Salary: £29,000.00 Per Annum, Plus Desirable Benefits
Full time, Permanent Position
Are you wild about creating memorable experiences?
Do you want to work in a place where you can hear calls from troops of howler monkeys, or the roars from a pride of lions?
Port Lympne Hotel & Reserve are looking for a Senior Wedding & Events Sales Executive to play a key role in growing our wedding and events business. You’ll maximise revenue opportunities by converting wedding, leisure, and corporate event enquiries into bookings, delivering exceptional customer service and creating memorable client experiences from initial enquiry through to the event day.
In this fast-paced and varied role, you’ll conduct venue show rounds, proactively follow up on enquiries, and build strong relationships with clients to understand their requirements and secure bookings. You’ll work closely with operational teams to ensure seamless event delivery, maintain regular contact with clients throughout the planning process, and ensure all event details and payments are managed effectively.
You’ll also identify new business opportunities through networking, prospecting, wedding fairs, FAM trips, and industry events, while building strong relationships with external suppliers and monitoring market and competitor activity. This role requires exceptional organisation, attention to detail, and strong sales and communication skills, along with the flexibility to work evenings and weekends as needed.
Who we are looking for:
We’re seeking an experienced Senior Wedding & Events Sales Executive with a minimum of two years’ experience in weddings, events, or the Conference & Events industry. You’ll be a confident communicator with excellent face-to-face, written and verbal communication skills, able to build strong relationships with clients, suppliers and colleagues while delivering exceptional customer service throughout the event journey. The ideal candidate will be highly organised, able to manage multiple priorities simultaneously, and thrive in a fast-paced environment. You’ll bring excellent interpersonal skills, strong IT proficiency, and the ability to work both independently and collaboratively, demonstrating initiative, problem-solving skills, and the confidence to supervise and support others when required.
A passion for delivering high-quality work, exceptional attention to detail, and experience managing event administration, including function sheets, menus and table plans, are essential. Knowledge of hotel property management systems, particularly Opera, would be highly advantageous, as well as experience using Accesso or Micros systems. A valid UK driving licence would also be beneficial. Flexibility to work weekends, bank holidays is required.
Contract details:
This is a full-time permanent position, 40 hours per week, 9-5pm, five days out of seven, which can include Weekends, evenings, and bank holidays. Reporting to the Event Sales Manager, the position is based at Port Lympne Hotel & Reserve, based near Folkestone and Ashford. If you are passionate about delivering unforgettable weddings and events, thrive in a target-driven environment, and have a proven track record in sales or hospitality, this is an exciting opportunity to help shape extraordinary experiences at one of Kent’s most unique destinations
The location:
Port Lympne Hotel & Reserve is a world-renowned wild animal park set within 600 acres of Kentish savannah. The Reserve is home to some of the world’s most rare and endangered animals and offers luxury short-break accommodation, free roaming animal safaris, once-in-a-lifetime animal encounters and exquisite dining experiences. Most importantly, every one of our employees is part of real conservation in action and their efforts have contributed to animals such as black rhino and western lowland gorillas being returned to their natural habitats in collaboration with our partners at The Aspinall Foundation.
Why you should join us:
We’re on a mission to create memorable experiences that matter, and our Core Values ‘One Team’, Customer’ and ‘Pride’ are what drive us each day to become part of something extraordinary. As well as walking to work surrounded by the calls of Howler monkeys and the roars from our pride of Lions, you will join a supportive team who are passionate about their place of work. Be part of the Port Lympne and Howletts family and join our pride
You can also expect a host of other roarsome benefits including:
- 28 days of annual leave pro rata to start date and working hours, inclusive of bank holidays (rising with length of service)
- Comprehensive training and development opportunities, including workshops and e-learning.
- Enhanced Sickness, Maternity and Paternity Policies.
- Unlimited free entry for you and a person of your choice into both of our parks as well as friends and family tickets.
- Exceptional discounts on food, retail and accommodation at our parks.
- Numerous retail discounts and access to a 24-hour counselling line through our Healthy Extras Scheme.
- Company Pension
- And many more length or service-related rewards and Benefits.
A full job description is available on request.
Your adventure awaits
#joinourpride
Closing date: 19 June 2026
To apply: If you want to work in an exciting and unique environment where no two days are the same, email your C.V. and covering letter to stephanieb@portlympne.com
