It requires collaboration with colleagues in other venues, central functions and in the wider community to ensure best practice and excellent standards. You will be taking the reins in ATGE’s Richmond Theatre, a beautiful Frank Matcham designed playhouse. The theatre is a key pivot venue between the regional and London theatre market, hosting pre- and post-West End productions for technical periods and public performances alongside its touring production programme. The theatre also plays an active role in the local community supporting the charitable aims of the Richmond Theatre Trust.  

The incoming Theatre Director (Maternity Cover) will be instrumental in elevating the reach and status of this fantastic offering and should be an ambitious visionary with the drive to transform the growth of the operation.  

Key Responsibilities  

To contribute to ATG’s strategic goals by developing an ambitious vision and corresponding business plan for your venue, and implementing short-, medium- and long-term plans to achieve the plan. To achieve, or exceed, budget expectations. Ensure your venue is perceived to be vital to its community, and a desired destination for customers and producers. To offer inspiring leadership both internally and externally.  

Focus 

• Take responsibility for the overall performance of your business, ensuring that there is a balanced approach to Customers, Shareholders, Employees, Reputation, Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Development. 
• Provide and determine the smartest allocation of resources in your control and ensure the balance of resources is proportionate and appropriate to achieve short-, medium- and long-term goal
• Actively create and pursue new income streams, including sponsorship, which fit the overall business objectives and vision
• To work to and help formulate the Business Plan for your venue, in consultation with your Business Manager, Business Director and your Finance Business Partner and deliver against its objectives. 
• Take responsibility for the growth of venue EBITDA as agreed with Board of Directors through setting, monitoring, and reviewing the goals and objectives of the venue’s management team. 
• To contribute to the programming of the venue through participation in an effective and collaborative dialogue with the Programming lead and their team; taking positive ownership of the resulting programme and offering ideas and/or new relationships to contribute to its longer-term development. 
• To create a positive work culture for your team – ensuring a focus on individual development, open dialogue, and creative thinking in order to drive forward performance of both the employee and venue. 
• Ensure your teams are capable and able to deliver first class service to a range of internal and external customers. 
• Ensure the teamwork towards the agreed goals and targets and regularly review performance against those targets, dealing with performance issues appropriately. 
• Represent the venue and ATGE generally as necessary ensuring that the venue maintains its own reputation and its status as part of an industry leading organisation.  
• Support the development and delivery of community engagement activities and seek opportunities to further develop or support the venue through local partnerships. 
• Support the work of Richmond Theatre Trust, participating in meetings and compiling reports as required. 
• Ensure you comply with all legislative requirements for people, standards, health and safety. 

Full job description

We are a Disability Confident Committed Employer, which means that we are taking action to ensure that people with disabilities and long-term health conditions feel supported, engaged, and able to fulfil their potential in the workplace. We will offer an interview or recruitment event to disabled candidates who tell us they wish to participate in the scheme and who demonstrate in their application that they best meet the essential criteria for the role. Where we receive more applications than we are reasonably able to interview for any given role, we will retain applications for the next available interview opportunity wherever possible. 

If you’d like to discuss accessibility prior to applying, please email recruitment@atgentertainment.com for a confidential discussion.  

If you are able to demonstrate many of the essential criteria, we encourage you to apply, and welcome transferable skills from other industries or backgrounds. We can give experience of any desirable criteria but may also use them to decide between candidates for this role. 

Essential  

• Previous experience working in a leadership and management capacity, as a minimum at an equivalent level to a head of department, or in positions of significant responsibility in smaller organisations. 
• Proven ability to organise, lead and motivate a large and diverse team while engendering a sense of teamwork and common purpose.  
• Creative and results-driven approach to delivering sophisticated, high-quality customer service in a busy environment; a focus on and prioritisation of the needs of our customer, client, or collaborator. 
• Ability to pioneer positive change, engaging others and steering the team towards priority goals. 
• Ability to manage and develop internal and external relationships at all levels and collaborate effectively with a diverse team. 
• Skills and practical experience of supporting other people’s development, ideally including managing performance and training. 
• Ability to work smartly, with proven skills in problem-solving, generating new ideas and budget management. 
• A highly organised yet adaptable approach: the ability to plan and prioritise a varied workload, meet deadlines and ambitious targets, with the flexibility to take up opportunities as they present themselves. 
• An ability to create a positive, engaging, and collaborative working environment. 
• Good IT skills, with the ability to learn to use new software and systems.  

Desirable  

• Personal license holder * 
• Knowledge of ticketing or retail systems. 
• Relevant management qualifications or training. 
• Health and Safety qualifications and/or experience. 
• A genuine interest in the live entertainment industry is required; work experience in the industry is desirable but not essential and we actively encourage applications from individuals working in other sectors. 

  * The Theatre Director is required to be a Personal License holder or undertake the training and assessment to gain a license on starting in the role, which ATG will arrange. The application process for a license includes a Disclosure and Barring Service check.