ROPETACKLE ARTs CENTRE

Facilities Manager 30 hours

Job Description

ROLE DETAILS:

Responsible to: Centre Manager

Hours: 30 hours per week (including mornings and some evenings)

Place of work: Ropetackle Arts Centre

Salary: £26,000 - 30,000 per annum, pro rata depending on experience.

Start date: ASAP

Contract type: Permanent

Probation period: 3 months

Annual leave: 21 days per annum plus statutory bank holidays Pro/rota

ABOUT THE ROLE:

This is an exciting opportunity at Adur’s flagship arts venue, the multi-award winning Ropetackle Arts Centre in Shoreham-by-Sea!

We’re looking for a passionate, dynamic, proactive individual with a keen interest in the arts.

Ropetackle is a registered charity run by a Board of Trustees, a small team of dedicated staff, and a happy band of 80+ volunteers.

Since opening in 2007, it has become established as one of the leading arts venues in the south of England, attracting audiences in excess of 40,000 per year, and winning numerous awards including most recently the 2023 Adur and Worthing Business Award for Hospitality, Tourism, and Leisure.

Ropetackle offers a year-round programme of live events and activities, as well as a range of community projects. From top comics to rock legends, bestselling authors to magical panto, Ropetackle brings local, national, and international artists to the heart of West Sussex.

Our mission is to engage and enrich the lives of the people of Adur, by delivering a sustainable, community-led and co-designed, dynamic programme of accessible, relevant, and wide-ranging creative activities, with top level professional performers and local artists.

Our vision is to make Adur an artistic centre of excellence; one that delivers an eclectic range of relevant, inspirational, and sustainable creative pathways and performance opportunities for people of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR:

The Facilities Manager will be principally responsible for all premises aspects of the Centre including keeping the Centre safe, welcoming and running smoothly, overseeing the day-to-day maintenance of the building, carrying out repairs, resolving issues and ensuring the Centre is ready for staff, performers, visitors and events, including seating and stage.

The role will also require familiarity with relevant legal issues including lease terms, statutory compliance, contracts (maintenance, repairs, etc.) and service charges, rating and insurance.

The candidate should have sufficient IT capability to deal with necessary data, records, calendars, etc.

The ideal candidate will be a confident communicator with a proactive approach and a good understanding of buildings and maintenance. They will be comfortable getting involved in a wide range of tasks, from fixing day-to-day issues to coordinating contractors and facilitating and supporting the Project Manager during the building refurbishment.

The Facilities Manager should have experience of and be expected to play a leading role in the managing of capital projects including improvement, repair and refurbishment.

The Facilities Manager will report to the Centre Manager, working closely trustees, other members of staff and volunteers as appropriate.

The work pattern will allow for some flexibility whilst ensuring necessary support for events, emergencies, contractors, etc.

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES:

Overall responsibility for all aspects of the Centre, including (but not limited to) maintenance and repairs, insurance, rating, lease compliance and service charges

Ensuring that the Centre (and the Trust) is fully compliant with all relevant statutory and regulatory requirements.

• Maintaining a safe environment for staff, volunteers, performers, contractors and visitors.

Support health and safety procedures, including building checks, reporting faults and maintaining records.

Ensure maintenance issues are dealt with promptly and appropriately.

Maintenance: Manage routine repairs, planned preventative maintenance (PPM), and emergency responses for mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems.

Contractors: Hire and supervise external vendors for cleaning, security, catering, and waste management.

Safety & Compliance: Ensure all properties meet legal health, fire safety, and building regulations.

Budgets: Track operational spending, negotiate vendor rates, and find energy-saving efficiencies.

Projects: Coordinate office moves, refurbishments, and space planning initiatives.

Council: Liaising with Adur District Council (and its successor) in relation to all issues affecting the lease and maintenance

KEY SKILLS & QUALIFICATIONS:

• Leadership: Ability to supervise internal teams and manage third-party service

Health and Safety: Basic accredited safety training such as IOSH (Institution of Occupational Safety and Health) or NEBOSH certificates to ensure regulatory compliance.

Software Literacy: Basic familiarity with Computerized Maintenance Management Systems (CMMS) or general workplace IT packages.

Core Skills: Demonstrated competencies in basic budgeting, vendor coordination, and routine problem-solving

Work collaboratively with the wider team to support the successful running of the Arts Centre.

Qualifications: HND , IWFM Level 2 or Level 3 or equivalent industry experience.

PERSONAL SPECIFICATION:

ESSENTIAL

• Practical experience in building maintenance, caretaking, facilities or a similar hands-on role.

Experience of decision making, including at the high level required to comply with the above responsibilities.

• Good understanding of general building repairs and maintenance.

Confident problem solver with a "can do" approach.

• Excellent communication skills and ability to work well with different people.

Ability to work independently and prioritise tasks.

• Good attention to detail and pride in maintaining a high-quality environment.

Basic IT skills for emails, reporting and maintenance records.

Flexibility to support events and occasional out-of-hours requirements.

Desirable

Experience working in an arts, cultural, community or public venue.

Experience working with contractors or during building projects/refurbishments.

Experience supporting live events or performance spaces.

• Enjoys being part of a busy, creative and community-focused environment.

Working Hours:

30 hours over 6 days per week, including Saturdays

flexibility is essential to fit around the many busy evets we hold

HOW TO APPLY:

Please send your CV and a cover letter outlining how you meet the requirements of this role to: centremanager@ropetacklecentre.co.uk

The closing date for applications is:

If you have any questions about the role, please contact centremanager@ropetacklecentre.co.uk