Senior Operations Manager

PURPOSE OF THE ROLE

This is an opportunity for an ambitious operations manager to play a pivotal part in creating and delivering a world class front of house operation at V&A East Storehouse. The Senior Operations Manager (Storehouse), V&A East will help to deliver and lead a world-class visitor experience; understanding the complexities and unique challenges of opening a new building whilst maintaining a solution focussed, positive and agile mind set. This role will also support commercial areas of operation including catering, security, retail, membership and ticketing.

V&A East represents new museums for new audiences. In our aim to engage those aged 16-24, and with 35% of our visitors expected to be local to the surrounding boroughs, we must recognise that V&A East may be, for some of our audience, their first visit to a museum. Our welcome approach places radical access and transparency at the forefront of the experience, creating one team that works across all our public touchpoints to remove barriers to access and create a space in which our audiences can feel welcome and comfortable.

We will support our front of house team to undertake Level 2 SIA qualified Door Supervisor training, creating opportunities to build career-enhancing skill sets for those delivering our pioneering model. This role will work closely with colleagues from V&A’s central Security & Safety team to set out a training and development framework for the front of house team and ongoing regular security and health & safety monitoring.

Focusing on providing excellent customer service, the Senior Operations Manager at V&A East Storehouse will ensure that underpinning the extraordinary and memorable visitor experience are robust operational procedures that keep our collection, objects and people, safe. They will work closely with teams across the museum to ensure a smooth operation, directly line managing and coaching the front of house management team and providing second line support to the front of house assistants and volunteers.

We are looking for a forward-thinking, collaborative and solution-focused Senior Manager who will empower their team and colleagues to realise and uphold the ambitions of V&A East Storehouse, maintaining the highest operational standards and foregrounding our accessible visitor experience for the opening in 2025 and beyond.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE ROLE

• Lead and manage daily front of house operations to ensure an exceptional, engaging, welcoming, inclusive and safe visitor experience, including regular duty management.
• Create and maintain a supportive and motivated team, including direct line management and coaching of front of house management and staff.
• Manage business continuity for the front of house team, including capacity management, fire evacuation, and emergency situations, collaborating with senior staff and Health, Safety, and Security teams.
• Coordinate staffing rota in collaboration with the Collections Care & Access team.
• Utilise commercial and performance reporting systems effectively in collaboration with other V&A departments.
• Ensure compliance with all operational policies, procedures, and processes, including safeguarding, cash handling, and fire evacuation, through regular team training.
• Promote equality and diversity by maintaining positive working relationships and contributing to widening access and inclusion initiatives.
• Deputise for the Head of Operations & Commercial as needed, representing V&A East and the department across the V&A.

CANDIDATE REQUIREMENTS

Skills

• Confident communicator with demonstrated skills in persuasion, influencing, negotiation, and conflict resolution. Proficient in leading and motivating large teams.
• Exceptionally organised, with a track record of managing budgets, maintaining operational records, and managing project plans effectively.

Experience

• Possesses comprehensive knowledge of the local environment and target audiences.
• Proven track record in operational management of complex, public-facing buildings.
• Experience managing external contractors, consultants, term service contracts, and service level agreements.
• Demonstrated ability to meet or exceed commercial Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).
• Experience of opening a new cultural space or project from planning stage through to business as usual.
• Experience in retail and/or hospitality and knowledge of management procedures.
• Experience and knowledge of health & safety regulations and compliance.
• Has experience in managing change in the workplace e.g. embedding new team structures and working across different departments to align new goals and operating procedures.

Behaviours 

• Demonstrates alignment with V&A East’s vision and values of Sustainability, Equity, Creativity, Collaboration, and Generosity.
• Values and respects others’ expertise, time, perspectives, and contributions, fostering collaborative and engaging work environments.
• Ability to cultivate effective relationships with diverse stakeholders.
• Takes ownership of tasks, consistently delivering high standards, and embraces a culture of learning from mistakes.
• Embraces change and innovation, actively seeking opportunities for improvement and personal development.

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