Humanrace
Location
Chessington, Surrey | United Kingdom
Job description
Job and Person Specification: SENIOR EVENT OPERATIONS MANAGER
Company: Human Race Ltd
Position: Senior Event Operations Manager
Location: London office (Clapham Junction), with the option to work from home 3 days a week (set days).
Contract Type: Full Time (Permanent)
We are looking for someone who is experienced in the organisation and operational delivery of large complex outdoor events.
Human Race is a leading mass-participation sports event business. The company is part of the French company ASO, one of the world’s largest sports events organisers whose portfolio includes the Tour de France, and mass participation events like the Paris Marathon and L’Etape du Tour.
Human Race organises best-in-class events in running, cycling, and triathlon in the UK including the prestigious Manchester Marathon (2nd largest marathon in the UK and one of the largest in Europe), Manchester Half Marathon, London Winter Run (the UK’s largest 10k), Royal Windsor Triathlon, and the Dragon Ride. We also deliver bespoke corporate events, such as working with JLL on their large property triathlon.
Our events bring together a community of people taking part in sporting events for reasons ranging from fitness, competition, charity, health, fun, or just to finish. The event participants vary from nervous first timers through to elites, and collectively the events raise millions of pounds for hundreds of charities.
Human Race is a fast-paced, fun place to work with a great team atmosphere. It’s a sociable company of like-minded people with shared goals, values, and interests who take great pride in the events we deliver – whether it’s a triathlon we’ve run for 33 years, or a large major closed road run in central London or Manchester.
Reporting to the Director of Operations we are looking for someone who can bring their proven previous experience of working on large scale / major outdoor events.
You will work across our portfolio and will be allocated a key planning and delivery role at large events, and will also take on Operational or Event Lead roles at others.
You will have hands-on experience in planning major outdoor events. You will be required to take on the operational design, planning, and weekend delivery of an event or of key area (the venue) of our larger events, and all the relationship & stakeholder management, logistical application and thinking required that goes into it. You will have hands-on event planning responsibilities and will also guide and support the planning work of others who may also work in the area.
You will help research and develop new event concepts or acquisitions.
To work on events across the portfolio (planning &/or event weekend delivery team roles), helping to ensure that our events are planned and delivered to a high specification, therefore continuing to uphold our reputation in the marketplace.
To lead on or support event planning as assigned. To undertake all the tasks, actions, thinking, liaison, contracting, managing, documentation creation etc required.
To have an understanding of all the operational areas of the project (transport planning, venue, route, crowd & spectator management, resident and business comms, staffing planning, etc) and what needs to be achieved in each area.
To design the staffing plan for your area / event, assigning roles, and ensuring work schedules and appropriate briefs are planned as necessary.
To ensure that contingency thinking is at the forefront of all planning.
To produce any necessary event documentation and Event Management Plan documentation as required (e.g. transport plans, site plans, start wave plans, risk assessment, event safety plans, etc).
To identify opportunities to improve operations, documentation, processes, and procedures across areas.
To contract and manage suppliers to ensure that they efficiently and effectively provide their services, whilst staying within budgeted limits.
To manage the Operational event budget for assigned events / areas.
When doing an event day role manage your assigned areas of the event site/route including all infrastructure and personnel throughout the set-up, event day(s), and de-rig.
To help develop existing events, and to help research and develop new event concepts and opportunities.
To input as relevant into any event community engagement projects.
To assist in the procurement decisions, and management plan for Human Race equipment both on-site at events and in storage throughout the year.
To help drive forward the best practice management of our event weekend crew.
Any other tasks / projects as required.
With the Operations Director.
With the rest of the Operations Team (internal and freelance).
With the project leads from other departments to ensure strong business compliance and strategic planning
With the event weekend crew & volunteer teams.
With various event and community stakeholders such as venues, councils, emergency services, contractors, etc, to ensure the successful planning and delivery of the events.
Experience:
Proven experience in designing and planning, as well as working in a position of responsibility at, major outdoor events is a must (minimum 3/4 years).
Experience with managing suppliers, costs, and negotiating.
Proven ability to make clear, efficient, decisive, and effective decisions – including when under pressure and when a decision must be made immediately.
Experience of contingency planning and thinking.
Experience in using project management tools and risk management.
Engage professionally across a wide range of external stakeholders.
Commercially minded with the ability to integrate sponsorship requirements into events.
Working knowledge and experience of Crowd Dynamics.
Experience in writing event risk assessments.
Skills
Project management.
Ability to plan, organise, as well as live-time deliver an event or a key area e.g. the start/finish/venue of complex major events to a high standard and within
An understanding of all other areas that feed into the successful planning & delivery of events of size (communications, sponsors/partnerships, et.).
Good organizational skills, high attention to detail, and good time-management skills.
Ability to communicate clearly and concisely – orally, in writing, and on-site at events.
Ability to problem solve – to recognize potential issues, to analyze them and identify solutions, and to implement recommendations clearly (both during planning stages and ad-hoc under pressure on event day).
Ability to work with efficiency, flexibility, positivity, and good humour (especially on the early morning event day starts!).
Ability to provide administrative and professional leadership, direction, and guidance for other members of the team and our weekend crew.
Confidence to negotiate with suppliers on costs where needed.
Ability to exercise good judgement, flexibility, creativity, and sensitivity in response to changing situations and needs.
Ability to deal effectively with challenging situations.
Ability to interact courteously and effectively with participants, staff, contractors, and the public at all times.
Ability to establish, maintain, and foster positive and harmonious working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.
Ability to research, analyze, evaluate, and execute new methods, procedures, and techniques.
Competencies:
Excellent attention to detail.
Highly organised, with a broad skill set, and a creative thinker who can multitask and prioritize.
Confident, resourceful, with an ability to use own initiative, self-motivate and self-manage.
Team player
Ability to work under pressure – in the lead-up to events, and on event weekends.
Personable and passionate.
Goes the extra mile and has a willingness to get hands-on and stuck in on tasks of all levels – during planning & at events.
A focus on quality and improvement, e.g. a desire to make all documents, as well as event day experiences, the best they can be.
Computer literate in MS Office (Excel) etc
Other Requirements:
A full UK driving license.
Willing to drive a van, and to get stuck in on the event site.
Willing to travel to and stay away as needed for event meetings & site visits.
Willing to work multiple weekends and unsociable hours at the portfolio of events. Also staying away from home as/where necessary whilst doing so.
Note: toil days are given in return for event weekend days worked.
Event Dates – FYI the following are weekend dates / event dates in our portfolio in 2024:
Cancer Research UK London Winter Run – 24/25 February
adias Manchester Marathon – 13/14 April
Royal Windsor Triathlon – 08/09 June
Dragon Ride – 22/23 June
JLL Property Triathlon – 28 June (Friday)
PE Triathlon – 13/14 September
Manchester Half – 12/13 October
Benefits
Holiday: 25 days holiday + toil days for event weekend days worked
Cycle to work scheme
Free entry into our Human Race & ASO events for you
5 x free entries into our events for friends & family
Summer Party, Christmas Party, and other regular socials
Office Location: Clapham Junction, SW11 2LN
Office/Hybrid: Currently a hybrid of home working & a minimum of two set days a week in the office (currently Wednesday & Thursday). Can choose to work in the office on other days too if wish.
Core Working Hours: 9.00-5.30pm
Weekend & Other Hours: will be required from time to time (including attendance at event weekends)
How To Apply:
Please apply by sending your CV & Covering Letter to [email protected] with the subject line
“Senior Event Operations Manager Application + Your Name”
by 5pm on Thursday 1st February 2024.
If you feel you don’t match all of the requirements listed yet please don’t be afraid to apply, we welcome applications from all people who are on their journey to be an event expert, and
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