Duty Manager - Derby Theatre

University of Derby; East Midlands; Hybrid; GBP 22,000 - 30,000; Part time

Job summary

Derby Theatre, a part of the University of Derby, seeks a hands‑on Duty Manager to supervise customer service assistants and oversee events and productions. You will ensure safety, staff briefing, and effective communication across front of house while collaborating with cafe, bar, box office and performance teams.

This on‑site role is 30 hours per week over 4 days, with shifts including evenings and weekends. A confident supervisor with theatre experience will thrive here.

Qualifications

• Demonstrable experience as a supervisor or duty manager in a theatre, arts or public venue.
• Excellent customer service skills and the ability to lead by example.
• Experience with cash handling, float checks and income reconciliation.
• Ability to brief staff clearly and communicate operational priorities.
• Familiar with EPOS systems and venue reporting tools.
• Understanding of access needs and safety regulations.

Responsibilities

• Supervise delivery of events and productions, including opening/closing checks.
• Maintain high standards of customer service at all times.
• Lead front‑of‑house teams and ensure staff are briefed and prepared.
• Handle cash, reconcile income, and monitor risk and safety.
• Co‑ordinate with cafe/bar/box office teams for smooth operations.
• Provide show reports and respond to customer feedback promptly.
• Promote venue values and maintain a welcoming environment.

Skills

Supervisory

Customer service

Cash handling

Team leadership

Communication

EPOS systems

Access & disability

English & maths

Tools

Spektrix

Artifax

Midas

Microsoft Office

Job description

Onsite
This role will be based on site, primarily in the named location.

We have one simple promise – to make a positive impact. Through our ground-breaking research, teaching excellence and commitment to sustainable living, we are changing lives for the better.

The University of Derby is a modern university with a modern outlook. Everything we do is driven by delivering excellence and opportunities for our students, our staff and our region.

We have some of the best university facilities in the UK and achieve outstanding results for our teaching and research and have been awarded Gold in the prestigious Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) 2023 – making it one of the top universities in the country recognised for its outstanding student experience and student outcomes.

Financially strong and seriously ambitious we offer our employees an inclusive culture that centres itself around staff wellbeing, where you can be confident you will receive all the help and encouragement you need to build a rewarding career with lots of opportunities to enhance your skills.

At Derby Theatre, we are a charity and a National Portfolio organisation forArts Council England, and we’re known for artistic excellence. We’re committed to education. And we believe that theatre can change your life.

Previously Derby Playhouse, we have a long and important theatrical history. As Derby Theatre, we work in partnership with the University of Derby and are a home for higher education students. We produce new plays and projects, collaborate with artists and local people, and offer training foryoung people too, with opportunities for learners of all ages. It’s all about empowering people to tap into their potential and achieve.

As Duty Manager, you will play a key role in delivering an exceptional customer experience across Derby Theatre. You will supervise Customer Service Assistants, oversee the smooth delivery of events and productions, and ensure the safety, security and accessibility of the venue and its visitors.

You will be a visible and welcoming presence, providing confident leadership, coordinating teams across the venue and responding effectively to customer feedback and complaints. You will also support the successful day-to-day operation of the theatre, including cash handling, reporting, risk management and venue presentation.

Working closely with café, bar, box office and front of house teams, you will help maximise secondary sales opportunities while ensuring high standards of service, communication and professionalism are maintained. This is a varied, hands‑on role for someone who thrives in a busy customer-facing environment and enjoys supporting both people and operations.

Please note the working pattern for this role is 30 hours per week working 4 days over 7 with usual shifts being 16.30 – 23.30 / 9.00 – 16.30 / 8.00 - 15.30

However, we would welcome applications from candidates who wish to be considered for a job share. The role is required on a 30 hour per week basis therefore a job share could only be offered should a suitable arrangement be available with the days and/or hours of work to be agreed on appointment. Please indicate in your application your preference of days and/or hours you would be available to work.

We’re looking for a confident and experienced supervisor who thrives in a busy, customer-focused environment and enjoys leading a team. You will have demonstrable experience in a supervisory or Duty Manager role, ideally within a theatre, arts, cultural or public venue, or be able to demonstrate strong supervisory experience in a similar setting.

You will have excellent customer service skills and the ability to lead by example, maintaining high standards while creating a positive and welcoming environment for both customers and colleagues. Confident communication is essential, with the ability to deliver clear, effective staff briefings and ensuring key operational information, commercial priorities and income‑generating initiatives are understood across the team.

Calm, organised and proactive, you will be comfortable making decisions on shift, responding to challenges and ensuring procedures are followed while delivering an exceptional experience for every visitor.

What should I expect if I am invited to an interview?

We aim to make the interviews as accessible and engaging as possible, and we want you to talk about yourself and your work experience in a relaxed and friendly setting.

We believe an interview is a chance for you to find more information about the role, us as an organisation and for you to get a sense of whether this is the right environment for you.

With this in mind, we have designed an interview process which will enable potential candidates to meet members of the team and partners, see some of the spaces you might be working in, and of course a chance to talk about you and your work experience.

• Supervise the delivery of all events, activities, and productions in the building, including opening and closing checks.
• Maintain the highest standards of customer service at all times.
• Maintain a calm and composed approach to your duties whilst creating a comfortable and appropriate environment for all shows, including background music, foyer layout, and that Customer Service Assistants are prepared for their shift.
• Supervise customer service assistants and ensure that they are motivated and confident in their roles.
• Ensure that staff are in correct uniform, escalating any repeat issues to the Front of House Manager.
• Ensure that communication within and beyond the department is clear, accurate, and timely.
• Provide show reports in an efficient manner, collating and communicating feedback appropriately.
• Provide excellent customer service, handling feedback and follow-up promptly or in consultation with others.
• Respond to customer complaints in person, escalating issues to managers as appropriate.
• Liaise with café, bar, box office, and front of house teams to ensure consistent briefings and communication.
• Monitor staffing attendance and ensure that fire management and security are adequately represented.
• Maintain a positive and welcoming presence throughout the venue.
• Use software packages including Microsoft Office, Spektrix, Artifax and Midas to manage operations, reports, and data collection.
• Promote and communicate Derby Theatre's values and culture to both internal and external customers.
• Ensure that the venue is kept clean and presentable at all times.
• Identify, plan for, and communicate all access requirements during the shift, ensuring that the venue is as accessible as possible.
• Handle cash, conduct float checks (for café, bar, and sales tills), and reconcile income in line with company procedures.
• Identify and report risks to managers, such as health and safety concerns and reputational risks.
• Undertake any other reasonable duties as required.

General accountabilities

• To keep up to date with developments in the industry as they relate to your role, and to contribute to the overall development of the department and organisation.
• To take an active role in the team and staff, attending team, departmental or cross‑organisation meetings as required.
• To ensure that Derby Theatre’s policies, procedures and values are observed in every area of the department’s work and to ensure that General Data Protection Regulations are adhered to as they relate to your role.
• To contribute to the development of departmental policies and practices.
• To act in the best interests of Derby Theatre, always protecting intellectual property and confidential information.
• To carry out any other duties as may reasonably be required from time to time, commensurate with the level of the post.
• We expect all Derby Theatre staff to work in a flexible manner to effectively deliver their role and in line with the objectives of the company, including the Learning Theatre model, Equality and Diversity, and Sustainability.
• The job description for this position may be reviewed and amended to incorporate the future needs of the department and the organisation.
• Demonstrable experience as a supervisor or duty manager or clear examples where you have demonstrated supervisory skills in a public venue
• Experience of working in a fast paced, high standard customer facing environment
• Experience of cash handling and reconciliation
• Experience of working in a bar of café environment or willingness to learn
• Experience or interest in working with a theatre setting or arts and culture venue
• Experience in management of stock and / or retail merchandise

Skills, knowledge & abilities

• Good English, Maths and verbal communication skills
• Excellent customer service skills and the ability to lead by example
• Good standard of computer literacy
• Familiarity of EPOS systems
• Knowledge of access, disability, and health and safety

Business requirements

• 30 hours per week working 4 days over 7 with usual shifts being 16.30 – 23.30 / 9.00 – 16.30 / 8.00 – 15.30

Please refer to the job description for Derby Theatre benefits.

Please note benefits from University of Derby do not apply.

Equity, diversity and inclusion

At Derby Theatre we aim to actively champion and celebrate diversity in all its forms. We are committed to equality of opportunity for all of those we work with and applications from individuals are encouraged regardless of age, caring responsibilities, disability, gender, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief and sexual orientation.

We positively encourage disabled people, people of African or Caribbean heritage, South Asian heritage, East Asian heritage, West Asian heritage, Central Asian heritage, South East Asian heritage and people of Middle East and North African heritage and those who have experienced racism. By the term ‘those who have experienced racism’, we are referring to individuals who have experienced discrimination based on the colour of their skin, race and/or their culture.

We are a Disability Confident Committed Employer, demonstrating our commitment to disability inclusion, and invite applicants to highlight adjustments they may require to ensure equitable participation in our recruitment processes.

At the University of Derby, we are passionate about embedding sustainability into everything that we do. We aim to bring environmental sustainability into all aspects of the University, including teaching, research and operational activities. In line with the University's strategic framework, we expect all our staff to embed sustainability into their working practices and support the University's objective to reach net zero carbon by 2050.

Be part of something extraordinary,