Commercial Operations Director - Bristol, United Kingdom - We The Curious

Description

Location: We The Curious is located on the bustling Bristol Harbourside. The majority of operational teams you support will be site based, working in and around our building. You have the option to work from home or other locations that suit you, however due to the nature of work in Operations, you will need to attend site regularly.

Department : Operations

Reports to: Commercial Operations Director Responsible for : Visitor Experience Manager, Live Science Manager, Retail Manager, Memberships and Bookings Manager
Salary: £45,000 - £47,000, dependent on experience
Contract : Permanent

Working hours : Full time, 37.5 hours a week (some flexibility for weekend and evening work is required)

About We The Curious

We The Curious is an educational charity and one of the UK's leading science centres. We produce experiences that bring people together to play, get creative with science and explore different ideas. We work with partners, locally and nationally, supporting people to be inquisitive, develop new skills and improve their wellbeing.

We are progressive, inquisitive, collaborative, playful and creative.

Our Why, What & How Our Vision

What if everyone is included, curious and inspired by science to build a better world together? Our Mission To connect and empower people through sharing creative experiences which celebrate unknowns in science. Our pledges
_Cultivate Curiosity
_Strive for Sustainable Futures
_Include Everyone
_Build Resilience
_Open Up Science
You can find out more about these in our Manifesto. Our Values
_Inquisitive - Asking questions
_Progressive - Thinking about what's next
_Playful - Embracing the unexpected with a sense of fun
_Creative - Generating and testing new ideas
_Collaborative - Being inclusive, connecting and valuing Our Strategic Priorities / SP1 - We will deliver collaborative, curiosity-led learning projects to reduce inequality and improve life chances.
/ SP4 - To deliver our charitable mission, we will strengthen existing income sources and seek new opportunities to deliver long-term financial security.
/ SP2 - Our team and those we work with will reflect the diversity of our city, delivering a more inclusive experience.
/ SP5 - We will provide opportunities for people to explore new ideas, develop skills and influence scientific research.
/ SP3 -We commit to being a carbon net zero organisation by 2030 and will inspire audiences to take positive action for our planet About the role

Readyto make a real impact? You're about to step into a pivotal role as the leaderof four vital teams within our organisation: Visitor Experience, Live Science,Membership & Bookings, and Retail. Working closely with your line manager,Commercial Operations Director, your main goal is to ensure every visitor hasan amazing time, feels valued, and stays safe throughout their visit.

Fromthe buzz of peak holiday seasons to the excitement of our evening events likePlanetarium Nights, you'll be right in the thick of it, guiding our teams todeliver stellar experiences every step of the way.

Butit's not just about the events—it's about the people. Your job is to lead,motivate, and support our fantastic visitor-facing staff, so they're equippedto deliver top-notch service that keeps our visitors coming back for more.

Together,let's build a welcoming and vibrant environment that leaves a lastingimpression on everyone who walks through our doors.

What will you do in this role?

Role specific responsibilities:

_You'll be heading up a wonderful team made up of Operational Managers, including the Retail Manager, Membership and Bookings Manager, Live Science Team Manager, and Visitor Experience Team Manager.

_ You'll ensure the smooth sailing of our day-to-day visitor operations, while infusing warmth and care into every interaction. Guided by our strategic priorities, you'll lead with heart, fostering consistency and excellence across all visitor-facing teams.
_Your collaboration with Venue Hire and Estates Services Managers will ensure our customer service and risk management strategies and procedures are consistent across all teams
_At the heart of your role is the creation of unforgettable experiences for both our visitors and our teams. Together with the Inclusion team, you'll champion diversity and inclusivity, ensuring that everyone feels valued and welcomed.
_ You'll be a nurturing force for our diverse workforce, guiding them through training and development initiatives that not only enhance their skills but also make work a joyous experience.
_You'll drive improvement and change in a busy environment effectively, prioritising activity based on organisational need whilst bringing teams on a journey with you.
_You'll connect visitor facing teams with the wider organisation, providing opportunities for clear two-way communication, and clarity on feedback and decision making. You'll develop career pathway plans for visitor facing teams working with the People Team and wider organisation.
_Financial stewardship will be handled with care, as you manage staffing budgets with prudence and consideration.

_You'll work closely with the Estates team to ensure that all policies and risk assessments are not only in place but deeply embedded in our culture of care.
_ Aligned with our broader goals, you'll collaborate closely with the Numbers and Impact team and visitor facing teams to boost income streams, all in support of our charitable aims.
_ Your partnership with managers will be marked by openness and collaboration, as you work together to craft and refine operating plans that provide both structure and flexibility.
_You'll work with the Ticketing and CRM team to ensure processes deliver optimum efficiency and experience for visitors, gathering essential data to measure our impact.
_In essence, your role is not just about operations; it's about creating a warm, welcoming environment where both visitors and staff feel valued, respected, and inspired.
General responsibilities:

_Embody and demonstrate our values; Collaborative, Creative, Inquisitive, Playful, Progressive.
_Safeguarding -: 'Responsible for departmental safeguarding risk assessments, compliance and raising any concerns to manager/Designated Safeguarding Officer.'

_Fundraising - Collaborate with the Development team on any funding bids and reports relating to your area of work; where applicable as project lead.' _General responsibility for departmental compliance with GDPR. _Due to the responsibilities of this role, you will be required to complete an enhanced DBS check. _Due to 7 day operation you will be available to support teams on a flexible basis
What we're looking for from you:

_Your experience with building diverse, resilient, valued and supported teams will ensure that we are able to provide industry leading experiences for visitors and teams.

_You are a fantastic communicator, inspiring your direct reports and the wider Visitor facing teams to deliver exceptional customer service and work brilliantly together. _You have a passion for training, mentoring, and developing teams. _You have strong foundations in planning, evaluating, budgeting and risk management. _You are brilliant at being dynamic, flexible and resilient in a busy environment working with large teams. _You have a confident, outgoing, personable approach and thrive on working in a busy high-profile environment with the skills to embed Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion at the heart of all we do. _You will be skilled in connecting with people at all levels of the organisation and with a wide range of audiences; you will have a collaborative approach, adept at influencing and managing relationships and have the confidence to resolve any staff or customer service issues. _ You are experienced in emergency situation management, confident in your decision-making and able to lead and coach on this subject, with a strong understanding of health and safety and safeguarding in public-facing environments. _ You take a proactive solution focused approach to problem-solving. _You have the flexibility to work weekends and evenings, as you will want to support your teams at our busiest times.

Application process:
Deadline for applications : Sunday 12th May at midnight

Interview date(s) and location : Wednesday 22nd & Friday 24th May at We The Curious offices Start date: 18th June 2024 If you would like to apply, please complete the application form. It contains questions designed to assess your interest in and suitability for the role. Please don't send in CVs or cover letters as we don't review them. We appreciate interviews can be stressful, so we try to make them more of a conversation and a chance for you to tell us about how your skills and interests make you the right person for the role. If you are invited for an interview, we'll send you the questions that you'll be asked beforehand so that you have time to prepare. If you have any particular needs or requirements, please do let us know so that we can make the required adjustments. If you would like to talk about the role or the application process, please email

Support during the process

We The Curious is a Disability Confident Employer and we welcome applications from candidates who self-assess themselves as having a disability. We will guarantee an interview to applicants who advise that they have a disability and who meet the minimum criteria for a job vacancy. To help you, under the Equality Act 2010 a person is defined as having a disability if a) they have a physical or mental impairment, and b) the impairment has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.

We want to work with you to ensure the recruitment process is accessible for you.
If you are disabled, neurodivergent, or if you have a long-term health condition, we'll be happy to make reasonable adjustments to our processes for you.
You'll have the opportunity to let us know about any adjustments you may need throughout the application and selection process. We'll continue this conversation if you join us as a staff member, and we'll work with you to make sure you have the adjustments you need to succeed in your role. Examples of adjustments could include: _providing alternative formats at every stage
_options to apply
_extra time for tasks
_providing some extra information about what to expect
_office orientation before an in-person interview.

Including everyone We value the positive impact greater representation will have on our organisation, programmes and culture. It's our goal to become an inclusive place to work and for our teams to better reflect our city and the people who visit us. We welcome applications from people of all lived experiences and particularly those that are not well represented* in the science centre sector.

*By not well represented we mean people with lived experience including but not limited to:

_African and African-Caribbean heritage
_South Asian and East Asian heritage
_Global Majority
_Disabled
_Neurodivergent
_Visually Impaired
_Deaf community
_LGBTQIA+ and/or non-binary
_Working class background
_Didn't go to university or first in your immediate family to attend University

Working with us

We value the people that work with us. Our staff have access to the following benefits:

Wellbeing & Support _Flexible working
_Hybrid working
_Mental Health First Aiders
_Confidential advice & counselling through the Employee Support Programme Leave

_25 days holiday plus bank holidays,

_Up to 4 additional days holiday based on length of service

New Parent Policy

_We are proud to be a family friendly organisation, which is why we work to develop our people practices in line with that value. We have recently introduced a non-gendered approach to maternity, paternity and adoption leave, re-branded as our "New Parent Policy". There are eligibility criteria and terms and conditions, but the key take away is that anyone who is due to become a new parent, regardless of their gender, can take one year off work, and we'll pay your full salary for the first five months.

Facilities & discounts _Free entry to the venue at any time with up to four guests, plus 12 additional entry tickets per calendar year to give away.
_15% off in the We The Curious café & Kiosk
_20% off in our shop
_Range of discounts with local businesses and free entry to other local attractions.
_Cycle to work scheme
_Free parking
_Secure cycle storage Pension

_We offer a pension scheme with 5% company contributions.

Death in service benefit _Four times your annual salary.
Apply for this job Share this job Closing Date

12/05/2024

Location

Bristol

Department

Operations

Job Title

Head of Visitor Operations

Salary

£45,000-£47,000, dependent on experience

City

Bristol

Country

United Kingdom

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