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Bar & Events Manager

Salary: £35000 per annum
Terms: Permanent position
Reports to: Operations Director
Hours: 40 hours per week, across a 5 day week Mon-Sun
Holiday: 20 Days, plus 8 public holidays per annum pro rata
Location: Lightroom, 12 Lewis Cubitt Square
Deadline: 13th June 2025, 12PM

ABOUT LIGHTROOM
Lightroom is a new permanent projection-based arts venue which opened in Kings Cross, London in February 2023. Created through a joint venture between 59 Productions and London Theatre Company, Lightroom creates remarkable artist-led shows for audiences in London and across the world.

We invite the world’s leading creative minds to use our vast space and revolutionary technology to create something completely new. Launching with collaborations with the much-loved British artist David Hockney (Bigger & Closer (not smaller & further away)) and actor and producer Tom Hanks (The Moonwalkers), Lightroom aims to be the home of stories from the world’s most exciting voices across all disciplines of the arts, music, popular science or beyond.

Lightroom is located in King’s Cross on Lewis Cubitt Square, adjacent to Coal Drops Yard and Central St Martin’s. The innovative showspace was designed by 59 Productions in close collaboration with Haworth Tompkins, who designed the venue as a sister space to the award-winning Bridge Theatre. Along with a generous Foyer and gift shop, the space also contains a bar and seating area in collaboration with St John. In late 2023, Lightroom Seoul opened in the South Korean capital.

ABOUT THIS ROLE
The Bar & Events Manager will effectively manage the day-to-day running of Lightroom’s Bar, Cafe & Events offer. They will oversee the Bar & Events team for our daily shows and also deliver the events & hires offer. They will work closely with the Head of Visitor Experience to ensure the proactive and successful delivery of a welcoming, clean, safe and comfortable environment for all visitors, guaranteeing Lightroom delivers an exceptional visitor experience for all.

This role oversees all policy and procedures for the department, ensuring the safe and compliant running of Bar & Events at Lightroom. The post holder will be commercially minded, understand budgets, event delivery, stock management, quality control and proactively drive income opportunities.

The role manages the recruitment, onboarding, training, performance management and offboarding processes for the Bar & Events department.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Events & Hires

  • With the Operations Director, develop and build the Events & Hires offer for Lightroom
  • Identify new revenue opportunities across the Events portfolio, developing new event business and introducing new initiatives to complement existing income streams
  • With the Operations Director manage and coordinate all elements of events and private hires
  • To act as a lead on event days, coordinating the team on the floor
  • Lead on the planning of events, coordinating planning meetings, managing event budgets and communicating timelines
  • Build and maintain relationships with catering & event companies to produce an event offering for Lightroom
  • Work with the estate to ensure that best practices are met and are notified where an event may impact the wider estate
  • Create and maintain event documentation for internal and external use

Bar & Cafe Operations

  • Manage and develop all aspects of the Lightroom’s Bar & Cafe operations
  • Coordinate with vendors, suppliers, and contractors to procure necessary supplies and services to meet the business needs
  • Lead on monthly stock takes, accurately reporting and recording findings
  • Coordinate with Marketing and Ticketing teams on special offers and promotions
  • Set and maintain best working practices for the bar and store ensuring they are clean, organised and fit for purpose
  • Manage the POS system for the bar
  • Lead and motivate the team through effective communication, incentives, training and performance management, ensuring high-quality service delivery
  • Develop and implement strategies to enhance the overall visitor experience

General

  • Ensure compliance with health and safety regulations, including food safety and alcohol service laws
  • Produce the rota for Bar & Events ensuring appropriate staffing levels
  • Work with the Operations Director on budgeting, financial planning, and reporting to ensure Lightroom operates within set financial targets
  • Support the Visitor Experience Managers in order to manage day to day operations
  • Occasional Duty Management to support the wider business

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Operations

  • Knowledge and experience of working in a Hospitality or Events business
  • Experience of managing bar and events teams
  • Knowledge of event management, venue sales, marketing and operations
  • Knowledge and understanding of health and safety, food safety and building operations legislation, including for a multi-purpose venue
  • Knowledge of bartending techniques and culinary practices is advantageous.
  • Experience in managing contracts for suppliers
  • Ability to learn new processes, workflows and develop a good understanding of the key requirements and deliverables
  • Strong strategic planning skills and the ability to assess workload and capacity for self and team to manage deadlines
  • Experience of managing budgets and delivering within budget
  • Commercially driven with a proven track record of maximising potential income streams
  • Track record in delivering consistent quality work, while working with multiple workflows
  • A proactive problem solving approach and ability to troubleshoot, when required
  • Resilient, working calmly under pressure, and able to deal effectively with the unexpected
  • Ability to exercise critical thinking and improve service and the departmental procedures

Relationship Management

  • Outstanding communication skills, both verbal and written and an ability to convey complex and detailed information clearly and coherently
  • Ability to lead by example with a high standard of customer care and responsiveness
  • Ability to build positive working relationships with internal and external contacts
  • Experience of managing and working with multi-disciplinary teams and dealing with a diverse range of staff and visitor demands
  • Experience of team management and ability to support team development and coaching, feedback reviews, supervision of allocation of duties and rota management, creating an environment where team members can thrive

Continuous Development / Continuous Improvement

  • Ability to foster a culture of continuous improvement
  • Commitment to managing own learning and continuous professional development

HOW TO APPLY 

To apply, please submit your CV and Cover Letter via this link HERE, under the advert for this role. Your covering letter should detail how you meet the criteria within the person specification and why you would like to be considered for the role.

We also kindly request that you fill in an Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form either via this link or the web page.

Should you wish to reach out for an informal conversation about the nature of the role, please contact our Stage Door team via 0330 500 2148 who will direct your call accordingly.

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

 Applications for this opportunity will close at 12pm on 13th June 2025.

Should you require any special assistance with your application, please reach out via email to recruitment@lightroom.uk or call 0330 500 2148.

We look forward to receiving your application.

We are an equal opportunities employer and value diversity. We encourage applicants from different backgrounds and different experiences.

Apply Here