Job Title: Venue Manager
Reporting to: Chief Executive, Member of Senior Management Team
Responsible for: Front of House and building related staff
Hours: 40 hrs per week over 5 days out of 7, subject to variation to meet business requirements. Working hours will include evenings, weekends and Bank Holidays
Salary: up to £35,000 p.a., depending on experience, ability and potential
South Kilburn Trust
South Kilburn forms the south-eastern tip of the borough of Brent in north-west London. It borders the boroughs of Camden and Westminster and is next to the affluent neighbourhoods of Maida Vale, Queens Park and West Hampstead. South Kilburn has suffered from multiple forms of deprivation for many years, and is halfway through a programme of massive regeneration.
South Kilburn Trust was formed in 2008 as a legacy from the New Deal for Communities, to support and empower local people to tackle the issues that affect them. Our vision is for South Kilburn to be recognised for its strong, supportive, diverse, inclusive and welcoming communities; an area of opportunity where we are all empowered to achieve our full potential and improve our quality of life.
The Trust is a registered charity with a dedicated team of staff working with local people to make this vision a reality.
The Granville
The Granville is a much-loved historic building that has been at the heart of South Kilburn for over 140 years. Over the years, the building has played an important role within the local community, as a church hall, an adult education centre and a youth and community centre. Many local residents have used the venue for weddings, birthdays, funerals and other important celebrations and events.
South Kilburn Trust took on the management of The Granville in 2018 as part of a two phase regeneration project. With Phase 1 completed, The Granville now comprises
- a large Enterprise Hub, offering affordable studio and desk space to local creatives and entrepreneurs,
- a large hall for events and activities
- medium sized rooms for clubs, community activities, meetings and training
- a community café
- a large garden for events as well as informal meetings
- a small recording studio
- office space for South Kilburn Trust and others.
The Trust manages The Granville in order to provide the support, services and activities that local communities need and want. In order for the building to be financially sustainable, private hires and corporate events are actively sought to subsidise community activities.
The Role
The Venue Manager will be responsible for managing The Granville, not just as a building but as a community hub and a venue of choice, ensuring that the building runs smoothly and all visitors have a positive experience from the moment they enter.
This is a hands-on operational role. The post holder will be expected to lead by example, supporting, nurturing and developing staff and volunteers to achieve the very best customer service in a challenging and pressured environment.
They will manage a small team responsible for all Front of House activities, including the Reception, Café, events and room bookings, as well as building-related staff such as cleaners and caretakers.
They will ensure that their team effectively and professionally manages room bookings, venue hires, room set-ups, corporate conferences, and community activities and events. They will develop our fledgling community café and other related services.
We are looking for someone with proven venue management experience and the right positive “can do” attitude who is not afraid to get their hands dirty.
Duties and Responsibilities
- Responsible for the effective day to day management of The Granville
- Implement key policies and procedures on site and ensure they are followed
- Ensure all health and safety procedures, risk assessments, Covid protocols and fire safety procedures are maintained, understood and adhered to
- Ensure The Granville’s Premises Licence is maintained and adhered to
- Ensure all Front and Rear of House areas are presented to a high standard
- Develop and manage an effective booking system and processes for venue hires
- Actively support venue hirers to make their events successful
- Ensure all event operations on site are managed and delivered effectively, including event set-up and pack down by the site team
- Monitor cleanliness, security, footfall, lighting, temperature, customer behaviour and all other elements contributing to the atmosphere on site
- Develop and manage the on-site community café
- Support a programme of activities that bring different sections of South Kilburn’s diverse communities into the building
- Ensure The Granville is accessible to, and accessed by, the full range of South Kilburn communities
- Ensure all spending is within budget
- Ensure all income targets are met or surpassed
- Directly line-manage a Front of House team of staff and volunteers, ensuring they are motivated and supported in their work
- Plan and manage the workload and capacity of the team
- Actively manage rotas to cover Reception, event cover and the opening and closing of the building
- Recruitment, line management, development and training of staff and volunteers
- As part of the Trust’s Senior Management Team, work with other managers to ensure organisational objectives and targets are met
- Seek and exploit sponsorship and fundraising opportunities for Granville activities and services
- Undertake any other duties which may be reasonably requested to ensure the smooth running and effective development of The Granville
Person Specification
In order to be considered for this post you will need to evidence and demonstrate:
Experience:
- At least 2 years experience of managing a venue
- Experience of achieving excellence in a service-led environment catering for a large number of members of the public
- At least 3 years experience of successfully managing multi-disciplinary staff teams
- Experience of supporting hospitality and corporate events
- Experience in risk assessment writing and review
- Key supplier and contractor management experience
- Experience of successfully managing departmental budgets
Skills:
- Strong leadership skills
- The ability to inspire and motivate a team of full-time, part-time and casual staff and volunteers
- Excellent written, numerate and verbal communication skills
- Excellent IT skills, including Word, Excel and Outlook
- Excellent social media skills
- An excellent manner when dealing with the public
- The ability to be flexible, and to work calmly and effectively under pressure
- A proactive and positive approach to solving problems in a prompt and independent manner
Knowledge:
- Excellent knowledge of health & safety, fire evacuation procedures and First Aid are essential
Qualifications/Training:
(Desired but not essential; the successful candidate will, however, be required to undergo this training)
- Personal Licence Holder
- SIA badge holder
- First Aid trained
- Fire Marshall trained
- Health & Safety trained
