Venue Duty Manager, Sadler’s Wells East x3

ABOUT SADLER’S WELLS EAST

Sadler’s Wells is a world-leading creative organisation, dedicated to presenting, producing and touring dance made today in all its forms. Sadler’s Wells commissions, presents and produces more dance than any other theatre in the world – from tango to hip hop, ballet to flamenco, Bollywood to cutting-edge contemporary dance.

With an innovative, year-round programme of performances and learning activities, this is the place where artists come together to create dance, and where we welcome everyone to experience dance and be inspired.

Our aim is to reflect and respond to the world through dance: enabling artists of all backgrounds to create dance that moves us and opens our minds; sharing those experiences with the widest possible audiences to enrich their lives and deepen their understanding of what it means to be human.

ABOUT THE ROLE

The Venue Duty Manager will deliver a welcoming, efficient, knowledgeable and friendly service, promoting Sadler’s Wells and all its activities, and working in collaboration with Front of House Managers/Duty Manager and the General Manager for Sadler’s Wells East.

In particular, the Venue Duty Manager will work closely with the Head of House Management and Front of House Operations Manager to provide day to day operational support to the General Manager of Sadler’s Wells East, including assisting with the management of relevant public activity and events.

This role requires working on-site at Sadler’s Wells venues. Shifts may take place during the day, evenings, weekends and bank holidays.

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE ROLE

• Act as the ‘manager on-duty’ during assigned shifts, working closely with duty teams, including front-of-house (FOH), ticketing, technical, housekeeping, building services, security, and catering colleagues.
• Be responsible for ensuring the safety and security of all building users.
• Work closely with the Head of House Management and Front of House Operations Manager to provide day-to day operational support to the General Manager of Sadler’s Wells East, including assisting with the management of relevant public activity and events.
• Provide a friendly and efficient service for visiting companies, private hire clients, colleagues, students and other building users, actively seeking ways of providing a high level of care and welcome.
• Assist with internal and external queries by telephone, email or in person, acting as a point for information to all visitors and colleagues.
• Assist in welcoming visitors, ensuring that messages are passed on or relevant individuals are informed when guests arrive.
• Ensure that all building users receive a high-quality service in terms of welcome and safety and actively seek ways to continually improve user experience and safety.
• Ensure that auditoria, studios, cafés, offices and foyers are maintained to the highest standards, reporting issues arising to relevant departments and following up to ensure work is carried out and public areas are safe, clean, and tidy.
• Acquire, maintain and provide knowledge of Sadler’s Wells products and artistic programme and ensure that staff are well briefed.
• Work closely with the Head of House Management and Merchandising Sales Executive to maximise front of house sales from all sales points. Ensure that every opportunity for earning income is maximised (Sales include programmes, merchandise, ice cream and confectionery).
• Ensure public areas are safe, clean and tidy prior to opening pre-performance or at
  the beginning of the day.
• Work with security colleagues to ensure public areas are fully secure post performance or at the end of the day.
• Utilise Sadler’s Wells systems including Artifax and Tessitura to stay apprised of activity throughout the building and ensure activity is running smoothly.
• Ensure that Duty Management duties are handed over to a responsible person, approved by management, whenever leaving position (i.e. for toilet breaks or meal breaks) or at end of shift.

Show Management

• Manage the customer experience and front of house operation during preparation, performance, and post performance periods. Ensure that latecomers are dealt with in an appropriate manner.
• Lead on the evacuation of the auditorium in the event of an emergency.
• Undertake Duty Manager shifts at Sadler’
• Wells, The Peacock or off-site productions when required.

Administration

• Ensure the Welcome Desk, Shop, Stage Door area, Duty Manager, Ticketing Office and FOH stores are kept tidy and orderly.
• Work with security colleagues at Stage Door to ensure that all deliveries and incoming post are collected promptly by relevant departments or visiting companies.
• Cashing up responsibilities: cash and stock reconciliation; issuing floats; maintaining cash and stock records, and reporting discrepancies as required.

CANDIDATE REQUIREMENTS

Qualifications, Knowledge

• Demonstrable experience of providing house or venue management in an arts venue or theatre of 500 seats or more. (Essential)
• Previous crowd control/management qualification or equivalent experience.

Technical Skills, Experience

• A commitment to providing a high quality of service to audiences, visiting companies and supporters
• Positive and versatile working style with excellent interpersonal skills. (Essential)
• Attention to detail. (Essential)
• Ability to deal with sensitive information in a professional manner.
• Able to diffuse difficult situations with a calm positive approach. (Essential)
• Effective time management, planning and organisational skills.
• A flexible and adaptable attitude to work, with the ability to deal with change.
• Trained First Aider (refresher training would be provided).
• Good in practice knowledge and application of Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint). (Essential)
• Must currently hold the right to work in the United Kingdom. (Essential)

Behaviours, Personal attributes

• Alignment with Sadler’s Wells values. (Essential)
• Impeccable standard of personal presentation. (Essential)
• Proactive in anticipating issues with a solution focussed approach. (Essential)
• Familiarity with database and space management systems, i.e. Artifax and Tessitura. (Essential)
• A passion for the arts and a commitment to increasing access and engagement through digital platforms.
• Lives within easy access of Sadler’s Wells, Sadler’s Wells East, and The Peacock Theatre.

This role requires on-site working in the venue and shifts will take place during the day, in the evening, on weekends and bank holidays.

To view the full job description, please click here –> Sadler’s Wells East – Venue Duty Manager – Full JD

Hours: Part-time, based on working a minimum of 10 hours per week (inclusive of paid meal break). Other arrangements are possible.

Start date: Scheduled for June 2025