Costume Performance Assistant Manager (Wardrobe Manager)

Royal Ballet and Opera; Greater London; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 56,000; Full time

Job summary

The Royal Ballet and Opera, based at Covent Garden, London, is seeking a Costume Performance Assistant Manager. The role develops and leads the Costume Performance Team to deliver high-quality costume support for performances, rehearsals, and events.

Applicants should have substantial leadership experience in costume provision for a large company, deep backstage knowledge, and strong organizational and communication skills.

Qualifications

• Substantial experience of team leadership in costume provision for a large performance company.
• Exceptional knowledge of backstage costume work and dressing techniques.
• Excellent problem-solving and organisational skills.
• Strong communication, leadership skills and confidence in managing conflict and seeking resolution.
• Meticulous accuracy.
• Familiarity with scheduling and recruiting staff members.

Skills

Team leadership

Backstage costume work

Problem-solving

Organisational skills

Communication

Conflict resolution

Job description

Permanent: Full time (42.5 hours per week)
Salary: £50,492.64 per annum
Based in: Covent Garden, London
Prior to commencing your application
The Royal Ballet and Opera continues to lead the way in opera, ballet, music and dance both live on stage and through multiple digital platforms, from live streaming to worldwide cinema screenings. Our Covent Garden theatre has been at the heart of London and British cultural life for three centuries. We are home to two world-class Companies: The Royal Ballet and The Royal Opera.
The Royal Opera House describes the place we work, not who we are. The whole is always more than the sum of its parts – we may be a House, but three quarters of our audiences experience what we do outside this building. While our Covent Garden theatre is the nerve centre, the impact and influence of the organisation can be felt in every corner of the country, and around the world.
Our Technical, Production and Costume Department plays a leading part in ensuring our performances are of the highest quality by delivering technical excellence for every performance, rehearsal, and event.
An important cog in the delivery of our exceptional productions is our Costume Performance team who are currently seeking to appoint Costume Performance Assistant Manager. We have a unique and exciting Costume Performance Team structure and terminology to match. To add familiar context for any wider theatre colleagues wishing to join us and to help place your skills in the appropriate role, this role sits as as an equivalent to a Wardrobe Manager/Master/Mistress within Running Wardrobe.

What are we looking for?

• Substantial experience of team leadership in costume provision for a large performance company.
• An exceptional knowledge of backstage costume work and dressing techniques.
• Excellent problem-solving and organisational skills.
• Strong communication, leadership skills and confidence in managing conflict and seeking resolution.
• Meticulous accuracy.
• Familiarity with scheduling and recruiting staff members.
• Willingness and flexibility to work annualised hours, including evenings, weekends and other hours required to support the performance schedule.

The Royal Ballet and Opera is one of the UK's leading arts organisations and our aim is to inspire imagination, ignite emotion and make the extraordinary for everyone. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion underpin all that we do. We want our people to be representative of the diversity in the UK. We understand the creativity and innovation that diversity can bring and strive to create an inclusive environment in which everyone can thrive.
We encourage applications from people with a wide range of backgrounds, experiences and skills to join our teams. We particularly welcome applications from those who are from a global majority background and/or those who are disabled, as they are under-represented within our organisation.
We are a Disability Confident Employer, which means that we are actively working to ensure that candidates with disabilities and long-term health conditions feel supported, engaged and able to fulfil their potential in the workplace. We will endeavour to offer an interview to candidates who tell us they wish to participate in the scheme and who demonstrate in their application that they meet the essential criteria for the role, though sometimes due to the volume of qualified candidates with declarations this is not possible.
The RBO is also committed to safeguarding and protecting all children, young people, and adults and we implement robust safer recruitment practices. Due to our safeguarding promise, certain roles will be subject to a DBS check before commencing employment with us, which will be indicated in the advertising.

Job Description

If you have any access requirements for your application, please contact the RBO Recruitment Team on [e-mail]
Closing date for applications: 11:59pm, 8th November 2026
To ensure a fair process, late applications will not be considered under any circumstances.
Applicants must have work authorisation for the UK. No agencies.