Planning and Operations Manager

The Venue is the place in East Lothian to celebrate and bring people together. We have created a bright and welcoming space which is perfect for weddings, family gatherings, corporate events and Christmas parties.

Dependably Different. Guests adore something a bit different. Bold and exciting food and drink, inventive presentation, and impeccable service, designed to elevate the whole experience.

We are a friendly, decent bunch and we respect our people, places, and planet. We want someone who has a real drive and enthusiasm for their job, as well as for their colleagues and the company. We always put the customer at the heart of our decisions and never accept anything less than five-star standards.

The Role

The Planning & Operations Manager is responsible for the provision of an effective planning & operations support service to the business, delivered by meticulous adherence to process. Your team will play an integral role in ensuring the Client Services Department operates efficiently through the accurate and timely processing of sales-related administrative processes, with all enquiries and queries (internal and external) addressed promptly and thoroughly. Your team will oversee the implementation of the customer journey, from enquiry through to event delivery in line with our Quality Management System and ensure that full compliance of our policies and procedures are met. Reporting is a crucial part of this role. We have a sophisticated and intuitive CRM, which supports digital management of the customer requirements – and as part of this role, the lead management and tracking of our lead performance is an essential component, ensuring the client services teams have everything they need to convert enquires into sales, and to effectively manage the customer though the full customer cycle.

Key Deliverables:

Maintain Client & Supplier Relationships

· Key contact for all confirmed events, ensuring all info is gathered before event delivery

· Responsible for professional working relationships between the catering panel and The Venue, including raising catering commissions monthly.

· Key contact for additional recommended suppliers, DJs, décor, multicultural caterers (and all other).

Reviews/ Meetings

· Brief weekly agenda meeting, to keep focus and track where sales and different projects are at (eg Key Events such as the Christmas parties and community lunch) so all team members are in the loop with key projects and deliverables.

· Event delivery, what has gone well, where are the areas for improvement – feedback from clients, internal team and bar/ FOH team members (monthly?)

Bar & Events Team Leadership

· Implement a new Rota system to manage staffing for each event.

· Train an events Supervisor to organise rotas – for setup and Bar service

· Support the Event Supervisor to manage the team development and ongoing training – implementation of Mapal once the business is built.

· Responsible for recruitment and inductions – induction plan to be written.

· Support the Event Supervisor on filling all events with a freelance manager or fixed site Manager

Policies & Procedures

· Operational, sales and planning policies, identifying what is required, writing and implementing.

· Ensuring policies and procedures are being followed and updated when necessary.

Sales Support

· Ensuring all sales collateral is at hand for the Head of Sales to prepare costings and proposals efficiently and consistently (this includes ensuring documents like preferred suppliers lists and bar tariffs are up to date to send onto clients).

· Carrying out show rounds and site visits with prospective clients and preparing proposals, when the head of sales is not in the business.

· Reviewing the package offering and wording of packages for clear communication with clients and confident delivery (ensure we sell what we can deliver really well).

Stock & Inventory Management

· Support the Events Supervisor with the following:

· Ensuring all products for the bar are available for each event and that stock is ordered responsibly, stored neatly, and rotated.

· Responsible for bar stock counts and levels managed via our POS system, Monthly.

· Count of inventory onsite (from cutlery to kitchen equipment). To be kept updated on the CRM system.

· Monthly orders for the following month of everything required from linen to beer kegs.

Ticketed Events

· Lead on planning and coordination of 2025 Christmas events and Community Lunch

CRM System Management/ Improvements

· Lead on populating and implementing Tripleseat and training the wider team on how to use the system.

· Ongoing system improvements and ensuring it is being used to its full potential.

Additional Areas of Support

· Lead on the annual pricing review for the venue.

· Service quality management during events, observe events to pinpoint areas for operational improvement, including the onsite team and suppliers.

· General venue work and upkeep – ensure jobs are completed that are planned in and reactive work carried out promptly and to a high standard.

· First point of contact to resolve complaints/ issues raised and escalating when necessary

The Person:

The person we are looking for must be an amazing system and process-driven person, with evidenced experience of working within a fast paced, sales & Operations environment, and must have the ability to prioritise, multitask and complete tasks within given timeframes and deadlines.
• Excellent administration skills, preferably within a quality management environment.
• Excellent IT skills – with SharePoint, CRM experience- training on our tech platforms will be provided.
• Solid communication skills, both written and verbal
• Strong analytical, good at numbers, presentation, and reporting skills to support effective communication
• Commercially focused and used to working with KPI's.
• Passion for order and process
• Confidentiality, diplomacy and integrity

Enhanced Benefits:

Package Here's what it means for YOU

We focus on quality, and we know that to attract a quality team, we must look after our own, so we are offering a competitive salary
• 28 days annual leave for all colleagues (including bank holidays and pro rata if part-time)
• training and development

Eskmills Company Values:

• Trust - Believing in our colleagues and partners in equal measure

• Support - Doing what we can to make a difference

• Vision - Always thinking and planning for future growth and challenges

• Loyalty - Ensuring success by having your best interests at heart

• Efficiency - Making quick decisions when it matters the most

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: £30,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• On-site parking

Work Location: In person