Event Duty Manager

Event Duty Manager

Role Title
Contract

Event Duty Manager
Either
Annualised hours contract based on 312 hours per annum

Or
Casual contract, based on a minimum of 100 hours in the course of
12 months
Shifted hours averaging 12 hours per week, mainly evenings and
weekends between May and September
£5,483 per annum or £17.57 per hour
Pro-rata entitlement of 33 days per annum based on 25 days leave
plus 8 bank holidays (actual entitlement is 5.5 days)
Events Coordinator
Supervising clients, guests, event activities and suppliers during
commercial hires (private and corporate events and weddings)
Chelsea Physic Garden, 66 Royal Hospital Road, SW3 4HS

Hours

Salary
Holiday

Reporting to
Responsible for

Location

About Chelsea Physic Garden

Chelsea Physic Garden is a historic botanic garden founded in 1673. It is a Grade-I listed
heritage site, a conservation area and a working horticultural facility open to public visitors,
horticulturalists and school and community groups. It is home to a significant and world-
renowned collection of over 5,000 medicinal, edible and useful plant taxa.

Chelsea Physic Garden is operated by a registered charity founded in 1983. The Charity’s
vision is to inspire wonder, wellbeing and discovery by uniting people with plants that
heal.

To raise funds in support of this vision, the Garden offers certain areas and facilities for
commercial hire by private and corporate clients. These include wedding ceremonies and
receptions, corporate events, private celebrations, birthday parties, dinners, memorials,
educational and charitable initiatives, workshops, seminars, brand activations, product and
book launches, diplomatic functions, and filming and photography productions.

Role Specification

The Event Duty Manager supervises the Garden, and acts as the venue supervisor and
primary point of contact for clients, event guests and external contractors (suppliers)
throughout the set-up, delivery and de-rig of events, with support and guidance from the
Events Coordinator.

The Event Duty Manager should ensure all event activity takes place in consideration of the
venue’s historic and botanic garden setting, and in compliance with its Premises License
restrictions, conservation policies, and the individual arrangements agreed with clients for
their event.

Key areas of responsibility

1. Health and Safety, Fire and Security

While on duty, the Event Duty Manager will be responsible for Health and Safety of
visitors, staff, guests and suppliers on-site, and will lead the response and evacuation in
case of an emergency in line with the Garden’s emergency procedures, Health and Safety
policy and in-house training.

The Event Duty Manager will also:

identify safety and fire hazards before and during commercial hires

•
•  provide information to clients, suppliers and guests concerning hazards at the

Garden

•  monitor extreme weather conditions including high winds in case of tree branch

drop
conduct patrols of the Garden during commercial hires

•
•  ensure clients, suppliers and guests comply with the Garden’s biosecurity and

conservation policies.

2. Supervisory responsibilities

Following the written instructions, training and briefing from the Events Coordinator, the
Event Duty Manager will:

•  Open and close venue entrances and other facilities for event personnel
•  Ensure event set up is conducted safely and in line with the terms and

conditions for hiring the Garden

•  Monitor noise levels within the Garden during events, particularly where music
or entertainment may cause a nuisance to neighbours, ensuring that sound
levels do not rise above set levels at any time

•  Ensure hire terms and conditions are always adhered to during the delivery of

the event, particularly in relation to the care and respect of the Garden’s
facilities and plant collections and ensuring no unauthorised activities are
taking place

•  Supervise event de-rig, ensuring the venue is left in the manner in which it was

found, and that no waste or equipment is left behind

•  Ensure guests and suppliers depart in a safe and orderly fashion, so as not to

breach the Premises License by disturbing local residents

•  Prepare clear and informative reports, and / or carry out event duty

management handover with the events and daytime duty management teams

•  Secure the site after event close.

Person Specification

Skills and Experience

Confident delivering excellent customer service
Strong professional communication skills, especially a proven ability to
be polite but firm under pressure to make special exceptions
Proactive, adaptable and resourceful approach to task management and
problem solving
Attentive to detail within different customer facing and logistic
environments
Resilient and adaptable in high-pressure situations
Experience managing events and functions, preferably for luxury, HNW
and VIP clients
Experience working in hospitality or front-of-house roles
Experience working with external contractors
Interest in horticulture, plants and botanic gardens
Understanding of Safeguarding and Health and Safety
Understanding of Premises Licenses

Essential (E)/
Desirable (D)
E
E

E

E

E
D

D
D
D
D
D

Full support and training is provided for the role, and you are encouraged to apply
irrespective of your experience level.

Additional Information

Chelsea Physic Garden is committed to being an equal opportunities employer.

Our organisational values are:

Inclusion
▪
▪  Sustainability
▪  Openness & Transparency
▪  Respect & Care
▪  Discovery & Enrichment

About the role

The Event Duty Manager responsibilities are shared by two individual postholders, one of
which is currently vacant. These are permanent, part-time posts. The new postholder may
choose from one of the following contracts:

1.  Annualised hours, receiving 1/12th of their salary per month.

2.  Casual contract, paid on a monthly basis for actual hours worked, at £17.57 per

hour.

The majority of shifts take place in the Garden’s main events season between May and
September, on evenings and weekends. The nature of the role means that a certain degree
of flexibility over the days and hours worked is required to meet the needs of the business.
The Garden commits to notify of shifts at least one month in advance.

The role is based at Chelsea Physic Garden, 66 Royal Hospital Road, London SW3 4HS.

As an employee of the Garden, the postholder is entitled to the following benefits:

▪  Travel to Work Loan Scheme
▪  Cycle to Work scheme
▪  Free on site parking
▪  Free taxi travel before 6am and after 11pm
▪  Pensions and Group Life Assurance
▪  20% staff discount in the Physic Garden Shop
▪  50% staff discount in the Physic Garden Cafe
▪  Free admission to the Garden, including for friends and family

Returning your application

Please complete the job application form and equal opportunities form and email them to
jobs@chelseaphysicgarden.co.uk

Dates

Applications will be reviewed and interviews held on a rolling basis. Applicants are
encouraged to apply as soon as possible.