Overview
The General Manager is a pivotal role within our venue and a key member of the Senior Management Team. The General Manager will be responsible for ensuring the highest standards across all front-of-house and hospitality operations, including our in-house café and bars, bespoke dining experiences, and private functions. The role also encompasses oversight of the ticket office. A central focus will be leading, motivating, and developing our team. The General Manager will provide clear direction and support, working closely with the Venue Director to deliver business priorities and an exceptional experience for all who visit.
ABOUT YOU
You'll be a self-motivated, engaging, and dynamic leader with significant experience in the theatre, music, or live entertainment space. Commercially savvy, enthusiastic, and capable of influencing others (including senior members of the TE team and third-party producer clients), you’ll be energetic, proactive, results-focused, and creative in your approach. You’ll be resilient, able to communicate clearly and excellent at forming working relationships with others.
Key responsibilities
Strategic
* With the Venue Director, develop annual front-of-house, hospitality, and events business plans and budgets, clearly setting out expected profit and service targets.
* In conjunction with the central support teams and Venue Marketing Executive, prepare and execute a comprehensive annual hospitality marketing plan.
* Working closely with central hospitality colleagues, investigate, develop, and propose new initiatives and business opportunities for front-of-house and hospitality services.
* Work closely with the Venue Director to contribute to the venue’s overarching business plan, defining the future of the venue, and ensuring the venue’s goals are embodied in day-to-day operations.
* Deputise for the Venue Director when absent, ensuring a good working knowledge of and relationships with other departments.
* Monitor monthly and quarterly progress against business plans and budgets, with monthly reports of variances against budget and other associated reports as required.
* Investigate shortfalls or overspending against target KPIs and develop agreed measures to rectify variations to realise overall budgetary targets.
* Oversee the implementation of appropriate price structures and product ranges based on group tariffs.
* Oversee the management of the Zonal till system and other retail solutions for customer transactions and reconciliation.
Operational
* Oversee the management of the Front of House operations, including the bars, cafe, programme of events, corporate and private hires and ticketing, to ensure they are delivered to the highest standards.
* Oversee the event programme with the Events Manager, ensuring successful delivery and developing an event strategy with the Central Events Team, including MICE events (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) for local businesses.
* Work closely with the Guest Experience Manager to liaise with Visiting Companies and Tour Managers to ensure their requirements are met.
* To assist the Venue Director in managing the theatre diary to ensure that all ancillary spaces are maximised, supporting the theatre’s community and commercial objectives.
* Provision of appropriate staffing levels on the budget for the Welcome Desk and front-of-house.
* With the Technical and Buildings Manager, ensure all areas and their décor are maintained to a high, appealing standard, and all equipment is kept in good order.
* Collaborate across departments to integrate sustainability and environmental awareness into all ways of working.
* Support the integration of accessibility and inclusion into every aspect of the customer journey. Work closely with the Creative Learning team to develop, organise, and facilitate the work experience programme in venue.
* Support the venue’s Creative Learning offer in order to bridge the gap between the venue’s commercial and outreach activity, as well as incorporating wider initiatives from the Trafalgar Entertainment Trust.
Customer Satisfaction
* Develop, implement, and manage the highest standards of Customer Service in all Front of House and backstage areas, including communication and guidance for all staff.
* Deliver our ‘Four Pillars’ customer services training programme for staff and volunteers, in line with TE policies, ensuring the maximum involvement from all departments.
* Collaborate with the Venue Marketing Executive to oversee and review activity on the Guest Experience Management platform (HGEM) - including mystery shopper reports, guest reviews, social reviews – with the aim to increase the venue’s net promoter score and ensure consistently high levels of service are maintained within the front of house teams.
* With a focus on exemplary customer service, oversee the in-venue ticketing services for guests and visiting companies, ensuring collaborative working between all customer-facing teams.
* Oversee all customer feedback relating to the venue operations. Work with your direct reports to investigate and respond appropriately and share, where required, with colleagues to improve service standards.
Recruitment, Training and Development
* Recruitment, induction, training, performance development, and monitoring (including setting and monitoring of personal targets) of direct reports to ensure their total contribution to achieving business and service targets.
* Undertake any relevant training and development that may be required and keep abreast of relevant industry developments.
Health & Safety
* To understand and have an excellent knowledge of managing all current Health & Safety legislation, licensing regulations and Food Hygiene legislation.
* Leading the venue to ensure it scores highly on all safety audits, environmental health audits, food safety audits, and meets the requirements of the company’s food safety management system.
* The implementation of the venue’s emergency and evacuation procedures as outlined in the Venue Security & Business Continuity Plan, including all relevant training, drills, and briefings, in collaboration with the Senior Management Team and the relevant statutory authorities.
* Undertaking and documenting risk assessments relevant to the front-of-house and Hospitality departments, including dissemination and review.
* Act as Deputy Safeguarding Officer, supporting and developing venue- and company-wide safeguarding initiatives.
* Ensure departmental and company Health & Safety procedures are carried out in all duties.
Other Responsibilities
* Act as a key holder of the building, ensuring smooth and safe operations and security procedures are maintained.
* Dress in accordance with Company uniform policy and wear protective clothing as issued and instructed.
This Job Description is not an exhaustive description of your duties. You will be required to adopt a flexible approach to your role and responsibilities. From time to time, you may be required to undertake such alternative or additional duties as may be commensurate with your skills, experience, and capabilities.
Seniority level
* Mid-Senior level
Employment type
* Full-time
Job function
* Art/Creative, Management, and General Business
* Theater Companies and Performing Arts
Note: This description has been trimmed to remove extraneous postings and focus on the role details. This job description is not exhaustive and may be updated.
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