Operations Director, St George’s Guildhall and Creative Hub

Kirklees Metropolitan Council; King's Lynn; On-site; GBP 63,000 - 77,000; Full time

Job summary

The Borough Council of King’s Lynn and West Norfolk is seeking an outstanding Operations Director for St George’s Guildhall and Creative Hub in King’s Lynn, ahead of its autumn 2028 reopening, after a major restoration programme.

The role will shape the operating model, visitor experience and commercial future of a nationally significant destination, balancing culture with strong financial acumen to ensure long-term sustainability.

Qualifications

• Significant senior leadership experience in cultural/heritage environments.
• Strong financial management, budgeting and performance skills.
• Proven ability to lead multidisciplinary teams in complex venues.
• Commercial experience across hospitality, venue hire and partnerships.

Responsibilities

• Shape operating model, visitor experience and commercial roadmap for the venue.
• Lead partnerships, governance and risk management to ensure sustainability.
• Collaborate with trustees, Development Director and Creative Director.

Skills

Senior leadership

Cultural sector experience

Visitor attraction operations

Budgeting and financial planning

Stakeholder engagement

Job description

For an ambitious leader from the heritage, arts or cultural sector, we have a rare and exceptional opportunity to help bring one of the UK’s most extraordinary historic places back to life as a leading international heritage and cultural destination.

We are seeking an outstanding Operations Director to join our team at St George’s Guildhall and Creative Hub in King’s Lynn, as it moves towards reopening in autumn 2028, following a major programme of restoration and renewal led by the Borough Council of King’s Lynn and West Norfolk.

At its heart is the UK’s oldest working theatre, where William Shakespeare himself is believed to have performed in the 1590s, set within a wider site that will become a living theatre, creative hub and community asset where 600 years of history inspires creativity, learning, enterprise and pride in place.

Conservation work on-site is currently transforming the medieval venue, surrounding buildings and courtyards into welcoming spaces for everyone, with a year-round programme of performances, events, exhibitions and education, new creative workspaces, hospitality and commercial uses.

At West Norfolk, we have placed our rich cultural heritage at the centre of our regeneration vision. The Guildhall is our flagship scheme, with the potential to raise King’s Lynn’s cultural profile, support regeneration, grow the creative economy and open up heritage, creativity and learning to wider audiences.

This exciting role is central to making that vision work in practice, shaping the operating model, visitor experience and commercial future of a nationally significant destination from the ground up.

We are looking for someone who understands the power of culture and heritage to transform places, and who can combine that passion with the commercial, operational and financial acumen needed to run a complex public-facing international destination.

Working closely with trustees, senior stakeholders, the Development Director and the Creative Director, the Operations Director will build the systems, teams, partnerships and commercial foundations needed for successful reopening and long-term sustainability.

You will bring:

• Significant senior leadership experience in a cultural, heritage, visitor attraction, arts, leisure, hospitality, charitable or comparable public-facing environment.
• Strong financial management, business planning, budgeting and performance-management skills, with the ability to build long-term sustainability.
• Proven ability to mobilise and lead multidisciplinary staff and volunteer teams in a complex venue or destination setting.
• Commercial experience across income generation, hospitality, retail, venue hire, leasing, partnerships or audience-facing services.
• Sound knowledge of governance, risk, compliance, health and safety, audit and organisational resilience.
• Excellent stakeholder engagement, communication, negotiation and problem-solving skills, with the judgement to advise trustees, funders and senior partners.

For an informal conversation, contact: Kate Blakemore, CEO, on [e-mail] or Robin Lewis, Development Director for the Guildhall Programme, on [e-mail]

Closing date: Noon, Monday 2nd November 2026.

Assessment centre shortlisting: Monday, 16th November 2026.

Interview date: Tuesday, 17th November 2026.

Company: Borough Council of King’s Lynn and West Norfolk

Salary: Up to £70,170

Location: Norfolk, Norfolk

Sector: Corporate Services

Sector: Corporate Management Team

Sector: Regeneration and Local Economies

Job Role: Director