We are delighted to be supporting Park Theatre with the recruitment and appointment of:
HEAD OF HOSPITALITY
Responsible to:Artistic Director
Salary:£35,000 per annum, plus financial incentive bonus
Hours:Full time, an average of 40 hours per week (evenings and weekend work will be required; Park Theatre operates a TOIL policy)
Annual Leave:28 days per annum (including bank & public holidays)
Park Theatre opened in May 2013 after three years of planning and building and is comprised of Park200 (a 200 seat theatre with stalls and circle), Park90 (a flexible studio space), the Morris Space (a multifunctional room used for rehearsals, workshops, readings and the majority of our creative learning activity); Park Pizza Bar and additional facilities (including offices, dressing rooms and a green room). We are a registered charity and a company limited by guarantee, overseen by a non-executive Board of Trustees. We have a talented and dedicated team of 16 permanent staff, plus a pool of casuals and volunteer ushers.
Park Theatre presents work of exceptional calibre in the heart of Finsbury Park. Westrive to ensure that our building, and the work on stage, is inviting and accessible to all.We work with writers, directors and designers of the highest quality to present compelling, exciting and beautifully told stories across our two intimate spaces. Our programme encompasses a broad range of work from classics to revivals with a healthy dose of new writing, producing in-house as well as working in partnership with emerging and established producers from both the commercial and subsidised sectors. Within the industry, we aim to be a creative home from home for actors, writers, directors and producers; we offer our spaces as a platform for development, rehearsed readings or sharings of new projects, with the aim of securing a future life either on our own stage or on another. We are invested and rooted in our local community and seek to work with local residents, businesses and partner organisations to create a better Finsbury Park for everyone. In everything we do, we aim to be warm and inclusive; a safe, welcoming and wonderful space in which to work, create and visit.
Park Pizza Bar plays a crucial part of fulfilling this mission. It is the first port of call for the majority of visitors to our building, and is thus an essential part of our strategy in developing our presence as a welcoming community hub within our local area. As we reopen the theatre after a protracted period of closure, the Pizza Bar has been designed to deliver increasing profits over the next few years. We are looking for a Head of Hospitality with a business brain and strong financial management skills, who can draw together and motivate teams, spot opportunities for enhancing both revenue and our local presence, and ensure that the Pizza Bar generates revenue to support the theatre’s ambitions.
Job Description
The Head of Hospitality will lead Park Theatre’s food and beverage operation, including launching and running Park Pizza Bar, a brand new concept for Park Theatre, providing a unique and quality pizza offering as well as snacks from independent suppliers. Combined with a second wet led bar, the two locations can serve up to 400 customers per performance.
A further key responsibility of this new role will include working in conjunction with the Senior Management Team to co-curate, develop, plan promote and deliver relevant events with a food and drink focus and a consistent exceptional customer experience.
Reporting day-to-day to the Artistic Director, as well as quarterly to the Hospitality Board of Directors, the Head of Hospitality is responsible for the day-to-day operation of all hospitality, ensuring that staff are trained, engaged and motivated, and excellent customer service standards always maintained. They will implement the Park Pizza Bar Business Plan that maintains the ethos of Park Theatre whilst also maximising profitability. In addition, they will also work with the Sales & Marketing and Development Departments, as well as visiting producers and external event planners and clients to cater events, such as press nights, in-house fundraising galas and relevant complementary external events.
A strong hospitality customer experience background and ethic is essential to this role.
Responsibilities
Financial
- To set budgets and forecasts (in conjunction with Theatre Senior Management Team) and ensure they are achieved or exceeded to achieve a defined profit to the parent charity (the Theatre).
- Extrapolate information from EPoS system and utilise to manage and refine the operation, regarding profit and loss, products and sales, monitoring performance against targets and proposing adjustments to improve financial performance.
- Ensure payroll paperwork is completed and submitted to the Finance team in time for schedule payroll runs.
- Working with the Finance department, ensure cash handling and bank reconciliation procedures are robust and effective.
- Develop and implement an annual business strategy to maximise opportunities for raising revenue from the Hospitality operation and meet and ideally exceed the agreed bottom line target, as set at the start of each financial year, including private hires on days when the building is not in use.
- Report quarterly on progress to the Hospitality Board of Directors.
Customer Experience
- Lead and encourage a culture of exceptional customer experience across all hospitality team members.
- Line manage all hospitality team members including dealing promptly with disciplinary and grievance matters.
- Ensure all decisions are made with the customer at the forefront.
- Set high customer service/ experience standards across all hospitality services and events, ensuring standards are consistent.
- Set up, manage and monitor a system of service excellence training.
- Objectively manage and monitor consistency of service excellence in conjunction with food and beverage quality and value for money.
- Proactively respond to any customer complaints and compliments within 24 hours maximum.
Hospitality Revenue & Profit Optimisation
- Within the cultural and programme parameters of Park Theatre and in conjunction with the Senior Management Team and Artistic Team optimise the revenue and profit potential from all hospitality activities and events, including co-curating a regular late night offering.
- Motivate and lead team to ensure that revenue and profit optimisation is interwoven across all the Hospitality Team DNA.
- Monitor and track hospitality and profit optimisation, while maintaining customer experience and value for money.
Park Pizza Bar Development
- Implement the Park Pizza Bar Business Plan and support in the development and evolution of the concept.
- Maintain awareness of competitor pricing and wider landscape and report findings to Senior Management Team with any recommendations.
- Ensure consistent portion and quality standards, delivering the aims of the business plan, including embracing fresh, local quality produce and suppliers.
- In conjunction with the Sales and Marketing department actively promote Pizza and the broader offer via relevant social media channels.
Operations – General / Procedural & Relationships
- Ensure strong procedures are in place for daily opening and closing.
- Ensure Park Pizza Bar reflects the ambitions and objectives set out in the Park Pizza Bar Business Plan.
- Ensure adequate staffing levels throughout the day and evening for all relevant hospitality activities whilst ensuring labour costs are cost effective.
- Support the Pizza Chef with ordering and overseeing the food operation.
- Oversee ordering of bar and other stock and ensure robust stock control methods are in place.
- Ensure adequate wastage procedures are in place and report via the reporting format
- Manage partnerships with current suppliers, and actively develop new supplier connections in order to continue developing and enhancing our offer
- Ensure exceptional levels of food hygiene and cleanliness are maintained across the Hospitality operations at all times.
- Recruit, contract, induct and train new members of the Hospitality Team as appropriate, including performance management where needed.
- Ensure the licence is adhered to at all times.
- Ensure the Hospitality staff team have a strong working knowledge of Spektrix, the Theatre’s box office system, in order to make ticket sales when needed.
- Responsible for all Hospitality EPoS systems, (PointOne and CrowdEngage) and for all related management of data as well as relevant team training.
- Work with Park Theatre’s operations team to ensure robust evacuation procedures are in place and Hospitality staff are appropriately trained.
- Manage all direct requests for events, including providing costings, discussing requirements, and delivering the event.
- Work with Park Theatre staff, visiting producers and external clients to deliver catering requirements for internal and external events and visiting shows or hires, including press nights and fundraising events.
- Internally manage and monitor the Hospitality operation against agreed KPIs.
General
- Ensure a strong working knowledge of PointOne, CrowdEngage, Spektrix and any other systems necessary to the role.
- Act as an ambassador and advocate for Park Theatre at productions, press nights and other events.
Person Specification
Essential:
Highly self-motivated.
- Previous management experience in a fast paced bar, café or catering environment.
- Exceptional knowledge, experience and track record of delivering exceptional customer experience.
- Experience of developing alternative hospitality revenue streams and optimising profit via implementing changes and improvements within a hospitality environment.
- Excellent financial skills and proven ability in managing budgets and optimising profit potential via cost management and sales optimisation.
- Excellent management skills and the ability to motivate and develop a team.
- Experience of recruiting, inducting and training new team members in a catering environment.
- Knowledge of current bar and drink trends.
- Experience of working with suppliers of goods and services, including contract negotiation.
- Excellent organisational and planning skills.
- Proficient in the use of Microsoft Office, particularly Excel and Word.
- Superb time management skills, including managing own time.
- Strong interpersonal skills, with the ability and confidence to interact effectively with a wide range of people from different backgrounds.
- Strong understanding on financial controls and reporting.
- Experience of Licensing Law, Food Safety regulations and all other relevant legal requirements.
Desirable:
Previous experience of working in catering within an arts environment.
- HR experience, including contracting and management of casual workers.
- Previous experience of setting up and launching a new concept.
- Experience of PointOne and CrowdEngage or similar.
- Previous experience of reporting to a Board of Directors of Trustees.
- Personal license holder.
- Level Three food hygiene certificate.
- Relevant marketing experience/ application.
Application Procedure
Applications should be made by submitting a letter explaining in no more than two sides of A4 what attracts you to the position and evidence of your ability to fulfil the role and meet the person specification. Please also submit a C.V. and a complete an Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form by visiting https://cutt.ly/Lki5oDV.
Park Theatre operates a Positive Action policy to aid in our endeavour to diversity our workforce. Any disabled candidates or candidates who identify as ethnically diverse who meet the essential criteria listed in the person specification will be guaranteed a first round interview. If you feel that this applies to you, please include the following sentence at the end of your application letter: I would like my application to be considered under Park Theatre’s Positive Action policy.
Applications should be addressed to Jez Bond, Artistic Director and sent via e-mail to jobs@parktheatre.co.ukby 10am on Tuesday 15 June 2021. First round interviews will take place w/c 21 June 2021.
Posted on May 21st, 2021
