Guest Experience Director – Theatre & Venue

Royal & Derngate; Northampton; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

Royal & Derngate in Northampton is seeking a Customer Experience Manager to lead the delivery of outstanding service across both venues, inspiring high‑performing teams and shaping a welcoming visitor journey. You will oversee Front of House operations, manage staffing and budgets, liaise with visiting companies and volunteers, and foster a culture of hospitality while ensuring safety and accessibility.

This role requires strategic thinking, clear communication, and the ability to balance guest

Qualifications

• Significant customer-facing management or supervisory experience in entertainment, hospitality, leisure, cultural or visitor environments.
• Experience leading and motivating teams in fast-paced operations.
• Experience delivering consistently high customer service standards.
• Experience dealing professionally with diverse customers.
• Experience resolving challenging situations and customer issues.
• Experience working with EPOS/till systems.
• Experience managing or supporting volunteers and/or casual staff.
• Experience working evenings, weekends and busy periods.
• Experience managing income and expenditure against budgets or targets and acting on variances.

Responsibilities

• Lead delivery of an exceptional customer experience across both venues.
• Maintain a visible, approachable presence, particularly during busy periods.
• Ensure a consistent, welcoming and inclusive customer journey.
• Identify and implement customer journey improvements.
• Ensure Front of House teams deliver Customer Experience Handbook standards.
• Work across the organisation to resolve issues and improve processes.
• Ensure inclusive support for customers with access requirements.
• Promote a strong culture of hospitality.
• Oversee effective Front of House operations during all activity including keyholder and alarm responsibilities.
• Set staffing and rotas to meet operational, service and safety needs within budget.
• Brief teams clearly on event requirements, risks and customer priorities.
• Liaise effectively with visiting companies, hirers, artists and colleagues.
• Ensure venues are prepared, presented and staffed before opening including VIP Lounge and related services.
• Maintain high standards of cleanliness, presentation and customer facilities.
• Check customer areas regularly and resolve issues promptly.
• Resolve operational issues and escape appropriately.
• Act as Duty Manager when required and provide visible, supportive leadership to Customer Experience colleagues.
• Line manage designated colleagues, providing supervision, feedback and development.
• Manage performance, attendance, conduct and employee relations with the Head of Customer Experience.
• Identify training needs and support the Customer Experience training programme.
• Ensure colleagues understand and can fulfil their responsibilities.
• Recognise excellent service and team performance.
• Support volunteer recruitment, induction, training and management.
• Ensure volunteers are briefed, supported and valued.
• Develop volunteer engagement, training and progression with the Head of Customer Experience.
• Ensure volunteers understand their role in the customer journey and culture.
• Manage relevant income and expenditure within agreed budgets and targets.
• Monitor actual and forecast performance against budget and identify material variances promptly.
• Correct income shortfalls or overspends and escape significant risks or variances.
• Support budgets and forecasts with accurate operational information on pressures and opportunities.
• Control staffing and other costs within budget while maintaining service and safety.
• Support commercial objectives through service and secondary-spend opportunities.
• Coach teams to increase appropriate upselling and customer spend without compromising experience.
• Oversee bars, retail and other customer-facing commercial activity.
• Monitor sales and financial performance against budget, understand variances and act on underperformance.
• Ensure effective stock, ordering, cash and EPOS controls to minimise waste, loss and discrepancies.
• Maintain high presentation standards in retail and bar areas.
• Implement commercial initiatives, promotions and new products.
• Maintain a safe environment for customers, colleagues, volunteers and visiting companies.
• Ensure Health & Safety procedures are followed and communicated.
• Manage emergency procedures, including evacuation, lockdown and vulnerable-person incidents.
• Identify hazards, risks and maintenance issues and ensure action is taken.
• Ensure compliance with licensing and relevant legislation.
• Hold, or work towards, required First Aid qualifications.
• Contribute to relevant Health & Safety, Operations and safeguarding meetings.

Skills

Customer experience management

Leadership

Communication

People management

Budgeting

Health & Safety

Diversity & accessibility

Problem solving

Customer journey

Tools

EPOS systems

Job description

Royal & Derngate in Northampton is seeking a Customer Experience Manager to lead the delivery of outstanding service across both venues, inspiring high‑performing teams and shaping a welcoming visitor journey. You will oversee Front of House operations, manage staffing and budgets, liaise with visiting companies and volunteers, and foster a culture of hospitality while ensuring safety and accessibility.

This role requires strategic thinking, clear communication, and the ability to balance guest