General Manager

Theatre Alibi; United Kingdom; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

An established arts organization is seeking a dedicated General Manager to oversee HR, finance, and governance. This dynamic role offers a unique opportunity to contribute to a vibrant community hub focused on creativity and inclusivity. The successful candidate will manage budgets, ensure compliance with health and safety regulations, and support a small, passionate team in delivering engaging experiences for children and families. Join a forward-thinking organization committed to nurturing creativity and making a meaningful impact in the community. If you thrive in a fast-paced environment and are passionate about the arts, this is the perfect opportunity for you.

Qualifications

• Experience in managing budgets and financial reporting.
• Strong HR management skills and knowledge of employment legislation.

Responsibilities

• Prepare financial management information and ensure compliance.
• Manage HR systems and support the CEO in governance tasks.

Skills

Budget Management

Human Resources Management

Health & Safety Knowledge

Financial Administration

Interpersonal Skills

Organizational Skills

Education

Experience as a General Manager

Experience in Arts or Charity Sector

Tools

Microsoft Office

Outlook

Job description

Description: Working closely with the CEO and other core staff, the General Manager role is pivotal within the company structure. The General Manager will focus primarily on the areas of HR, Governance, Finance and Health & Safety. Further responsibilities include administering office & project employment contracts, and other general duties that will ensure the company runs efficiently and meets its legal responsibilities. It is a mixed and varied role, with both a high level of autonomy and responsibility.

ABOUT US

Over the last two years Alibi, a South West-based Arts organisation since the early 80s, has been through a period of transition which has seen it reinvent itself as a venue for children and young people, welcoming 1000s of families, school children and members of our community through its doors. Our vision is of

A place where all children can explore their creativity and imagination, in a world where everyone understands the importance of creativity and imagination to happy, healthy and fulfilling lives.

In 2024 we threw open the doors of our base, Emmanuel Hall, an old Church Hall in the heart of St Thomas in Exeter. The building has been reimagined into a Centre for the Imagination for Children and Young People and over the last 12 months we ve hosted performances, workshops, live music and an actual live, immersive, pine tree forest

Our Mission is to create playful, safe and inclusive spaces where children can explore their creativity and discover themselves and the world in imaginative ways. Through live performances, engaging experiences and hands-on activities, we provide families, schools and communities with creative ways to inspire and empower their children and young people. We re here to celebrate the power of imagination and champion the importance of creativity in children s lives.

We work closely with schools, both locally and throughout the South West, and are committed to ensuring we reach all children regardless of their means and possibilities.

Since the beginning of 2024 Emmanuel Hall has become the home of the St Thomas Library and of Zero Mile CIC, who are taking over the outside spaces and transforming them into community growing areas.

This is a really exciting time in the development of Alibi as we move closer to unleashing the full potential of our glorious old Church Hall. The successful candidate will be joining a small, busy and dedicated team striving to make something extraordinary happen in the city.

Theatre Alibi is a registered charity and a company limited by guarantee

DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

We want Alibi to be a rewarding and enjoyable place to work where people are treated with respect, valued for who they are and the contribution they make irrespective of age, disability, race, gender, religion or belief, caring responsibilities or sexual orientation.

Alibi is committed to increasing the diversity of our creative programme, workforce and audiences to ensure the quality and impact of our work. As part of this commitment, we particularly welcome applications for employment from individuals currently under-represented in our organisation and the wider sector. This includes people from the Global Majority specifically the African diaspora; South, East, and South East Asian diaspora; the Middle East and North Africa; people with disabilities including neurodivergence; people from the LGBTQIA+ community; and those from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds.

We operate flexible working arrangements to allow for caring responsibilities and any other time constraints you may be experiencing.

THE COMPANY

Our small and resourceful team is led by the Chief Executive Officer who reports into our Board of Trustees. We work with numerous freelancers, visiting companies and artists to deliver work in Emmanuel Hall and in schools across Devon.

We have developed a collaborative way of working where choices and decisions are openly discussed within the team, and where learning from our experiences and having a dynamic approach to change is celebrated.

TO APPLY please send a CV and covering letter (no more than 2 sides of A4) outlining your experience and keeping in mind the Job Description below.

Closing date for applications is 9am Wednesday 12th May. Interviews will take place at Emmanuel Hall or via zoom on the 19th May. Please state in your email whether there might be any previous engagements that might make these interview dates difficult for you. We ll let you know whether or not you ll be offered an interview by the 13th May.

JOB DESCRIPTION:

Reports to: CEO

Line Management of: Contractors as required

Place of work: Emmanuel Hall, St Thomas

PRINCIPLE DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

Finance

Prepare financial management information including regular cash flow forecasts, reports, budgets, grant claims and management accounts for project managers, CEO, Board of Trustees and funders

Ensure all statutory financial and other records, compliances and related inspections are met on time and records kept with regard to PAYE, NI, VAT, Companies House, Charities Commission, insurance, pension provision, audit requirements and annual reports

Working closely with the CEO, prepare project and annual budgets, liaising with relevant staff

Provide support and guidance to all budget holders for the effective management of budgets

Maintain all financial systems and records for the organisation, including financial administration relating to general ledger, audit trails, Theatre Tax Relief, banking, petty cash management, staff expense claims and credit control

Building & Operations

Ensure appropriate licensing and insurance is in place

Organise the supply of utilities to Emmanuel Hall

Manage delivery of IT tech support contract and others as required

Management of contractors and suppliers e.g. cleaner, electrician, waste collection

Management of supplies necessary for smooth running of the building e.g. hand towels, stationery, cleaning products

Management of general maintenance

Health & Safety

Support the CEO in creating and implementing the Health & Safety Policy

Co-ordinate Health & Safety administration, including monitoring, reporting and training

Ensure H&S information is communicated to all staff, project staff, users and visitors as appropriate

Undertake training and responsibilities such as Deputy Safeguarding Officer, first aider etc as required

Governance

Provide an effective Company Secretary function

Organise Board and sub-committee meetings, co-ordinating, minuting and drafting reports as required

Support the Board to ensure governance and Charity Commission requirements are met

Human Resources

Provide effective and efficient human resource systems to support the delivery of the organisation s objectives, including administering payroll, managing pension schemes and monitoring hours and absence etc

Contribute to pay strategy working closely with the CEO

Issue contracts for all project staff

Keep up to date with all relevant employment legislation

Responsible for personnel related paperwork, including project staff allowances, holiday pay, and preparing payslips

Team Responsibilities

Keep Alibi s vision and values at the heart of everything you do

Contribute to making Alibi an inclusive and welcoming organisation to work for, visit and engage with

Contribute ideas to the Sustainability Strategy and consider more environmentally friendly ways of working across the organisation

Contribute ideas to the business plan and feed your thoughts and perspective into organisational planning

Keep up to date with developments in areas related to your role and seek out inspiration

Represent and advocate for Alibi, taking part in promotional activity when appropriate

Maintain a flexible, collaborative and hands on approach to your work

Support events and performances as necessary and contribute to the smooth running of the building

Adhere to company policies, systems and procedures especially in the areas of H&S and financial management

WHO WE RE LOOKING FOR:

You'll have experience as a General Manger, though this may not be within the Arts Industry. You ll be happy managing your own workload within a small and fast-paced team.

Essential Skills & Experience

Confident using Outlook and Microsoft Office programmes

Confident managing your own workload and prioritising tasks

Experience of setting, managing and reporting against budgets

Experience managing financial admin e.g. invoicing, petty cash

Experience of managing HR

Experience of drawing up contracts

Knowledge of Health & Safety and how it relates to our activity

Strong interpersonal skills and able to build rapport and communicate clearly with a variety of people, e.g. general public, children, freelancers, volunteers, teachers, donors etc.

Excellent planning and organisational skills

Is happy and effective working as part of a small, close-knit team

Able to adapt to a dynamic environment, using initiative and pitching in when needed

Desirable Skills & Experience

Previous experience in an arts organisation and/or in the charity sector and/or working with children
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