Job details

Salary: £41,177 to £43,111 per annum (inclusive of allowances)
Location: The Woodville, Gravesend
Status: Full-time, permanent
Hours: 37 hours per week
Closing date: 8 November 2026

The Role

We're looking for an experienced and motivated Deputy Venue & Operations Manager to help lead the day-to-day operation of The Woodville, one of the borough's premier entertainment and event venues.
Working closely with the Venue Manager, you'll play a key role in ensuring the venue delivers an outstanding experience for audiences, performers, hirers and visitors. You'll oversee the Front of House and Catering teams, support the planning and delivery of a diverse programme of events, and help ensure the venue operates safely, efficiently and commercially.
As Deputy Venue & Operations Manager, you'll be responsible for leading and developing operational teams, managing staffing arrangements, supporting commercial activities and maintaining compliance with health and safety, licensing and operational requirements. You'll also deputise for the Venue Manager when required, taking responsibility for operational decision-making and helping drive the continued success and growth of the venue.
This is a varied and rewarding role for someone who thrives in a fast-paced environment and enjoys working across live events, hospitality and venue operations. The role includes duty management responsibilities and requires flexibility as The Woodville operates across seven days, including evenings, weekends and bank holidays.
Key responsibilities
Support the Venue Manager in the safe and efficient operation of The Woodville.
Lead and manage the Front of House and Catering functions.
Line manage the Front of House Senior and Food & Beverage Supervisor, alongside supervising casual staff.
Deputise for the Venue Manager when required.
Ensure compliance with health and safety, licensing and regulatory requirements.
Support staffing plans to meet operational and event requirements.
Help develop commercial opportunities, private hire activity and secondary spend.
Support the training and development of staff across the venue.

About you

We're looking for someone with experience in venue, hospitality, events or visitor attraction management who can combine strong leadership skills with a customer-focused approach.
You will have experience supervising staff and managing operations in a busy customer-facing environment. You'll be confident making decisions, managing competing priorities and leading teams to deliver excellent service.
You'll also bring:
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
Strong organisational and leadership abilities.
Confidence making operational decisions and solving problems.
Good IT skills and administrative capability.
Knowledge of the live events, hospitality or entertainment industry.
An understanding of health and safety and working within licensed public venues.
A professional, resilient and forward-thinking approach.
A commitment to delivering exceptional customer experiences.
A Personal Licence Holder qualification, or the willingness to obtain one, is essential. Experience of managing teams within a live entertainment, theatre, hospitality or events environment is highly desirable.

Working for Gravesham

We are committed to delivering to the community and working with us means you are part of delivering the level of growth and improvement our community needs and deserves. A range of services have been provided to over 106,000 people and 4,000 businesses.
The Borough of Gravesham, situated in the north west corner of Kent, covers 25,000 acres of the most varied countryside in south east England. Bordered by the River Thames to the north, it is at the heart of Thames Gateway and has a significant role to play in the regeneration of a major government growth area.
Read more information about working for us
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Benefits

A minimum of 23 Days Annual Leave plus paid bank holidays
Membership to Local Government Pension Scheme - Local Government Pension Scheme
Access to over 1000+ instant discounts from favourite retailers, restaurants, food delivery services and attractions via our benefits portal VivUp
Career development, training opportunities and access to e-learning
Access to eye care vouchers and VDU Glasses
External Occupational Health service
Cycle to Work Scheme
Access to EAP Services 24/7
Free parking
Octopus Electric Vehicles Salary Sacrifice Scheme

Important Information

Applicants must be able to demonstrate all essential requirements as listed in the job description.
We reserve the right to close this vacancy at any time prior to the closing date.
Please be advised that if you are not contacted within 3 weeks of the advert closing date then you have not been shortlisted. All recruitment correspondence, including interview letters and contracts of employment will usually be sent out via email.
If you would like to have an informal discussion with the recruiting manager, please contact Michael Pearce on 01474 337281.
The proposed interview date for this role will be 13 November 2026

How to apply

We do not accept applications by email. You can apply for this job via our online form.
You will be asked to select the job you are applying for and upload a CV and supporting statement. You will also need to provide details of 2 references so please have these available when starting your application
Apply for this job
You should submit your application by 8 November 2026 We reserve the right to close this vacancy at any time prior to the closing date.
All recruitment correspondence, including interview letters and contracts of employment will usually be sent out via email, if you require documentation in different format such as braille or large print, please contact the Human Resources Team on 01474 337374.

Job Profile

Download the Deputy Venue & Operations Manager job profile
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