Head of Commercial Operations

University of Surrey Students' Union; Guildford; In loco; GBP 42.000 - 54.000; Tempo pieno

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Surrey Students’ Union in Guildford is seeking a senior role to drive the Community Zone, ensuring safe and accessible spaces for students to socialise and engage. You will work with the Senior Management Team and support the VP Community to meet campaign goals.

You will lead on strategic plan implementation, manage outlets and events, develop new income streams, and oversee health and safety, licensing, and stakeholder relationships across campus.

Mansioni

• Lead on implementing the Union’s strategic plan for the student community and maximise the student experience.
• Support the Vice President Community in delivering manifesto aims and objectives.
• Set up democratic meetings and support structures to capture student input.
• Organise annual events like Freshers’ Fair, Union Ball and Colours Ball with technical and delivery focus.
• Lead delivery of large commercial events such as the Summer Ball.
• Develop and manage the Union’s main venue and two smaller venues, ensuring high usage and quality.
• Develop new commercial income streams and maximise use of buildings and event expertise.
• Act as a management-team member, ensuring resources are appropriately allocated and cost-effective.

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Purpose of the Job

Surrey Students’ Union is the sole representative body for University of Surrey students. Our vision is simple: making sure our students have the best Surrey life. We represent approximately 16,000 students throughout every stage of their University experience, led by a team of elected student representatives and a dynamic staff team. We take pride in the outcomes we achieve for our members, and have been ranked as a top 20 Students’ Union in the National Student Survey for the past five years. We strive to be an employer of choice, where staff enjoy working in a varied and flexible environment. Culturally we foster inclusivity, openness and a friendly workplace where all employees are valued and understand the contribution they make to the organisation’s strategic objectives.

Under the leadership of the Vice-President Community and Head of Commercial Operations, the Community Zone aims to bring together students at the University of Surrey in social events and in our venues across the campuses. It aims to create a sense of community through showcase Union events, celebrating student successes and helping students feel part of life at Surrey.

The role holder will work with the Union’s Senior Management Team to ensure the Union excels in its student commercial provision providing them with safe and accessible spaces and opportunities to socialise, meet people and make lasting memories of their time at Surrey. The role holder will also work closely with the VP Community, supporting them to achieve their goals and ensuring that the Community Zone upholds its democratic function to represent the interests of students at Surrey.

Key Responsibilities

Key responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• To lead on the implementation of the Union’s strategic plan in relation to the student community, ensuring that annual objectives are contributing to long-term goal of maximising the student experience.
• To work with the Vice President Community to ensure they are fully supported in the delivery of their manifesto aims and objectives.
• To, with the Vice President Community, ensure that the Community Zone’s democratic meetings and support structures are setup to capture student input and act upon feedback.
• To work alongside the Activities Manager on organising annual showcase events such as Freshers’ Fair, Union Ball and Colours Ball with a focus on providing technical support and operational delivery.
• To lead on the delivery of large commercial events such as the Summer Ball.
• To lead on strategically developing and managing the Union’s main venue - a high volume, wet-led multi-purpose space with a capacity of 1550, and two smaller venues.
• To lead on the Union’s Manor Park Social venue, ensuring it is a well-used and high quality service for students and staff at the Manor Park campus.
• To develop new and innovative commercial income streams, maximising the use of our building and event expertise.
• To act as a member of the Union’s management team with a key role in ensuring adequate infrastructure and suitable, cost-effective allocation of resources.
• To oversee the high-level running of outlets, ensuring legal compliance, effective financial management and long-term planning with an overarching goal of improving the student experience.
• To identify and implement process improvements within the union’s commercial operations in order to identify and achieve best practice in terms of service delivery across all venues and events.
• To produce robust action plans to solve operational problems, ensuring the correct resources are in place for success, and monitoring the impact following completion, to achieve a culture of continuous improvement in the commercial areas.
• To act as an expert in the fields of health and safety, food safety, fire safety, and licensing, regularly reporting to the Union’s Health and Safety committee which is a sub-committee to the Board of Trustees.
• To lead on discussions with suppliers and negotiating to provide cost-effective goods and effective support to the commercial operation.
• To review and analyse the finances of commercial operations, ensuring that outlets are operating at maximum efficiency, delivering sustainable services, and maximising sales opportunities.
• To deliver effective leadership, training, and mentoring to full-time staff, leading these staff to line manage our part-time staff to deliver the highest standards of service, performance and progress towards the Union’s overall strategic objectives.
• To oversee and develop the training structure within the Commercial part-time staff and stage crew volunteers, ensuring a culture of nurturing future growth, improving employability, and developing transferable skills.
• To engage with University Stakeholders on projects, maintenance and upgrades within the commercial spaces and Union House through regular and effective communication.
• To liaise with external stakeholders such as the Licensing Authority, Surrey Fire and Rescue Service, Police and Pub Watch.