Head of Operations (maternity cover)

ABOUT SHOREDITCH TOWN HALL

One of the grandest former civic buildings in London with a rich and varied history, Shoreditch Town Hall has established itself in the last decade as a leading cultural venue, live events space and community destination. Our landmark Grade II listed building houses spaces which range from an expansive and versatile 750 seat auditorium, The assembly Hall, to a flexible warren of spaces in our basement, The Ditch.

Shoreditch Town Hall’s core team is a tight knit, dedicated and multi-skilled group of 13 who are supported by around 50 casual staff and a loyal and highly skilled Board of Trustees. No day is ever the same at Shoreditch Town Hall, ensuring a vibrant and stimulating working environment that challenges and rewards in equal measure.

2025 promises to be an exciting year with several high profile events such as SXSW London, London Design Festival, and KIN’s Christmas Party season as well our world-class curated cultural programme including performances with Dance Umbrella, our annual Summer in the Ditch queer cabaret and lots more to be announced.

ABOUT THE ROLE

The Head of Operations is an integral role in the Town Hall’s Senior Management Team,  responsible for Venue Management, Operations and looking after our beautiful grade 2 listed  building. We are seeking an experienced individual for this maternity cover role to oversee  building operations, staffing and upkeep including responsibilities for licensing and health &  safety; management of operational services, contractors and tenancies; and helping to manage  the capital works programme.  

MAIN DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

Building & Operations 

• To ensure the smooth, safe running of all activity at Shoreditch Town Hall. 
• To uphold and enforce the relevant terms of the entertainment licence, specifically the health,  safety and comfort of all members of the public within the Town Hall, keeping up to date with  relevant updates and changes to law.  
• To oversee all licensing administration and due diligence, ensuring inspection, testing and  certification is fully maintained.  
• To oversee all building maintenance contracts ensuring they are kept up to date and that best  value is obtained at all times.  
• To work with the Trust’s Health & Safety Consultant to uphold a safe and efficient evacuation  procedure for the building, updating staff evacuation training regularly.  
• To oversee support to all users of the building with regards to physical access requirements.  
• To oversee the Visitor Experience Manager and ensure that all front and rear of house areas  are presented to a high standard, are secure and health and safety compliant at all times.  
• To be a primary key holder for the building, responding to security and fire alarm calls when  required alongside the VE & Operations and Venues & Facilities Assistant. 
• To oversee the Venue & Facilities Assistant with regards to all building maintenance issues,  reporting to the CEO as necessary, and ensuring that urgent repairs are carried out in a  timely manner. 
• To be a key holder and occasionally respond to out of hours’ alarm calls from our emergency  response contractors. 
• To ensure that the Trust’s external consultants (including, but not limited to, Health & Safety,  Structural Engineer, Architects, insurance brokers) are consulted as part of any event and/or  artistic activity as appropriate and prudent.  
• To ensure that building activity does not jeopardise the Town Hall’s historic building and  facilities, nor contravene any relevant building regulations or listed status requirements.  
• To support the CEO on the implementation of elements of the Town Hall’s capital programme  of work, leading on specific projects where appropriate and liaising with external consultants  and advisers as necessary. 

Finance & Trading 

• To oversee the cost centre for all Venue Maintenance and Operational contracts and staffing  and Trading budgets (with support from the Visitor Experience Manager), adhering to annual  budgets and completing monthly reconciliations. 
• To oversee the Visitor Experience Manager to ensure the integrity of all cash handling  systems and to oversee the management of floats, petty cash administration and all other  cash held in the safe. 
• To oversee trading operations and support the Visitor Experience Manager, to manage stock,  increase gross profit margins and spends per head, meeting and, where possible, exceeding  targets whilst keeping prices in line with current retail prices in local and equivalent cultural  venues. 
• To oversee operating procedures for food and beverage and minimise bar wastage. 

Management of Staff & Contractors 

• To line manage the Visitor Experience Manager, delegating operational and administrative  duties as necessary. 
• To be involved in the recruitment of all operational staff and others as required.
• To support the CEO with general HR matters within the organisation. 
• To look after the Rota management software (RotaCloud) alongside the Events &  Administration Manager. 
• To act as the main contact for building tenants, to maintain proactive and effective  relationships, working to resolve any issues as quickly and efficiently as possible.
• To work with the CEO to maintain and develop tenant income and space available,  maximising revenue whilst maintaining reasonable rental rates. 
• To oversee venue operational contractors including, but not limited to, IT,  telecommunications, cleaners, utilities, and alarm systems, including periodic reviews and  tenders. 
• To work alongside the CEO to ensure that all operational human resource matters are  handled in accordance with current law and Town Hall policies. 
• To form a sustainability committee and run monthly meetings and drive the environmental  strategy for the organisation. 

Over time the emphasis of this job may change without altering the general character of the role  or the level of duties and responsibilities entailed. This information will be periodically reviewed,  revised and updated in consultation with the post-holder to reflect appropriate changes. 

CANDIDATE REQUIREMENTS

Essential

•  3+ years professional experience of venue management of varying scale but including work of  scale (750+ people). 
•  Extensive health and safety and licensing knowledge and its application to venue and events  management. 
• Sound commercial acuity, negotiation skills and financial ability. 
• Proven leadership ability with excellent people management skills and experience in building,  training and motivating teams. 
•  A commitment to diversity, accessibility, inclusivity and representation of our local cultural  communities. 
• Confidence managing IT systems and sound Microsoft Office skills (particularly in SharePoint,  Outlook, Word and Excel).
• Experience of working with, and the ability to communicate with, a range of stakeholders  from local government, heritage, arts and events sectors. 
• Experience of developing and implementing operational systems. 
•  Excellent organisation and time management skills with the ability to prioritise a complex  workload.
• Strong interpersonal communication skills as well as the ability to work well independently. 
• Clear sense of responsibility and reliability with a hands-on and solutions focused approach to  all tasks. 
• Knowledge of the cultural and heritage sector and genuine enthusiasm for Shoreditch Town  Hall and the work that we do. 

Desirable 

• Knowledge of the Artifax event scheduling system, RotaCloud rota-ing system.
• Knowledge and/or experience of working in a Grade II listed building. 
• Experience of working on building capital programmes. 
• First aid, IOSH/Health & Safety qualification. 

Application Instructions

Please send your (up-to-date) CV and COVER LETTER (no more
than 2 sides of A4), download and complete the Equal Opportunities Form and Additional Information Form and send to: george.belle@hackney.gov.uk

Equal Opportunities Form – Shoreditch Town Hall Equal Opportunities Form 2024

Additional Information Form – Additional Information Form 2023

Your cover letter should cover the below points:

1. What you are applying for and why.
2. Why do you want to work for Berkeley Homes Capital?
3. What qualifications do you already hold that are relevant for this role?
4. What SKILLS and ATTRIBUTES do have that are relevant for this role? (please refer to the candidate requirements listed above).
5. What personal qualities do you have that will be useful for this position?

Hours: 30 hours (4 days) per week to include  evenings, weekends and Bank Holidays where  necessary.This role is venue based with guide  office hours of 10am – 6pm Monday – Friday.

Contract: 9 month fixed term (with the  possibility of extending to 12 months).