Venue for Good Manager

The Hospice of St Francis; Dacorum; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

An inspiring charity organization is seeking a Venue Manager to lead operations of its new venue and café. This role focus on delivering an exceptional customer experience while managing events and ensuring compliance with safety and operational standards. You will oversee a team of volunteers and be instrumental in establishing the venue as a community hub. The ideal candidate has strong leadership skills, financial management experience, and a commitment to the charity's ethos. Join us in making a difference in the community.

Qualifications

• High level of education, degree level or equivalent.
• 3 years’ customer facing work experience operating at a senior level.
• Venue management including the successful delivery of conferences and events.

Responsibilities

• Oversee daily operations and manage a team of volunteers.
• Plan and deliver a broad programme of events and private hires.
• Manage budgets, stock, and financial performance.

Skills

Leadership

Customer service

Financial management

Event planning

Marketing

Education

Degree level or equivalent

Job description

Main Duties & Responsibilities

This is an exciting new role for an ambitious and commercially minded Venue manager to lead all aspects of our new venue and café with event delivery and organisation. This is a hands‑on role focused on operational excellence, outstanding customer experience and sustainable income growth. As a brand‑new venture, this role will be pivotal in the development of our Venue for Good both commercially and operationally. There will be scope for this role to develop further as the venue becomes established.

You will oversee daily operations, manage and develop a team of volunteers, and ensure the venue and café operate to the highest standards of service, safety, and compliance. You will plan and deliver a broad programme of events and private hires, playing a key role in establishing Venue For Good as an exciting new forum for events, from yoga classes to author signings, including the café, a yurt, the hospice meeting rooms and gardens. You will oversee and continuously improve the end‑to‑end booking journey and on‑the‑day service for internal and external venue‑hire clients, working closely with the wider hospice teams to deliver a consistently high standard of service.

The role also involves budget management, performance reporting, pricing and stock control, client relationship management, and working closely with our fundraising and communications teams to maximise bookings and promote the venue.

Key responsibilities include: café operation and development, leading venue operations and staffing; planning and delivering a wide range of events; managing budgets, stock, and financial performance; developing new income streams; ensuring outstanding customer service; and maintaining full compliance with health, safety, licensing, and operational standards.

Qualifications, Skills, Experience, Knowledge & Approach

• High level of education, degree level or equivalent
• 3 years’ customer facing work experience operating at a senior level
• Venue management including the successful delivery of conferences and events
• A track record of successful leadership and management (experience of leading staff and volunteer teams desirable), team‑player leading by example
• Financial management, strong commercial awareness, including budgetary management
• Proven focus, delivery and understanding of equality, diversity and inclusion within the sector
• An unstinting focus on and demonstrable experience of delivering across all aspects of the role
• Excellent understanding of marketing and drivers for customer engagement to increase sales,
• Proven success in working with targets (experience of successfully driving growth is desirable)
• Proven experience of contributing proactively to creative thinking
• Proven experience of maintaining regulatory compliance in a venue setting
• Kindness, compassion and empathy
• High level of personal integrity and honesty
• Self‑motivated and able to prioritise consistent with organisational objectives and targets
• Commitment to the aims and ethos of the Hospice
• Maintain an awareness of national developments, trends, latest techniques and best practice in relation to the charity retail sector
• Member of the Hospice H&S Committee