Operations Manager
Salary circa £30,000
Full-time permanent position

The Oxford School of Drama is one of the leading UK Conservatoire Drama Schools. It has a unique and beautiful setting in the Oxfordshire countryside and provides the perfect place for students to immerse themselves in developing their craft as actors.

The School runs accredited vocational courses to train actors for the profession. Graduates go on to pursue successful careers in theatre, film and television. The School auditions around 1,000 applicants each year for places at the School and accepts just 3% of these on to its full time courses: nineteen students each on the Three Year and One Year Diplomas in Acting. It also runs a Six Month Foundation Course in Acting. Its future plans include a programme of short courses and other performance events.

The School is at an exciting period in its artistic evolution as it builds on its well-earned reputation for being a stimulating and nurturing environment where an actor-in-training is encouraged to develop as an artist.

The Operations Manager is a hugely varied and rewarding role with responsibility for ensuring the smooth running of many aspects of the School’s activities. Working closely with the Executive Director, the Operations Manager will involve themselves in a wide variety of tasks working with students, tutors, staff, theatre and film directors and other production staff as well as professional venues. This role would be perfect for someone who has a friendly can-do attitude, strong organisational and practical skills, who enjoys solving problems and thrives in an environment with lots of variety. Experience in the performing arts would be an advantage but if you have a strong interest in theatre and film and you are eager to learn then this isn’t essential.

The Oxford School of Drama is an equal opportunity employer. We positively welcome the contributions of people from a wide range of backgrounds, recognising the value that different perspectives bring to the School. We actively work to ensure an equal opportunities culture for all employees and freelance staff and seek to employ people currently under-represented in the creative and cultural sector.

Operations Manager

Key Responsibilities

Operational management – students and teaching staff support
• To take a lead role in the set-up and management of the teaching timetable and tutorial timetable in conjunction with core members of the teaching faculty;
• Organise the bookings for all off-site rehearsal and teaching spaces;
• Establish and maintain clear lines of communication with all timetable stakeholders throughout the life of each timetable;
• Produce and distribute all freelance tutor agreements;
• Provide organisational support for student assessments to meet the criteria set by the School and the validation body, Trinity College London;
• Plan, produce and distribute students’ termly reports and feedback;
• Develop and maintain IT systems that support the staff and students to teach and learn;

Theatre and Film Production Support
• Provide organisational support for student theatre and film productions - organise and lead production meetings, be the day to day liaison taking responsibility for aspects such as purchasing production materials, planning and logistics and health and safety;
• Produce and distribute agreements for creative and production teams, including liaison with agents;
• Liaise with professional venues and lead on coordinating contracts and agreements;
• Have a role in managing some aspects of the production budgets;
• Coordinate the school’s costume and furniture store and the hire of any costume or equipment required for a production;

Buildings and technical equipment
• Take responsibility for the maintenance of the theatre space at the School and its lighting and sound equipment (training will be provided on the operation of equipment, if required);
• Be responsible for the safe storage and maintenance of all technical equipment, including cameras and recording equipment and maintain a system for easy access and use for students and staff;
• Oversee some services and contracts to support the day to day maintenance of the School site;
• Take the lead on sourcing ecologically sustainable solutions for the School;

Day to day operations
• Be one of the designated First Aiders (training provided);
• Be responsible for maintaining student attendance records;
• Organise and coordinate school transport;
• Produce and coordinate the weekly student tidying rota, overseeing the daily process;
• Organise and coordinate the school library including the signing in and out of items by students;
• Have a duty management role with other team members to un-lock and lock up all buildings;
Other
• To carry out these responsibilities with due regard to the school’s Equal Opportunities and Safeguarding policies and procedures.
• Attend student performances at the School and other venues;
• Any other duties as may be reasonably required.
Person specification
The ideal candidate will have experience of working in an administrative role possibly in education or the performing arts. You will have good organisational and practical skills and you will relish the challenge of supporting young adults to achieve their creative goals. You will enjoy working on your own initiative but also value working in a small and committed team of passionate individuals.

Experience and Knowledge
• At least two years’ experience of working in an administrative/organisational role in any environment;
• Good experience of working effectively with a range of IT software;
• Experience of working to deadlines and in an environment with multiple priorities;
• Experience of keeping accurate and timely records;
• Some experience that demonstrates hands-on practical skills;
Skills
• High level of literacy, numeracy and accuracy in all areas of work;
• Have an aptitude for practical, hands-on work;
• Ability to manage multiple work streams at once;
• Good interpersonal skills, able to interact with a range of people, including students and teaching staff;
• Able to organise your own time effectively and to work collaboratively as part of a team;
• Ability to keep information confidential;
Personal qualities
• Confident and outgoing;
• Ability to be flexible, work calmly under pressure, multi-task, take initiative and work to strict deadlines;

Other
• Driving licence with access to independent transport daily – the School is in a remote location with no public transport connections;
• Willingness to work some evenings and weekends;
• Willingness to act as one of the First Aiders (training provided);
• Willingness to undergo a Disclosure and Barring Service check.

Summary of employment terms

Contract: The post is offered as a full-time permanent contract

Salary: Circa £30,000 per annum dependent on experience

Pension: 3% Employer and 5% employee contribution into a pension

Probation: Two month’s probation with one month’s notice.

Hours: 9.00am – 6.00pm within the school’s term time and 9.30am – 5.00pm during the school’s holiday periods. The holiday hours need to be taken as far as is reasonably practical in relation to the demands of the role. Evening work will be required very occasionally (for example to duty manage in-house performances at the School).

Holiday: 25 days per year plus statutory holidays. The majority of the holiday entitlement is to be taken outside of term time. The School operates on any Bank Holidays that falls during term time. A day off in lieu will be given outside term time to compensate for these. There is no provision for overtime.

Notice Period: Two months following a successful probation.

Criminal Records: This post is exempted from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (1974) and an offer of employment will be subject to satisfactory clearance from the relevant checking authority overseeing work with children, young people and vulnerable persons (currently the Disclosure and Barring Service).

Residence: The successful applicant will be required to provide proof of eligibility to work in the UK.

References: All offers of employment are subject to the receipt of satisfactory references.

How to apply
Applications should be made by submitting a covering letter and a CV. Applicants also need to complete an Equal Opportunities Form. An Equal Opportunities Form can be found on the Oxford School of Drama website.

Applications should be submitted to l.wilson@oxforddrama.ac.uk

Deadline for completed applications 8pm on Sunday 8 August 2021.

Interviews will take place in w/c 9 August 2021.

If you would like to discuss the role further please telephone to speak to Liz Wilson, Executive Director, on 01993 812883 or email l.wilson@oxforddrama.ac.uk

Equal Opportunities
The Oxford School of Drama is committed to Equal Opportunities in its recruitment practices and in particular aims to ensure that no potential or actual employee receives less favourable treatment on the grounds of age, gender, sexual orientation, religion, disability, ethnic origin or income. Please let us know if you would like a copy of our Disability Equality Policy or Equality Policy.

The Oxford School of Drama Trust is an equal opportunities employer
Registered charity no: 1072770