JOB ROLE: Resources Manager
SALARY: £45 - £50k per annum
TYPE: Permanent, Full Time
DEPARTMENT: Operations
REPORTS TO: Operations Director
LOCATION: 101 St. John Street, London, EC1M 4AS | Hybrid
THE COMPANY
Bearded Kitten is a global creative experience agency with a portfolio of award-winning work. Our mission is clear: to fearlessly champion fun and create the unforgettable. Don’t be deceived by our quirky name – Bearded Kitten is the real deal. From large scale brand experiences to cultural launch events, from building immersive worlds to conferences and employee engagement initiatives - we cover it all.
It’s an exciting time to be a Kitten, in the past year the company has grown rapidly and we’ve worked with some of the world’s biggest brands. With an ever growing client base across the UK and beyond - this is an opportunity to join a fast paced, innovative team.
THE ROLE
As Resources Manager, you’ll sit within the Operations department, shaping how teams and freelancers are utilised across all departments. You’ll work closely with Client Services, Creative & Design, Production, Fabrication and Project Teams to translate upcoming projects into clear staffing requirements. You’ll need to be agile, responding quickly to short-notice demands, while also looking ahead to anticipate future needs and expand our freelancer pool. This role is critical to keeping teams supported, work delivered smoothly, and standards consistently high.
RESPONSIBILITIES
RESOURCE PLANNING
* Own day-to-day resource planning for all departments across the business, working closely with the Senior Leadership Team to understand upcoming requirements and delivery timelines.
* Regularly meet with New Business and Project Teams to translate pitch and project scopes into clear staffing requirements and understand evolving project demands.
* Allocate freelance resources across projects, balancing skills and availability.
* Respond quickly to short-notice resourcing needs, providing fast, practical solutions.
* Look ahead across the project pipeline to anticipate pressure points and plan for future demand.
REPORTING & INSIGHT
* Track and report on internal and freelance utilisation, providing clear insight to leadership teams.
* Support budget planning by helping teams understand the cost implications of resourcing decisions.
* Identify patterns and trends in resourcing needs to inform future hiring or structural changes.
CONTRACTING
* Manage the end-to-end freelancer recruitment process, from identifying needs through to selection and booking.
* Arrange and coordinate freelancer interviews and informal introductions with internal teams where required.
* Draft, issue and manage freelancer agreements, ensuring documentation is accurate, compliant and stored correctly.
* Act as a point of contact for freelancer queries related to contracts, bookings and onboarding.
* Support recruitment for permanent hires where needed.
* Assist in the management and optimisation of freelancer rates alongside the Operations Director.
ONBOARDING & OFFBOARDING
* Liaise with IT and Operations to support seamless onboarding of freelancers and short-term hires.
* Ensure accounts, system access (Slack, project tools, email, file-sharing platforms) are created in good time.
* Coordinate the sharing of onboarding materials, policies and ways-of-working documentation.
* Oversee freelancer offboarding, ensuring access is removed and processes are followed correctly.
TALENT POOL DEVELOPMENT
* Proactively source freelancers across all key disciplines across the business.
* Build, maintain and actively expand a high-quality, diverse freelancer network aligned to Bearded Kitten’s standards and culture.
* Keep a detailed, up-to-date freelancer database including skills, experience, availability, rates - regularly review freelancer performance and suitability.
* Develop long-term relationships with freelancers to ensure loyalty, reliability and repeat collaboration.
THE PERSON
* Proven experience in resource management role within a creative experience agency or similar environment.
* A strong working understanding of multiple roles across event delivery, including creative, production, project management and client services, and how they’re deployed across projects.
* Confident sourcing, briefing and managing freelancers - including moving fast when timelines are tight.
* Exceptionally organised, with a genuine love of systems, trackers and keeping chaos under control behind the scenes.
* A clear, confident communicator, comfortable juggling multiple stakeholders with competing priorities.
* Working knowledge of resource management tools (Monday, Resource Guru etc.)
* Calm under pressure, proactive by nature, and always thinking one step ahead.
OUR COMMITMENT TO YOU
* 25 days paid holiday, plus Bank Holidays. 1 additional day added per year of service up to 5 days.
* Approximately five additional days off over the Christmas/New Year period.
* Hybrid working. Compulsory office days are Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.
* Flexi-time policy.
* Generous overtime policy.
* Discretionary end of year bonus scheme.
* New Business Incentive Scheme from day one.
* Employee Referral Incentive Policy from day one.
* Sabbatical Scheme available after three years of service.
* Work mobile and/or eSim and work laptop.
* Employee assistance programme with free access to mental health resources.
* Enhanced maternity & paternity leave policy after 1 year of full service. 3 months full pay including statutory for lead carer or 1 month full pay including statutory for second carer.
* Monthly team socials, plus an annual team offsite with overnight stay.
* Free use of BK equipment; workshop, tools, rehearsal space etc for personal use.
* Season ticket loans offered.
* Cycle to work scheme.
* Guaranteed hilarity and nonsense on a daily basis.