Duty Manager (Casual)

Duty Manager (Casual)

Application Deadline: 14 August 2026

Department: Front of House

Employment Type: Zero Hours

Location: Donmar Warehouse Theatre

Reporting To: Head of Front of House

Compensation: £17.32 / hour

Description

Purpose of Job

To create a welcoming and safe environment for all visitors to the Donmar Warehouse. You will provide the highest levels of service to customers including Donmar members and the general public.

As the responsible person on shift, uphold the objectives of our premises license in relation to Public Safety, Prevention of Nuisance, Prevention of Crime and Disorder and Protection of Children from Harm. You will maximise sales for the Donmar Warehouse, and have an extensive knowledge of Donmar Warehouse productions and its operations.

As a keyholder will take responsibility for the building’s security during the shift and ensure that only valid ticket holders gain access to performances. While duty managing, you will lead and support the FOH Assistant team and oversee their work, ensuring they abide by the policies and standards set out by the Head of Front of House.

You will support the Ticketing Assistant team during the incomings and oversee their work, ensuring they abide by the policies and standards set out by the Head of Ticketing. You, alongside the Supervisor, will act as the first point of escalation for the FOH Assistants and Ticketing Assistants and will relay and upscale information to the Head of Front of House or Head of Ticketing. In case of emergency, you will lead on the decision making and implementation of emergency procedures, ensuring all staff and patron safety.

We believe that representation matters; diversity of identity, of perspective and of lived experience enriches our work and our lives. We recognise that the Donmar and the wider theatre industry is not representative of contemporary society in terms of workforce, artists and audience. We particularly encourage applications from those who are currently under-represented both at the Donmar and more widely in the industry, and specifically from D/deaf or disabled, or neurodivergent applicants and applicants who experience barriers and inequity due to ethnicity, gender identity and/or socio-economic background.

Duties and Key Responsibilities

• Oversee the security of the building when on shift - working with our security teams
• Open up and close the building safely acting as a key holder and arranging staff on site to cover all areas adequately
• Be fully trained in the evacuation procedures for the theatre, instructing customers or guiding them to safety in the case of an emergency
• Be fully trained in other emergency procedures such as first aids, evacuations and lockdowns
• Acting as the Fire Marshal during evacuation being the first point of contact between staff customers and emergency services
• Alongside the Supervisor, be an escalation point for any customer complaints
• Act as a Duty Manager on shift
• As the Responsible Person appointed by the Designated Premises Supervisor, uphold the four licensing objectives of Prevention of Crime and Disorder, Prevention of Public Nuisance, Protection of Children from Harm and Public Safety
• Ensure licensing regulations are upheld by all staff in relation to public safety and the sale of alcohol onsite
• Support the FOH Assistants, Ticketing Assistants and the Supervisor, managing staff performance on shift and relaying any issues to the relevant Head of Department
• Providing accurate information to customers with regard to the Donmar Warehouse itself – including travel, venue and access information, and details surrounding the release of tickets, ticketing schemes for specific groups, and details about membership
• Acting as a first point of contact to all visitors to the theatre, including public, contractors, cast and crew, as well as Donmar Warehouse staff
• Responding positively and effectively to all internal and external visitor and customer enquiries through all channels (in person, by telephone, by email)
• Lead on team briefings giving relevant information for each performance
• Work with the Back of House and Company Stage Management teams on the auditorium opening times and clearance for each performance
• Providing accurate information to customers with regard to all current productions – including cast details, show synopsis, performance times, seat prices, content suitability
• Liaise with Company Management on any readmittance issues during a performance including for visitors with accessibility requirements
• Ensure all working areas and other front of house spaces clean and presentable at all times

Other Ad Hoc Duties

• At the request of your line manager or senior leader, take on other reasonable duties and responsibilities as required to support the needs of the team and the organisation.

Person Specification

Essential Skills & Experience

• Experience of working in a supervisory role in a fast-paced, multi-channel, customer-facing environment
• Ability to lead a busy team in a calm, efficient manner
• Good time management skills
• Ability to prioritise, multi task and adapt to new situations
• A calm, logical thinker in high pressure emergency situations
• An organised approach with attention to detail
• A clear and confident communicator with good interpersonal skills

Desirable Skills & Experience

• Experience in conflict resolution
• A willingness to learn and develop new skills
• Excellent knowledge of customer access requirements
• Good general IT skills
• Ability to offer in the moment performance management for staff
• Knowledge of and enthusiasm for the work of the Donmar Warehouse
• ‘Can-do’ attitude, personal drive, resourcefulness and initiative

Essential Requirements for this Role

• Availability to work weekday evenings (including Saturday) and Thursday & Saturday afternoons
• Permitted, by law, to be able to serve and sell alcohol
• Availability : Monday to Saturday evenings and Thursday & Saturday Matinee

Benefits

• Season ticket loan (travel)
• Subsidised local gym membership
• £25 towards annual eye tests
• Employee welfare programme
• Cycle to work bike loan scheme
• Discount at Donmar bar on food and drinks
• Complimentary tickets to attend Donmar performances

Professional Development

• All staff training and professional development programme