Shift Leaders Catering, Events & Retail in Plymouth

Salary £13.26 per hour

Location: Plymouth

This is a permanent, part-time vacancy that will close in 15 days at 09:00 GMT.

We are looking to welcome two experienced Catering, Events & Retail Shift Leaders to join our team at Theatre Royal Plymouth and our Production & Learning Centre, TR2. These roles are key to helping us deliver a high-quality, welcoming and efficient food, beverage, events and retail offer for our audiences, visiting companies, staff and cast.

As a Shift Leader, you will be at the heart of the action leading by example to create a positive, inclusive and customer-focused environment. You will support the sale of refreshments and merchandise while working collaboratively with colleagues across Box Office, Housekeeping, Stage Door, Technical and Visitor Experience to ensure every performance and event runs smoothly.

During your shifts, you will oversee a team of up to 14 Hospitality Assistants, with guidance and support from the Catering, Events & Retail Manager. You will need to be 18+ and able to work during our busiest and most exciting periods, including Summer, Christmas and New Year. This is a brilliant opportunity to develop your leadership skills within a vibrant cultural organisation. You will gain valuable insight into how a large-scale theatre operates behind the scenes, perfect for anyone looking to grow a career in catering, hospitality or event management while contributing to the creativity, collaboration and quality that define TRP.

Successful candidates will work on a rota basis, 5 days out of 7, across our operational hours of 8:30am – 11:30pm. Shifts are 5 hours in length, with the majority taking place in the evening (typically 5:00pm – 11:00pm) to support performances. There will also be daytime shifts for matinees, and weekend working is an essential part of the role. The contract is for 25 hours per week, with opportunities for overtime during particularly busy periods. We are ideally looking for someone who can start from week commencing 30 March 2026. Rotas are prepared one month in advance to help support a positive work-life balance while ensuring we can deliver the high-quality experience our audiences expect.

The Role of a Catering, Events & Retail Shift Leader:

• When you join TRP, you will be introduced to our core values: Quality, Creativity, Collaboration and Diversity and how they shape the way we deliver exceptional experiences for everyone who walks through our doors.
• You will receive full training to ensure you have a strong working knowledge of health & safety, food hygiene, safeguarding, security, licensing regulations and emergency evacuation procedures.
• As a Shift Leader, you will be confident leading a full show service across our hospitality and retail operation, including two bars, two cafés, our VIP lounge, events spaces, merchandise points and the staff Green Room.

Customer Service:

• Ensure all hospitality and retail outlets are safe, welcoming, presentable and secure at all times.
• Use Box Office systems to check hospitality bookings and performance attendance.
• Act as a First Aider (full training provided).
• Monitor and maintain equipment including fridges, freezers, EPOS systems and card machines, reporting any faults promptly.
• Liaise with external suppliers to coordinate deliveries and storage in line with food hygiene regulations (in the absence of the Stores Operative).
• Support the safe evacuation of the building in the event of an emergency.

Team Supervision:

• Supervise hospitality outlets during service, supporting the Head of CER and CER Managers.
• Lead by example in presentation and standards, ensuring the team are well-presented and proud in their uniforms.
• Attend pre-performance briefings and communicate key show information to Hospitality Assistants.
• Act as the first point of contact for the hospitality team during your shift.
• Support job allocation and provide feedback on performance and standards.
• Contribute to the induction, training and development of team members across food & beverage service, barista skills, customer service and events delivery.
• Fully understand and support fire evacuation procedures, drills and training.

Hospitality Operations:

• Prepare all hospitality outlets ahead of service to ensure we are ready to welcome patrons.
• Float in and reconcile EPOS systems accurately, reporting discrepancies where necessary.
• Lead on event set-ups, refreshment requests and clear-downs.
• Carry out regular floor walks to maintain cleanliness and presentation, liaising with Housekeeping where required.
• Set up and manage additional sales points, including ice cream sales.
• Accept, check, record and store deliveries of food, beverage, merchandise and programmes (in the absence of the Stores Operative).
• Ensure invoices are recorded and stored correctly.
• Monitor queues and pinch points including back-of-house areas such as the Green Room stepping in where needed to enhance the customer experience.
• Monitor and reconcile stock and takings, including end-of-month stock takes.
• Report any issues relating to safety, security, behaviour, housekeeping or maintenance to CER Managers.
• Close hospitality and retail outlets, ensuring cleaning schedules are completed and areas are stocked and ready for the next service.
• Place stock orders on the correct days, monitoring attendance levels to ensure appropriate stock levels.
• Manage merchandise deliveries from visiting companies, including set-up, sales and reconciliation.
• Act as the main point of contact for external clients during events.
• Step in as Duty Manager for Catering, Events & Retail in the absence of a CER Manager.

This is a hands-on leadership role at the centre of our audience experience, ideal for someone who thrives in a fast-paced, live performance environment and takes pride in delivering consistently high standards as part of Team TRP.

If you would like an informal chat about the Catering, Events & Retail Shift Leader role, we would love to hear from you. Please contact Jon Elliott, Head of Catering, Events & Retail, at 01752 230337, Monday to Friday between 12:00pm and 4:00pm.

Benefits: Great Ticket Offers, Company Pension Scheme, 28 Days Holiday, On-Site Dining Facility, Local Business Discounts, Employee Assistance Programme.