About the Company:
UP Productions is an experiential design company specialising in large-scale live event curation, production design, festival & conference creation. The core goal of the company is to instigate innovation, collaborate with artistic talent and develop culture through creative arts, music, design and discussion.
The past eight years have seen AVA grow from a one-day, 1,500 capacity showcase to today’s four-day, 12,000+ attendees, multi-venue celebration of Audio-Visual Arts; in Belfast and London with the capital’s leading music and visual arts conference, alongside satellite events in Mumbai, Amsterdam, Dublin, Glasgow and an online audience of over 20 million globally.
AVA earned the title of ‘The most innovative Electronic Music Festival’ by the Irish Times, a ‘Cultural Catalyst’ by the Independent and ‘Europe’s Smartest Young Festival’ by RA.
UP has worked with leading international artists, brands, industry leaders and cultural institutions, including SXSW, ADE, Soundcloud, Abbey Road Recording Studios, Boiler Room, Red Bull Music, Broadwick Live, Hennessy, Patreon and many more.
About the Role:
We are looking for a talented, commercially minded, process driven, operations professional to help us deliver against our ambitious plans for the future.
The Operations Manager will be a pivotal role at the heart of the business. They will oversee all operational aspects of our company strategy, help achieve strategic goals and be responsible for the product KPI’s and flow of information to the Founder.
Working across our portfolio of products, from our festival in Belfast, to our London Conference, to new projects we’re taking to market in 2023, this exciting new hire will be responsible for all delivery and operations across the business.
What we are looking for:
We are looking for a passionate leader to work closely with the Founder on the delivery of everything we do. We’re looking for someone focused and process driven, with meticulous attention to detail that will enable us to deliver events and experiences more efficiently.
They will be experienced and commercially-minded, with a minimum of 8 years in the industry, running complex large-scale events, festivals and / or campaigns. Experience within music and culture is key, along with a passion for AVA and driving innovation in this space.
The ideal candidate will have experience working on the commercial aspects of operations, as well as the logistical, so they are someone who’s comfortable negotiating with partners, from bar suppliers, to local councils. They are meticulous when it comes to budget management and how to run efficient systems and processes to save time and money.
Role
Manage budgets of £1m+, driving efficiencies, and establishing key supplier relationships to meet annual KPI targets.
Manage a multi-discipline team (mostly freelance), who manage their own workstreams
Develop and implement effective project management systems and processes across all AVA & Up Productions events.
Manage sponsorship, media and brand partnerships.
Be the key point of contact for local councils and other representatives and suppliers.
Organise key event deliverables, including but not limited to License, Insurance, Operational & Production Suppliers.
Developing & evolving the company’s sustainability initiatives across all products.
Map staffing and recruitment requirements, supporting managers with the interview process
Managing the HR requirements of the business including holiday tracking, performance reviews and appraisals in line with company policy
Evolving the company playbook and seek support to implement company policies, presenting and disseminating to the team
Responsibilities:
You will have primary responsibility for the delivery, commercial and operational success across the AVA / Up Productions products;
Responsibility for the Operational delivery of each company product, budget & performance
Resource scoping (annual), Resource briefing, recruitment, contracting & management, including the company’s system; Charlie HR.
Sponsorship and Partnerships and the on-site delivery and support they require
Delivery of creative direction, with a particular eye on the efficiency and challenging decision-making in relation to business KPIs and objectives
Creation and implementation of systems and processes driving efficiency across the products
Our Values:
We believe in building from the ground up.
We believe in going the extra mile. Detail & Design are core to our work.
We treat our work as an art form.
We value teamwork and operate as a team.
We are independent, and we support independence.
We believe in thinking beyond boundaries.
