Venue & Operations Manager

Pivotal Recruit

Are you already working in hospitality, leisure, venue management, events or another busy customer-focused environment and ready for an opportunity with more ownership?

Perhaps you're a Duty Manager, Assistant Manager, Hospitality Manager, Leisure Manager or Venue Supervisor who can see what could be improved, but doesn't always have the freedom to do something about it.

You may already be managing a smaller venue and want your next role to offer more variety, autonomy and scope to make a difference.

This could be worth a conversation.

We're recruiting a Venue & Operations Manager for a well-established sporting and community organisation in Newton Abbot.

The official title is Complex Manager, but this is much broader than traditional facilities management.

You'll be bringing together venue operations, hospitality, people, customers and commercial development, while helping shape the next phase of a busy community facility.

What will you be doing?

You'll take responsibility for an operation that already includes:
  • a busy 3G sports facility
  • hospitality and bar provision
  • catering
  • events and functions
  • community activity
  • venue and facility bookings
  • a mixed team of permanent and casual staff.
You'll be expected to understand what's already working, improve what isn't and spot opportunities to make better use of the venue.

That could mean:
  • increasing bookings and utilisation
  • developing events, functions and hospitality opportunities
  • improving customer experience
  • building relationships with local businesses and community organisations
  • managing and supporting the operational team
  • overseeing rotas, stock, suppliers and operational processes
  • maintaining strong standards across the venue
  • identifying new commercial opportunities
  • contributing ideas and solutions to the senior leadership team.
This is a visible role with genuine responsibility and the opportunity to influence how the venue develops.

Who might this suit?

We're deliberately keeping an open mind about where you've gained your experience.

You might currently be working in:
  • hospitality, pubs or restaurants
  • hotels or conferencing
  • leisure or sports centres
  • events or functions
  • visitor attractions
  • holiday parks
  • community venues
  • sports clubs
  • another busy customer-facing operation.
What's important is that you understand how to make an operation work well, enjoy working with people and customers and have enough commercial awareness to spot opportunities.

You may already manage people, or you may be ready to step up from a strong supervisory, Duty Manager, Deputy Manager or Assistant Manager position.
What we're looking for

You'll need to be someone who:
  • takes ownership and follows things through
  • can lead and get the best from people
  • understands good customer experience
  • is commercially aware
  • is organised and comfortable juggling competing priorities
  • spots opportunities rather than waiting to be told what to do
  • brings solutions when things go wrong
  • communicates confidently with different people
  • is comfortable challenging constructively
  • can work flexibly around the needs of a seven-day venue.
A Personal Licence and food or hospitality experience would be useful, but they're not the starting point for this appointment.

We're much more interested in finding someone with the right operational judgement, attitude and potential.

What's in it for you?

This isn't an opportunity to simply inherit somebody else's finished operation.
There is an established venue, a supportive team and plenty already happening, but there is also genuine scope to improve, develop and grow it.
You'll have:
  • real ownership of the operation
  • direct access to senior leadership
  • scope to introduce ideas and improvements
  • specialist support while you get established
  • variety across operations, hospitality, people and commercial development
  • the opportunity to help shape the future use of an important local venue.
You'll also be joining an organisation with a strong team ethos, where people are trusted to do their jobs and flexibility works both ways.

Salary: Up to £30,000
Hours: Full-time hours of 36.25 per week
Location: Newton Abbot

The venue operates seven days a week, so evening and weekend work will form part of the role. In return, the working pattern is managed flexibly rather than as a conventional Monday-to-Friday 9-to-5 position.

If you're looking at your current role thinking I'm ready to take on more, use my own judgement and have a bigger impact, we'd like to hear from you.
Apply with your CV or contact Pivotal Recruit for a confidential conversation about the opportunity.

Recruitment managed exclusively by Pivotal Recruit

Pivotal Recruit, a brand of Pivotal Partnerships Ltd, is acting as an Employment Agency and advertising for this vacancy on behalf of their client.

The successful applicant will be required to complete a satisfactory DBS check as part of the appointment process and must be eligible and willing to apply for and hold a Personal Licence for the sale of alcohol.
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