Events Manager

Job Introduction

Interviews will be held on 9th & 10th September 

Role Purpose

Develop, manage and deliver all council-run outdoor events and festivals on the seafront, parks, gardens and open spaces in the BCP Council areas of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole ensuring they deliver a safe and enjoyable experience.

Manage and oversee the Events Team in co-ordinating, facilitating, contract managing and administrating all externally organised outdoor events per year ensuring they comply to deliver a safer and enjoyable experience meeting statutory H&S and commercial targets.

Main Responsibilities

•  Ensure outdoor events, whether organised by BCP Council or external events organisers, comply with all health & safety requirement and statutory and regulatory requirements.

• Lead the Events Framework and be a subject expert in the field of outdoor events and the health and safety and logistical practices involved.
• Liaise with BCP Council departments and external stakeholders to ensure planning and delivery of the events covers all aspects of event planning demonstrated through Event Management Plans. 
• Identify possible new events and work with organisers/commercial operators to develop proposals.
• Help maintain the resort profile and reputation of the BCP Council area as an eventful conurbation and take a lead role in the strategic, operational and logistical development of outdoor events in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole.
• Represent BCP Council within the command structure of outdoor events organised by the Council Events team and be the initial Events team point of contact for any emergency or Incident.
• Oversee the management and monitoring of events budgets and ensure control reduction of costs and maximisation of income to meet targets.
• Negotiate terms and conditions for commercial events and commercial supplier contracts held on BCP Council land and devise contract documentation for these events. Prepare tender documentation and specifications where necessary.
• Work with stakeholders and other council teams to ensure that the film office develops in line with its commercial targets to showcase a destination of film across the BCP conurbation
• To create, through direction, development and management, a pro active events team who are leaders in their expertise of outdoor events knowledge, support both community and commercial organisers
• Manage complex complaints and contentious problems with events understanding the options to make informed decisions.
• Procure, contract manage and develop markets throughout BCP, meeting income targets and ensure they are safe.
• Provide line management to the Events team, celebrating success and addressing performance issues promptly ensuring continuous feedback
• Pro-actively develop the service, identifying new areas of commercialisation and recommending changes in an engaging manner using data to evidence these.
• Manage the business development within Events, supporting across the service unit

The Ideal Candidate

• Degree (or relevant experience) 
• Professional Health and Safety Qualification in Event Management 
• Thorough knowledge of organisational processes and procedures for health & safety legislation with outdoor events and ability to undertake complex risk assessments, crowd dynamic assessments and other complex analytical tools.
• Experience of budget setting and management preferably within a Local Authority
• Extensive experience of effective leadership and motivation of individuals and teams
• Extensive experience of managing multiple projects in a busy environment to include forward planning and adapting to changing environments.
• Extensive experience of working with a variety of stakeholders 

  Personal Qualities & Attributes

• Skilled in being assertive and decisive in high pressure situations and effective delegation.
• Ability to communicate at all levels including with senior management and councillors.
• Good commercial and entrepreneurial acumen
• Excellent people skills in building rapport, motivation and performance management of teams
• Very effective in building relationships with both internal and external industry

  Job Requirements

• Willing to travel, using public or other forms of transport where they are viable, or by having 

access to own or pool car

• Valid, full UK Driving Licence for work purposes.
• First Aid training
• To work in locations between Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole as required
• Flexible working – 5 in 7 days including being on call. Work over major events (e.g.Arts By The Sea Festival) and Bank Holidays.

About BCP Council

BCP Council provides services to a diverse community of 400,000 residents and employs more than 5,000 people. Our area includes over 15 miles of beautiful world-renowned coastline. We can offer career defining roles to transform and improve services. By working with us, you can help deliver a vision of a thriving, word-class, prosperous and inclusive place for generations to come.

Our Benefits

We offer an excellent benefits package to colleagues. Find out more on our website

As a result of the creation of BCP Council in 2019, we are working on simplifying our terms and conditions of service and will be creating a single pay structure which is to be applicable for all employees. It is important to us that we offer benefits that our colleagues value as part of their total employment package and we are reviewing these to make sure we have it right. We have been in a process of collective bargaining since 2019 and have positively worked forward to reach an agreed position with the unions for the new contractual offer. This has taken longer than we hoped and therefore we are having to consider all alternative avenues available to enable us to remove inequality in the organisation as a result of bringing together 3 councils. 

We are in the process of establishing a timescale for implementation, and all colleagues joining us will be included in these changes. We want to reassure everyone that whichever route is taken to reach the new terms and conditions, we can honour continuous service and there will not be any job reduction as a result of the implementation of Pay and Reward.  If you have any questions at all about this process, please feel free to raise this with the hiring manager.