Venue Director

Southend-on-sea, Essex
HQ THEATRES AND HOSPITALITY-1

As Venue Director, you will be the driving force behind the success of your venue – shaping its vision, leading its people, and ensuring its place at the heart of both the local community and Trafalgar Theatres’ national portfolio.

This is a leadership role for a dynamic, commercially minded, and creative individual with the ambition to deliver exceptional customer experiences, achieve outstanding business results, and position the venue as a cultural destination of choice for audiences, artists, and producers alike.

You will balance strategic vision with operational excellence, inspiring your team to deliver first-class service and innovative approaches, while ensuring commercial growth, community engagement, and long-term sustainability.

Through strong and capable leadership, the Venue Director has a direct responsibility for the ongoing success of the venue; driving a process of continuing improvement; embedding a culture that is focussed on results; and ensuring the effective management and motivation of the venue team.

The Theatre Director reports to the Regional Director and has wide-ranging relationships with others across Trafalgar Entertainment.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategy & Commercial Leadership:

• Own the venue’s strategy and business plan (short, medium, long-term) to achieve or exceed budgeted EBITDA and growth targets. Track KPIs/OKRs and course-correct decisively.
• Plan and forecast budgets, maximise profitability across all revenue lines (primary and secondary), and ensure strong financial controls and timely reporting with central finance.
• Allocate resources smartly and proportionately to deliver targets; monitor labour efficiency and cost as a % of profit.
• Create and pursue new income streams (e.g., hires, corporate partnerships, sponsorship) aligned to venue vision and group strategy.

Programme, Product & Marketing:

• Contribute actively to venue programming with the central Programming team; bring ideas, relationships and local intelligence, and take ownership for delivery and results.
• Ensure timely, accurate contracting for events, performances, hires and activities in line with company policies.
• With the venue marketing team, shape in-venue marketing strategies to support campaigns to deliver attendance, revenue and brand targets; share performance insights to inform future plans.
• Develop strong, positive and collaborative relationships with the central Campaign. CRM and Content teams to ensure marketing activity is aligned and executed excellently

People & Culture:

• Lead, inspire and develop a capable, motivated management team and wider workforce. Set clear goals, review performance, and address issues promptly.
• Embed Trafalgar values; create a positive, respectful, inclusive, collaborative culture that nurtures potential, supports wellbeing and champions innovation.
• Agree and monitor personal, business and service targets with managers
• Create a talent pipeline, identifying key roles

Operations & Standards:

• Ensure excellence in customer service across all touchpoints; achieve attendance and service KPIs.
• Oversee local contracts for cleaning, maintenance and H&S; maintain security, statutory compliance and the highest standards of health & safety.
• Uphold best practice in recruitment, retention, admin, compliance and financial control.

Partnerships, Community & Group Collaboration:

• Build productive relationships with producers, promoters, local authorities, media, tourism and cultural agencies, education providers, amateur societies and community partners.
• With the Creative Learning team, develop impactful community engagement programmes that position the venue as a hub for creativity and learning.
• Work cross-functionally with Trafalgar businesses to unlock shared opportunities and alternative revenue streams. Be an effective ambassador for the venue and the group

PERFORMANCE MEASURES:

• Venue Profitability and EBITDA Contribution
• Achievement of business plan objectives, KPIs, and OKRs
• Attendance, customer satisfaction, and service excellence metrics
• Growth of secondary income and new revenue streams
• Staff engagement, retention, and development
• Delivery of community engagement and partnerships