At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the White City Production Centre through transformation and ensure operational excellence.
- Company: Join a dynamic team at Gravity Media, a leader in broadcast and production.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, inclusive culture, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Other info: Embrace a culture of continuous improvement and equal opportunity.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in a fast-paced environment while leading a talented team.
- Qualifications: 10+ years in broadcast/production with strong leadership and operational skills.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 80000 £ per year.
We are seeking an experienced General Manager with a strong background in operations and commercial delivery to lead the White City Production Centre during a period of transformation and expansion of our facility. This role is accountable for the end-to-end management of the facility, including operational performance, team leadership, and client experience. A key focus will be improving processes, embedding new ways of working, and stabilising performance as new team members are onboarded.
The General Manager will build and maintain effective relationships with building management and our facilities partner to ensure the smooth operation, maintenance, and ongoing development of the site. Reporting to the Head of Technical Operations, this role acts as the critical link between sales, proposal development, and project delivery—ensuring a seamless transition from quote through to execution.
What you’ll be responsible for:
- Facility Operations & Compliance
- Lead the day-to-day running of the production centre, ensuring high standards in health & safety, governance, and operational compliance.
- Review, implement, and continuously improve operational processes to support a changing organisational structure.
- Own relationships with Building Management and our facilities partner team to maintain an efficient, safe, and high-performing facility.
- Operational Delivery & Transformation
- Oversee booking, scheduling, logistics, and crewing functions to ensure efficient and accurate resource allocation.
- Drive improvements in forecasting accuracy, resource planning, and operational output.
- Implement scalable processes that support consistent delivery from proposal through to project completion.
- Work closely with Technical Operations to ensure alignment between planning, scheduling, and delivery.
- Commercial Support
- Support the Head of Technical Operations in managing P&L performance through accurate forecasting and cost control.
- Partner with Sales and Business Development teams to ensure proposals accurately reflect operational requirements and costs.
- Oversee the creation of recurring quotes, rate card applications, and variation orders in line with agreed commercial frameworks.
- Ensure operational teams understand and adhere to commercial processes and controls.
- Lead a team of approximately 10 across booking & scheduling, front-of-house, and runner functions (with layered management structure).
- Set clear objectives focused on forecasting accuracy, team output, and service quality.
- Drive performance, accountability, and development within a changing team environment.
- Embed new processes and ways of working as part of a broader organisational restructure.
- Client Experience
- Oversee front-of-house operations to ensure a consistently high-quality client experience.
- Maintain strong client satisfaction through effective communication, delivery standards, and issue resolution.
- Act as a senior escalation point for client concerns where required.
- Systems & Tools
- Ensure effective use of scheduling systems for crew and staff allocation.
- Oversee use of scheduling systems for resource and kit planning to support operational and commercial decision-making.
- Ensure the team operates in line with organisations financial processes.
All employees are expected to contribute and participate in work activities in line with our management system to ensure the continual improvement of our business.
Success Measures:
- Improved accuracy of forecasting across resource planning and project delivery.
- High levels of client satisfaction and consistent delivery of a positive client experience.
- Increased team effectiveness, output, and adherence to processes during a period of change.
This role is for you if you have:
- Minimum 10 years’ experience in the broadcast or production industry.
- Proven experience in a senior operations or general management role, ideally within a studio or production facility.
- Demonstrated experience leading teams through change, transformation, or restructuring.
- Strong leadership and team management skills, with the ability to drive performance across multiple functions.
- Proven client management experience in a service-driven environment.
- Solid understanding of resource planning, scheduling, and crewing within a broadcast or production setting.
- Strong commercial awareness, including experience with budgets, rate cards, contracts, and RFP processes.
- Experience working with scheduling and financial systems.
- Good working knowledge of health & safety requirements in a production or broadcast environment.
In this management role we’ll be expecting you to:
- Maintain a safe working environment for your teams by complying with all required Health & Safety procedures, and other management processes e.g. ISO standards.
- Be the first point of contact for your team for any queries, escalations, and feedback.
- Hold regular meetings with each member of your team to align on topics, direction, information sharing, create an opportunity for the team to be heard and sense of community.
- Regularly review workload across the team to ensure efficiency and balance.
- Provide feedback to your team to allow continued growth.
- Ensure new members to your team have a thorough onboarding process including regular review during probation (excludes onboarding provided by HR).
- Actively support the development of your team through action plans.
- Actively manage poor performance.
- Communicate and reinforce key business messages to your team, for example following Manager Meetings, Town Halls, email communications.
- Understand key Company policies/processes and help your team to understand.
- Be responsive to requests for information to colleagues and other departments.
- Ensure your team complete all mandatory training.
- Carry out an annual performance review with each member of your team.
- Take any necessary steps to ensure that individuals are not subjected to harassment, sexual harassment, or bullying.
- Manage day to day spend in line with company objectives, direction and in the interests of the company.
ISO: The ISO standards reflect our commitment to continually improve our business, to drive down our Environmental Impact and to provide a safe and healthy working environment for all of our employees. Our management team have a responsibility to ensure they lead their individual teams in striving for best practice and supporting the audit process to ensure continual improvement is at the heart of everything we deliver.
Equal Opportunity Employment: Gravity Media is an equal-opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to gender, race, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, religion, or age. If you need assistance or an accommodation during the application process because of a disability, such assistance is available upon request, and no applicant will be penalised as a result of such a request.
General Manager employer: Gravity Media
At Gravity Media, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work environment that fosters innovation and collaboration. Our commitment to employee growth is evident through comprehensive training programmes and a culture that values feedback and development, ensuring that every team member can thrive during our exciting period of transformation at the White City Production Centre. With a focus on operational excellence and client satisfaction, we provide a supportive atmosphere where your contributions directly impact our success.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land General Manager
✨Tap into Consulting Networks
Get active in local management consulting networks and organisations. Attend meetups, workshops, or webinars specific to consulting where you can connect with professionals who may know of temporary roles opening up at places like Gravity Media. Don’t underestimate word-of-mouth – it’s massive in our field!
✨Show Off Your Skills in Real-Time
As a temporary hire, you need to demonstrate your value quickly. Consider creating a mini-case study or analysis relevant to the industry and share it on platforms like LinkedIn or even during networking events. This can be an impressive way to showcase your analytical skills and problem-solving prowess – just what consulting firms are looking for!
✨Check for Temporary Roles on Niche Job Boards
Look for temporary roles on specialised job boards for consulting gigs rather than just generic platforms. Websites like Consultancy.uk or even the Careers pages of major firms could have short-term projects or roles that are perfect for you to jump in at Gravity Media.
✨Leverage University and Alumni Resources
If you’re fresh out of uni or connected with a local institution, take advantage of their career services and alumni networks. Many universities have exclusive connections to consulting firms seeking temporary help. Plus, it’s a great way to meet other aspiring consultants who might share leads about opportunities at Gravity Media.
We think you need these skills to ace General Manager
Some tips for your application 🫡
Showcase Your Analytical Skills:In management consulting, employers love to see your problem-solving abilities right from the get-go. Be sure to highlight any relevant analytical projects you've worked on, particularly those that show how you tackled complex problems. If you’ve done any case studies or analysis during your studies, throw those in your CV!
Tailor Your Experience for the Role:Since this is a temporary position, your application should reflect your adaptability and relevant experience quite clearly. Focus on showcasing experiences that demonstrate your ability to hit the ground running, like previous projects, internships, or freelance gigs in consulting or project management.
Craft a Targeted Cover Letter:Your cover letter is your chance to sparkle! Use it to explain why you're interested in this temporary role at Gravity Media and how your skills suit the specific project needs. Remember to mention how you can provide immediate value based on your past experiences.
Include Certifications or Relevant Training:If you've got any certifications like PMP, Six Sigma, or even coursework that’s super relevant, make sure to list those in your application. Management consulting can be competitive, and these extra qualifications can help you stand out in the recruitment process.
How to prepare for a job interview at Gravity Media
✨Prepare for Case Studies
In management consulting, case study interviews are a big deal. Expect to tackle real-world business problems on the spot. We should practise structuring our thoughts, developing hypotheses, and presenting our solutions clearly, as this is what firms like Gravity Media will want to see.
✨Show Off Your Problem-Solving Skills
You’ll need to demonstrate strong analytical skills and logical reasoning. Brush up on frameworks like SWOT or Porter's Five Forces, as these can come in handy. Think of instances from your experience where you tackled a complex issue—this could set you apart when speaking to Gravity Media.
✨Highlight Your Adaptability
Since this is a temporary role, it's crucial we showcase our ability to hit the ground running. Have examples ready that illustrate how we've adapted quickly in past positions or projects. This shows that we can contribute effectively from day one at Gravity Media.
✨Be Ready to Discuss Cultural Fit
Temporary roles often come with a focus on team dynamics. Prepare to discuss how we align with the values and culture at Gravity Media. We want to highlight our teamwork experiences and how we can mesh with their consulting teams, making it clear that we're not just looking to fill a spot but to add value.