing, we’re not just here to try to take the chequered flag. We’re here to excite our fans, inspire our people and deliver for our partners. And we’re also committed to evolving our sport, our industry, and our technology, too. 

Purpose of the Role:  

We are seeking a dynamic and innovative Brand Experience Manager to oversee and elevate brand experiences at the McLaren Technology Centre (MTC). This role is pivotal in delivering exceptional, world-class events that captivate key stakeholders, team members, and guests. You will be responsible for orchestrating a diverse portfolio of events, managing key projects, and continuously innovating to enhance the guest experience. 
 

Your mission is to ensure all activations uphold the prestige of the McLaren brand, driving commercial opportunities while creating impactful and emotionally engaging moments. This role requires strategic thinking, operational excellence, and a relentless commitment to continuous improvement across our five racing championships. 

Role Dimensions:  

As part of the wider Brand Experience team, you will thrive in a fast-paced, collaborative, and agile environment. You will report to the Head of Brand Experience MTC and lead a team of three direct reports while managing your own projects and events. Your focus will be on fostering a high-performance culture, motivating your team, and aligning their efforts with business goals. 

Strong cross-functional relationships, both internally and externally, are essential to ensuring the success of events and broader business objectives. Attention to detail and adaptability are key, as you will be operating in a dynamic, high-performance setting where flexibility and agility are paramount. Given the nature of the role, regular on-site presence at our Woking headquarters is required, including occasional evenings and weekends. 

Principal Accountabilities:  

People Management: 

• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of three direct reports, fostering a culture of excellence and innovation. 

• Provide strategic direction, set performance expectations, and conduct regular coaching and reviews. 

• Recruit and onboard new team members as needed. 
   

Event Management: 

• Oversee the planning and execution of world-class events at the MTC, ensuring seamless delivery across a variety of formats, including large-scale dinners, conferences, networking events, race viewings, and employee engagement activities. 

• Serve as the primary event lead, managing logistics, stakeholder communication, and on-site execution. 

• Collaborate with key stakeholders to align event experiences with strategic business objectives. 

• Ensure brand integrity and excellence in every event detail. 

• Navigate and resolve complex challenges swiftly, minimising disruptions to the guest experience. 

• Provide support to the team with additional tasks as required, both during the event and throughout the planning process. 

Operational Excellence & Administration: 

• Manage and streamline the event enquiry process, ensuring prompt and efficient handling of requests. 

• Oversee scheduling, resource allocation, and conflict resolution to optimise event execution. 

• Maintain meticulous records of all event specifics, providing accurate reporting and analysis. 

• Monitor and manage event budgets, ensuring financial accuracy and cost efficiency. 

• Uphold health and safety standards for all events. 

• Cultivate strong relationships with suppliers, partners and Internal stakeholders to ensure high-quality service delivery. 

• Oversee the development and management of all event collateral and documentation templates, ensuring accuracy and consistency. 

• Develop and uphold standards and best practices to drive consistency, efficiency, and continuous improvement. 
   

Process Innovation & Strategic Projects: 

• Identify and implement new processes to enhance operational efficiency. 

• Lead strategic initiatives that enhance customer experiences, optimize engagement, and drive revenue growth through innovation, data-driven insights, and cross-functional collaboration. 

• Champion new business systems and drive cross-functional collaboration with internal teams. 

Knowledge, Skills and Experience:  

• Experience in team management, with a proven ability to lead through change and drive transformation. 

• Demonstrated experience in event management within corporate, hospitality, or sporting environments. 

• Strong project management skills with the ability to oversee complex initiatives from concept to execution. 

• Expertise in supplier and stakeholder management, with a talent for fostering productive relationships. 

• Proficiency in budgeting, logistics, and on-site event coordination. 

• Advanced proficiency in MS Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint). 

• Exceptional attention to detail and ability to perform under pressure. 

• Skilled in decision-making, conflict resolution, and fostering a positive team culture. 

• Demonstrated ability to delegate tasks effectively, maximizing team performance and productivity. 

Personal Attributes:  

• Winning Mindset: Relentlessly pursues excellence, setting the standard for world-class experiences. 

• Problem-Solving Ability: Operates with a solutions-focused approach, demonstrating resilience in ambiguity. 

• Results-Driven: Highly motivated with a strong work ethic and commitment to achieving the best outcomes. 

• Challenger Mentality: Encourages innovation and continuously pushes boundaries. 

• Ownership Mentality: Leads with accountability, fostering a high-performance culture. 

• Collaborative Spirit: Thrives in a team-oriented environment, promoting open communication and shared success. 

• Determination: Consistently delivers results with a proactive and decisive approach. 

• Role Model: Champions best practices in diversity, inclusion, and leadership excellence.

What can McLaren offer?

We constantly strive to be better tomorrow than we are today. Our ambition is to be the most pioneering and exhilarating racing team in the world, and our collective task is to set the standards for high performance in sport. We show up every day with energy and enthusiasm, ready to play our part.

We encourage and support diversity, equity and inclusion. We will actively promote a culture that values difference and eliminates discrimination in our workplace.

McLaren Racing is based at the iconic McLaren Technology Centre (MTC) near Woking.

Our state of the art, sustainable campus offers many facilities including a gym, restaurant and indoor and outdoor break-out areas, as well as direct access to park and common land. The MTC is connected to Woking mainline station via regular shuttle buses, from which London Waterloo is a 30 minute train ride.

We offer a comprehensive package of benefits including private healthcare, car schemes, life insurance and generous pension contributions.