Venue Director

Co-founded by Sir Howard Panter and Dame Rosemary Squire in 2017, Trafalgar Entertainment is a premium international live entertainment business focussed on new productions, venue ownership, Performing Arts education, theatre ticketing, the distribution of live-streaming innovative content and the provision of great theatres where people can come together to share in the experience of live entertainment. TE is home to Trafalgar Theatres, The Chiswick Cinema, Trafalgar Theatre Productions, Trafalgar Releasing, Trafalgar Tickets, Stagecoach Performing Arts, Drama Kids/Helen O’Grady Drama Academy, ticketing company London Theatre Direct, Stagedoor, Jonathan Church Theatre Productions, and Imagine Theatre.

ABOUT TRAFALGAR THEATRES

Trafalgar Theatres is the venue-operating division of TE. We currently operate 16 venues; including 14 in the UK regions; the Trafalgar Theatre in London’s West End and the Theatre Royal in Sydney. We’re growing fast, we’re confident in what we do, and we’re ambitious about the future. There’s never been a better time to get onboard.

We are passionate about entertainment, audiences, and the live experience and we value Creativity, Collaboration, Excellence and Respect.

ABOUT THIS ROLE

The Venue Director is crucial to the overall success of G Live. As the senior leader on site the post-holder is responsible for:

Leading the wider team; ensuring all venue functions are optimisedFocussing on the welcome for visiting producers, promoters and artistsRepresenting the venue as a senior leader in the local communityPositively driving ongoing commercial success across all areas of the businessDelivering and mobilising the company’s vision, mission and valuesLiaising with central teams including programming, operations, ticketing and marketingThrough strong and capable leadership, the Venue Director has a direct responsibility for the ongoing success of the venue; driving a process of continuing improvement; embedding a culture that is focussed on results; and ensuring the effective management and motivation of the venue team.

The Venue Director reports to the Regional Director and has wide-ranging relationships with others across Trafalgar Entertainment.

ABOUT YOU

A motivated, engaging, and dynamic leader you’ll have experience of leading teams to success in a live- theatre, venue or entertainment setting. Commercially savvy, resilient, and entrepreneurial with wide knowledge of the sector (plus a passion for the business) - you’ll be energetic, proactive, results-focussed and creative in your approach.

With an innate ability to work smartly to achieve your goals; you’ll also be adept at supporting the development of others through management of performance, appraisal and training. And you’ll be excellent at forming positive working relationships – whether external contacts, producers and promoters; colleagues elsewhere in the company or members of the senior team.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Budget planning, forecasting, development of venue strategies and implementation of groupwide strategies to ensure business growth - maximising profitability of all areas of the venue operation.
• Achievement of income, expenditure and profit targets for all aspects of the business; and achievement of attendance targets and customer service targets in particular.
• Ensure adherence to company best-practice across the venue including in respect of recruitment and retention processes, general administration, financial control and compliance matters.
• Alongside the wider team, securing and delivering hire events as appropriate to the venue; and including businesses and corporations, organisations, and individuals, to maximise the potential of all spaces and to meet agreed budget targets.
• Timely and accurate contracting of all events, performances, hires and activities in line with Trafalgar Theatres policies and procedures.
• Alongside the venue marketing team, development of in-venue marketing strategies, plans and campaigns to deliver attendance and business targets.
• Monitoring of business performance results and sharing of information with others to inform future plans and strategies.
• Liaison with the central finance function to provide business updates, narratives and information as required.
• Leadership of the venue staff team to embed company vision, key strategies, and performance against targets; and to ensure they are engaged, skilled and motivated to deliver success.
• Agreeing and monitoring of management team members against agreed personal business and service targets.
• Achievement of standards for Customer Service at the venue in line with Trafalgar Theatres’ overall strategy; ensuring excellence.
• On site management of contract arrangements with cleaners, maintenance contractors and Health and Safety at Work contractors to support agreed targets and to achieve statutory and contractual compliance.
• Focus on and commitment to take advantage of cross-collaborative opportunities within the wider group at a local level – adopting an open and proactive approach to working with other Trafalgar Businesses to achieve shared business aims and alternative revenue streams.
• Development and maintenance of key relationships with external organisations including local authority; promoters and producers; local media; tourist agencies; cultural agencies; amateur performing arts societies and organisations; and local schools colleges and community groups.
• Alongside the Creative Learning Manager creation of a range of Community Engagement activities, to promote the value of the performing arts and of the venue as a centre for individual and community creative development.
• Adherence to all statutory and regulatory requirements; management of the security and good order of the venue; and achievement of the highest standards of Health and Safety across the venue.
• Management of financial and reporting systems as required by the finance team to facilitate timely reporting of relevant financial information to inform accurate decision making.
• Identification and securing of sources of external funding to support the operation, and identification of new business opportunities complementary to the core operation of the venue.
• Any other related duties and delegated tasks as may be required.
• 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.

PERFORMANCE MEASURES

• Venue profitability and EBITDA contribution
• KPI achievement
• Achievement of venue OKRs, as defined in the business plan
• Secondary Income
• Labour costs as a percentage of profit
• Acquisition, retention and attrition of people

DESIRABLE SKILLS

• Demonstrable commercial success via achievement of sustained business growth and service targets as manager (head) of one or more theatres or concert halls.
• An understanding of theatre and entertainment marketing with the ability to analyse outcomes to direct and support development of existing and future strategies.
• Experience of successful food, drink, and hospitality operations in an entertainment / arts / theatre context. Demonstrable understanding required with the ability to oversee and input into a hospitality operation of notable scale.
• Evidence of effective leadership of teams of professional managers towards the achievement of agreed targets and objectives, via development of vision and policies, and their effective mobilisation.
• Proven success in developing new business relationships and productive, mutually beneficial relationships with stakeholders and potential business partners.
• Demonstrable success in developing and leading Community Engagement / Creative Learning programmes in a theatre context.

QUALIFICATIONS Preferable; Degree level or relevant HNDExperience in the creative/ entertainment sectorTrafalgar Entertainment is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We welcome applications from people in groups where we are under-represented, for example people with disabilities, from minority ethnic groups, older returners and people who are neurodivergent.

We are curious, courageous and ambitious, empowering people to challenge and innovate in pursuit of excellence.

If this sounds like you, we'd love to hear from you. Please submit your CV and Covering Letter as to why you think you would be suitable for the role via our recruitment portal. Any queries, please contact our Recruitment Team - terecruitment@trafalgar.global