Studio manager

Closing date: 9th December 2023

Salary: circa £35,000 per annum

Drive efficient project delivery, manage team resources, and foster creativity in a vibrant arts setting as a studio manager.

The Southbank Centre is Europe’s largest arts centre and one of the UK’s top five visitor attractions, occupying an 11-acre site that sits in the midst of London’s most vibrant cultural quarter on the South Bank of the Thames.

We are currently looking for a Studio Manager to join our Design team on a full time permanent basis. The successful candidate will support the Head of Design & Brand in managing and planning the workload of the Design Studio, and delivering projects across the organisation.

The Design Studio works across every Department of the Southbank Centre, from Marketing to Programming, Creative Engagement to Commercial. We are a busy team of nine, actively working on around 100 jobs at any one time.

As Studio Manager, you will be a central component of the design team and the go-to person for internal stakeholders. You’ll be instrumental in realising a multitude of projects across the organisation, helping to facilitate great creative work, and connecting the designers to our internal clients.

You will enjoy working in a fast-paced but supportive environment, and are very comfortable multi-tasking. You’ll be motivated to develop our processes and systems with the Head of Design & Brand, to create an efficient, effective, and equable working environment, aiming to get the best from everyone. Some experience working within a creative agency or in-house design team, and managing the creative process and delivery would be beneficial.

Responsibilities

• Actively managing demand and capacity within the team, including the short-term planning of resource
• Building and managing relationships with internal stakeholders, to ensure effective long-term planning of festivals and campaigns that require the Design Studio’s input
• Overseeing the Design Studio’s schedule of jobs, and allocating jobs to the designers and artworkers
• Helping to estimate the time needed on jobs
• Determining priorities within the team
• Helping to coordinate the larger and more complex festival and campaign identities
• Ensuring the design team are briefed
• Arranging and attending of meetings
• Supporting the Head of Design with sourcing and managing of freelance design and artworkers, and team recruitment and onboarding
• Managing holiday planning, and ensuring adequate cover
• Helping to improve and optimise efficiency within the team through creating, improving and maintaining systems and processes
• Raising POs, managing budget codes, and overseeing a freelance budget
• Creating monthly data reports
• Providing cover for the Print and Design Coordinator as needed
• Any other duties as reasonably requested by the Head of Design & Brand

Knowledge, skills and experience

• Able to demonstrate a methodical approach to the job and a keen eye for detail
• Able to collaborate within the team in order to prioritise projects accordingly, and with external teams to help manage deadlines
• Able to effectively communicate at all levels with both internal and external stakeholders
• Able to work efficiently in a fast-paced environment with multiple deadlines
• Demonstrable or transferable skills in Studio or Project Management
• Experience using project management tools
• Can demonstrate proficiency in using and creating spreadsheet and/or databases
• Able to execute confidently print and digital processes
• Has an interest in working in the Arts/creative sector
• Able to demonstrate an understanding of and commitment to the role that diversity and inclusion play in the activities of the Southbank Centre as a whole and in the work of this particular job

If you feel you have just some of the required skills and experience but meet the person specification, we would still encourage you to apply; we are very open to continuing the training and development of individuals who are self motivated to acquire new skills and knowledge relevant to the role.

Benefits & perks

As well as working at one of London's most popular and exciting  sites the successful candidate will also benefit from the following:

• A min 5% pension contribution (going up to 8% depending on employee contribution), from day 1 of employment.
• 28 days annual leave, plus bank holidays
• Hybrid working model (3 days office working, 2 days from home)
• Enhanced sick pay
• Enhanced family leave benefits
• Up to 30% discounts at onsite retail, food and beverage vendors
• Staff ticket offers for SC events
• Free entry to Hayward Gallery
• Free/discounted entry with other reciprocal organisations
• Free staff yoga 
• Season ticket loan

We welcome applications from people from a Black, Asian or Ethnically Diverse background or those who are D/deaf or disabled. If you wish to discuss reasonable adjustments such as a BSL interpreter for your interview please indicate this on your application form. Interviews will take place at The Southbank Centre. If you would like to speak to someone about any adjustments or concerns you can also email hrteam@southbankcentre.co.uk and we will be in touch with you to make the necessary arrangements. 

By attracting people to work for us from a broad range of backgrounds with diverse attitudes, opinions and beliefs we can continue to look at the world with fresh eyes and find new ways of doing things. The Southbank Centre is a warm and welcoming place to work, with great aspirations and ambitions to create great and accessible work for all. We pride ourselves in building a supportive environment to enable the development of our staff. 

Please state in your application that you found this role through Creative Access.