At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead a dynamic team to create unforgettable visitor experiences at Nottingham Playhouse.
- Company: Join Nottingham Playhouse, a vibrant hub for creativity and community.
- Benefits: Enjoy a competitive salary, flexible working options, and a supportive team culture.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on customer experiences while driving commercial success in a creative environment.
- Qualifications: Proven leadership in customer service, especially in busy venues or events.
- Other info: Be part of a mission-driven team committed to inclusion and sustainability.
The predicted salary is between 30000 - 32000 £ per year.
Nottingham Playhouse is looking for an exceptional Customer Experience Manager to lead our Front of House and commercial operations — ensuring every visitor receives an inclusive, welcoming and high-quality experience, while also driving strong commercial performance. This is a key leadership role within our joint Operations and Commercial team. Reporting to the Head of Commercial & Operations, you will shape the end-to-end customer journey across all public-facing touchpoints, champion outstanding customer service, and lead our Customer Experience team to deliver excellent and consistent standards.
What you’ll do
- Lead and develop a high-performing Customer Experience team across Front of House and Food & Beverage.
- Act as Duty Manager for performances and events, ensuring safe, smooth and compliant delivery.
- Drive income generation and commercial growth through F&B and other customer-facing activity.
- Oversee operational systems, processes and performance management.
- Champion inclusion, access and environmental sustainability across customer-facing operations.
- Act as Designated Premises Supervisor (DPS) ensuring licensing compliance.
What we’re looking for
- Strong leadership experience in a busy customer-facing environment (ideally theatre/events/venue operations), alongside a passion for delivering brilliant service.
- Duty management and Front of House management experience.
- Strong knowledge of Food & Beverage operations (ordering, stock control, driving sales).
- Confidence managing budgets, staffing and cost control.
- Experience recruiting, training and motivating teams.
- A proactive, calm and professional approach, especially under pressure.
- Commitment to inclusion, access and sustainability.
- Flexibility to work evenings, weekends and bank holidays as required.
Contract: Permanent, full-time
Location: Nottingham
Salary: £30,000 to £32,000 p.a. (depending on experience)
About You
We are looking for an ambitious, proactive and people-focused leader with strong operational experience and a passion for delivering excellent customer service. You’ll bring proven Front of House and duty management experience, ideally within a theatre, event, or similarly high-footfall venue environment. You will be confident leading teams, managing busy public-facing operations, and delivering service that is consistently inclusive, welcoming and efficient. You will also have a strong commercial mindset — able to drive performance and income through Food & Beverage and other customer-facing trading areas — while ensuring that systems, controls and staffing remain robust and financially sustainable. With excellent communication and organisational skills, you’ll be calm under pressure, confident in handling customer feedback and complaints, and motivated by continuous improvement. You will share Nottingham Playhouse’s commitment to inclusion, sustainability, and creating a workplace culture that supports and develops its people.
What You Will Do
- Lead the visitor experience: Champion and deliver outstanding customer service at every touchpoint, ensuring Nottingham Playhouse is welcoming, inclusive, safe and enjoyable for every visitor.
- Manage Front of House and Duty Management: Oversee all Front of House and show operations, including show readiness planning, staffing, team briefings, and acting as Duty Manager for performances and events (including press nights).
- Drive Food & Beverage and commercial performance: Optimise Food & Beverage operations, identifying opportunities to grow income, improve margins, reduce waste, and enhance the offer through seasonal and show-based initiatives.
- Develop and inspire your team: Line manage the Assistant Customer Experience Manager, Supervisors and wider Customer Experience team — leading recruitment, inductions, training programmes, performance management and rota planning.
- Champion access and inclusion: Support the continuous development of Nottingham Playhouse’s access and inclusion provision, working collaboratively with colleagues, access groups and internal initiatives such as the Anti-Racism Action Group.
- Embed strong systems and procedures: Ensure effective use of venue and operational systems (including Spektrix, Yesplan and RotaCloud), maintain accurate reporting, and champion consistent operational standards.
- Ensure safety, compliance and licensing standards: Lead Front of House risk assessments, evacuation procedures, and show-based security planning. Act as DPS ensuring compliance with relevant legislation and the premises licence.
- Support sustainability goals: Be the FOH and F&B lead for environmental sustainability practices, contributing to Nottingham Playhouse’s action plan and wider commitments including Theatre Green Book principles.
What You Will Bring
- Proven experience of successfully leading a team to deliver exceptional customer service (ideally within theatre/events/venue operations).
- Duty Management and Front of House management experience.
- Strong knowledge and experience managing Food & Beverage operations (stock control, ordering, driving sales).
- A strong commercial mindset with experience improving income generation and performance.
- Financial confidence, including budget management and cost control.
- Experience in recruitment, training, rota planning, and people management processes.
- Strong understanding of health & safety compliance, evacuations and security protocols.
- Confident handling customer issues, complaints and feedback professionally and calmly.
- Strong IT skills including Microsoft Office and ability to work with venue systems.
- Commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion.
- Commitment to environmental sustainability in venue operations.
- Flexibility to work evenings, weekends and bank holidays as required.
- First Aid qualification (or willingness to undertake training).
- Excellent knowledge of licensing legislation and ideally a personal licence holder (or willingness to undertake within first 6 months).
Why Join Us?
You’ll play a vital role in shaping the future of Nottingham Playhouse, supporting an organisation that champions creativity, community and inclusion. You’ll join a warm, collaborative team, with the flexibility to work both onsite and remotely.
Customer Experience Manager in Nottingham employer: NOTTINGHAM PLAYHOUSE
Contact Detail:
NOTTINGHAM PLAYHOUSE Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Customer Experience Manager in Nottingham
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Get out there and connect with people in the industry. Attend events, join relevant groups, and don’t be shy about reaching out to folks on LinkedIn. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings!
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching Nottingham Playhouse and its values. Understand their commitment to inclusion and sustainability, and think about how your experience aligns with their mission. This will help you stand out as a candidate who truly gets what they’re about.
✨Tip Number 3
Practice your pitch! Be ready to talk about your leadership experience and how you’ve driven customer service excellence in previous roles. Use specific examples that highlight your skills in managing teams and improving commercial performance.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen. Plus, it shows you’re genuinely interested in being part of the Nottingham Playhouse team. Let’s make it happen!
We think you need these skills to ace Customer Experience Manager in Nottingham
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application: Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter for the Customer Experience Manager role. Highlight your leadership experience in customer-facing environments, especially in theatre or events, and showcase how your skills align with our commitment to inclusion and sustainability.
Showcase Your Passion: Let your enthusiasm for delivering outstanding customer service shine through! Share specific examples of how you've created welcoming experiences in previous roles, and don’t forget to mention any innovative ideas you have for enhancing visitor experiences at Nottingham Playhouse.
Be Clear and Concise: When writing your application, keep it clear and to the point. Use bullet points where appropriate to make your achievements stand out, and ensure your language reflects the friendly and professional tone we value at StudySmarter.
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply directly through our website. This way, you can ensure your application reaches us quickly and securely, plus you’ll find all the details you need about the role and our values!
How to prepare for a job interview at NOTTINGHAM PLAYHOUSE
✨Know Your Customer Experience
Make sure you understand the key aspects of customer experience management, especially in a theatre or event setting. Familiarise yourself with Nottingham Playhouse's values and how they prioritise inclusivity and sustainability in their operations.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
Prepare examples that highlight your leadership experience in busy customer-facing environments. Be ready to discuss how you've successfully managed teams, handled challenges, and driven performance in previous roles.
✨Demonstrate Your Commercial Acumen
Brush up on your knowledge of Food & Beverage operations and be prepared to discuss strategies for driving income and improving margins. Think about specific initiatives you've implemented in the past that have led to commercial growth.
✨Be Ready for Scenario Questions
Expect questions that assess your ability to handle real-life situations, such as managing customer complaints or ensuring safety during events. Practice articulating your thought process and decision-making skills in these scenarios.