Department:	Programming
Contract type:	40 hours week
Salary:	£36,600 per year
Line manages:	Creative Programme Assistant Freelance staff as engaged Artists commissioned by Woolwich Works

About Woolwich Works

Woolwich Works is a multi-million-pound cultural hub in the old military buildings of the Royal Arsenal that opened in September 2021. Our spaces include a stunning 1500m2 former factory performance and events venue, rehearsal and performance studios, event spaces, outdoor courtyard and a beautiful, buzzing café bar. We’re home to a number of world class resident artistic companies, including Carlos Acosta Dance Foundation, the National Youth Jazz Orchestra and Luca Silvestrini’s Protein. 

This job is being advertised by Woolwich Creative District Trust (the ‘Trust’), an independent not-for-profit organisation founded to run Woolwich Works. We’re here to build an exceptional, professional, inclusive creative community and provide a varied and exciting arts-led public programme. 

This is an exciting time to join the Trust, as we further develop our public facing activity, embracing the flexibility of the buildings, to develop the public programme to engage more and more people at our Woolwich base.

About this job

The Programme Manager is responsible for managing the delivery of Woolwich Works’ public programme. They will work closely with the Director, specialist programmers, promoters, producers and artists to ensure a varied and lively public programme at Woolwich Works. They will work to secure and deliver hires from external promoters and producers across a range of performance genres and own specific aspects of the programme.

They will coordinate all public activity, supporting the Director and Programmers in delivering Woolwich Works own and co-promoted programme, and work with our Resident Artistic Companies, associate artists and other partners to contribute to our vision of becoming a catalyst for great artistic collaborations.

This is a multi faceted role in that it is in equal measure about responding to enquiries and proactively securing bookings; working to develop and deliver content; and hands-on operational delivery and internal coordination.

Is this job for you?

We’re looking for somebody with experience of programming and booking commercial artistic activity. You need to be used to dealing with promoters and producers and have strong promoter relationships and contacts. You’ll understand the need to balance commercial activity with artistic and community activity and be passionate about working for an organization with the community at its heart. You’ll be excited by the range of work we undertake, and you’ll be used to managing multiple projects and juggling priorities as. 

You’ll be a confident communicator, coordinator and negotiator. You will also have operational experience and knowledge of running live performance events in a venue. This is a detailed role that needs you to dot all the i's and cross all the t’s - accuracy is key for every task – administration through to delivery.

Responsibilities

We try to make our job descriptions as straightforward and accessible as possible. They’re not intended to set out every duty in detail, but to explain the key responsibilities so that you understand the nature of the job. How you go about doing it will be discussed and agreed between you and your manager on an ongoing basis.

Key responsibilities specific to this job:

1. To work with the Director and freelance programmers in the development and delivery of Woolwich Works programme, identifying potential projects, managing incoming programming approaches, actively contributing to programme discussions and managing specific areas of activity to ensure a vibrant public programme.
2. To be responsible for the smooth administration and delivery of the public programme, liaising with promoters and producers to ensure timely contracting and on-sale, raising invoices, reporting against key metrics, and line managing the Creative Programme Assistant to ensure efficient administration of all aspects of the public programme.
3. To be responsible for effective diary management, collaborating positively with colleagues to ensure that opportunities are maximized, that space is accurately allocated, and that gaps and potentials are highlighted to build an exciting public programme and accommodate essential commercial hires.
4. Work closely with the Production and Operations Departments to ensure positive delivery of events as required, working operationally and event managing projects to conclusion as required.
5. To be responsible for achieving programme hires targets as set out by the Director, establishing and developing successful partnerships and relationships.
6. Support the Resident Artistic Companies in the delivery of their on-site public programme, and overseeing the Creative Programme Assistant’s management of their space allocations bookings, invoicing for additional space and resolving clashes as required.
7. To work closely with the Marketing Team and external promoters and producers to identify target audiences. Oversee on-sale arrangements for public events, ensuring that any required copy and assets are provided in good time, and ensuring box office targets are agreed.
8. To maintain the programming budget, ensuring accurate records are kept, invoices are issued and followed up, box office targets are set and achieved and funding secured is accounted for, as required.
9. To be responsible for monitoring the effectiveness and impact of the programme, collating data for impact reporting and ensuring that the relevant KPIs and objectives are met or exceeded.
10. To contribute to funding applications as required

General responsibilities

1. To champion and promote the values and behaviours set out in the Woolwich Works Competency Framework and act as an ambassador for the organisation and the borough.

1. To act as a first aider, fire marshal or Duty Manager if required by the Operations Director or Director.

1. To accommodate, support and encourage work experience placements, interns and apprentices.

1. To work safely and encourage and require others to work safely, in accordance with the Woolwich Works Health and Safety Policy and any other relevant policy or procedure.

1. To safeguard the organisation’s data, working in line with the Trust’s data protection policies and in accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. To be responsible for undertaking training and development as required to meet the needs of the organisation.

1. To always act in the best interests of the Trust, and in line with all company policies.

1. To undertake any other duty in line with the level of the job as may be required by the Director.

Person specification

Woolwich Works is open to a range of flexible working to fulfil the whole of the above specification. This might be a single applicant, a partnership or job share, or something else. If you wish to propose something other than a single applicant, please articulate in your application the model you are proposing and how this will fulfil the job specification.

We’ll decide whether to invite you for an interview by reviewing your application against the responsibilities above and the skills below.

Essential skills and experience

Experience of booking artists and space in a venue context

Live event experience – from conception and planning to delivery as a promoter, booker or producer

Experience of project management including developing and managing budgets, collaborative planning and impact evaluation.

Outstanding written and verbal communication skills.

A self-starter, well-practiced in managing a varied workload, balancing conflicting priorities, and working both independently and as part of a larger team.

Excellent IT skills, confident with data and analysis.

Passionate about people, communities, diversity and inclusion Desirable skills and experience

Desirable skills and experience

Experience of using Artifax or other venue management software

First Aid at Work qualification

Experience of safeguarding requirements and the protection of children and vulnerable adults.

Experience of health and safety management and risk assessment; relevant qualification.

Experience of fundraising for projects

A proven ability to embrace a cross-art form approach.

An in-depth knowledge of the Royal Borough of Greenwich

If we invite you for an interview, we’ll explore your suitability for the job based on the contents of your application, this job description and our Competency Framework.

Details
Location: London, SE18, GB