Theatre Director (Maternity Cover)

You will report to the Business Manager – Seed Venues and be responsible as the senior leader of the Grand Opera House York.

You will also work closely with wider central colleagues, including the Finance Business Partners, Programming, Risk, Marketing and Hospitality Teams.

Whilst both leading the venue through its 125th anniversary, with an exceptional programme of shows including West End Musicals, Plays, Comedy, Dance, Music and Local Events, alongside its annual Pantomime; you will also be a major player in the local community of York – with this role driving performance, profit and service delivery to customers, producers and the business.

The incoming Theatre Director will be instrumental in elevating the reach and status of the venue and should be an ambitious visionary with the drive to transform the growth of the operation.

Please note, your role may involve working with children or vulnerable people.

Key responsibilities

• Take responsibility for the overall performance of your business, ensuring that there is a balanced approach to Customers, Shareholders, Employees, Reputation, Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Development.
• Actively create and pursue new income streams, including sponsorship, which fit the overall business objectives and vision.
• To work to and help formulate the Business Plan for your venue, in consultation with your Business Director and your Business Partner (Finance Team) and deliver against its objectives, and take responsibility for the growth of venue EBITDA as agreed with Board of Directors through setting, monitoring and reviewing the goals and objectives of the venue’s management team.
• To contribute to the programming of the venue through participation in an effective and collaborative dialogue with the Programming Director and his team; taking positive ownership of the resulting programme and offering ideas and/or new relationships to contribute to its longer‑term development.
• To create a positive work culture for your team – ensuring a focus on individual development, open dialogue, and creative thinking in order to drive forward performance of both the employee and venue.
• Ensure your teams are capable and able to deliver first class service to a range of internal and external customers.
• Ensure the teamwork towards the agreed goals and targets and regularly review performance against those targets, dealing with performance issues appropriately.
• Represent the venue and ATG generally as necessary ensuring that the venue maintains its own reputation and its status as part of an industry leading organisation.
• Support the development and delivery of community engagement activities and seek opportunities to further develop or support the venue through local partnerships.
• Ensure you comply with all legislative requirements for people, standards, health & safety.
• Encouraging the next generation in live entertainment by contributing to our outreach and training programmes, including mentoring students and trainees, and supporting our Creative Learning and Community Partnerships work.
• Committing to creating and upholding a positive, inclusive culture that nurtures potential and supports well‑being.
• Playing your part in reducing our environmental impact and finding more sustainable ways of working.

The Theatre Director is required to be a Personal License holder or undertake the training and assessment to gain a license on starting in the role, which ATG will arrange.

The application process for a license includes a Disclosure and Barring Service check.

• Your skills, qualities, and experience
• Previous experience working in a leadership and management capacity, as a minimum at an equivalent level to a head of department, or in positions of significant responsibility in smaller organisations.
• Proven ability to organise, lead and motivate a large and diverse team while engendering a sense of teamwork and common purpose.
• Creative and results‑driven approach to delivering sophisticated, high‑quality customer service in a busy environment; a focus on and prioritisation of the needs of our customer, client, or collaborator.
• Ability to pioneer positive change, engaging others and steering the team towards priority goals.

Ability to manage and develop internal and external relationships at all levels and collaborate effectively with a diverse team.

• Skills and practical experience of supporting other people’s development, ideally including managing performance and training.
• Ability to work smartly, with proven skills in problem‑solving, generating new ideas and budget management.
• A highly organised yet adaptable approach: the ability to plan and prioritise a varied workload, meet deadlines and ambitious targets, with the flexibility to take up opportunities as they present themselves.

An ability to create a positive, engaging, and collaborative working environment.

• Good IT skills, with the ability to learn to use new software and systems.
• Personal license holder.
• Knowledge of ticketing or retail systems.
• Relevant management qualifications or training.
• Health and Safety qualifications and/or experience.
• A genuine interest in the live entertainment industry is required; work experience in the industry is desirable but not essential and we actively encourage applications from individuals working in other sectors.

We are a Disability Confident Committed Employer, which means that we are taking action to ensure that people with disabilities and long‑term health conditions feel supported, engaged, and able to fulfil their potential in the workplace.

We will offer an interview or recruitment event to disabled candidates who tell us they wish to participate in the scheme and who demonstrate in their application that they best meet the essential criteria for the role.

Where we receive more applications than we are reasonably able to interview for any given role, we will retain applications for the next available interview opportunity wherever possible.

#J-18808-Ljbffr