Community Manager

Role: Community Manager

Salary: £35k - £40k p/a

Reports to: Operations Manager

Working Pattern: 37.5 hours per week, 10:00 AM - 18:00 PM

Department: Operations

Location: Hackney Downs Studios, E8 2BT

Employment Type: Fixed-Term Contract (Maternity Cover) with possible permanent opportunities afterwards

Role overview

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a personable, driven, and ambitious Community Manager to join the team at Eat Work Art. Based at Hackney Downs Studios - home to over 160 private studios, two coworking spaces, and a vibrant mix of retail and food & beverage businesses - this role sits at the heart of a dynamic creative community.

As Community Manager, you'll take a hands-on, holistic approach to enhancing the resident experience. Your responsibilities will span key areas including facilities and building management, hospitality and customer service, community engagement, resident retention, and the continuous improvement of internal processes and systems.

We’re looking for someone with exceptional communication skills and a strong eye for detail - someone who leads by example, sets high standards, and inspires a team of Community Assistants and Front of House staff to do the same. A natural extrovert, you’ll thrive on connecting with people and building lasting relationships within our creative community. Delivering outstanding customer service will come naturally to you, and you'll take full ownership of every resident touchpoint, shaping a welcoming, professional, and inspiring environment you and your team can be proud of.

Who we are

Eat Work Art is a leading provider of creative workspaces in London and Devon. Since 2009, we’ve been transforming distinctive buildings into vibrant ecosystems for artists, makers, and independent businesses. Our work is shaped by a deep understanding of creative culture and a commitment to building dynamic, collaborative communities.

Our spaces are home to industry-leading creatives across design, music, fashion, food, and the arts - people who are at the forefront of their fields. Our workspaces are known for their curated mix of wellness, retail, and hospitality experiences. Some of our best-known locations include Netil House, Netil Market, and Hackney Downs Studios.

Eat Work Art is a place to do meaningful work alongside people who care deeply about what they contribute. It’s more than a workspace - you’ll be part of the very community you’re helping to shape.

Key Responsibilities

Operations

• Ensure the building is safe, clean & maintained at all times, taking full accountability of the standards of presentation
• Delegate to and manage performance of contractors & staff to ensure these standards are met and compliance is high at all times
• Take a commercial approach to the services and amenities on offer, ensuring both brand alignment and best value for money when considering suppliers
• Propose improvement plans & costs based on residents feedback and findings from regular building walks
• Propose systems and processes to improve the efficiency of the operations in your specific site
• Use a data-led approach to produce and track KPIs for yourself and your team taking into account renewal rate, resident feedback, complaint frequency & response/resolution times
• Have a natural authority over your site, making decisions and resolving issues with confidence and buy in from other departments
• Take a creative and proactive approach to ensuring that all resident touch points are considered and contribute to an impeccable environment

Resident Experience

• Instil and nurture a consistently positive sentiment among the residents, ensuring this remains high during challenging times
• Resolve complex resident issues in a timely manner ensuring the resident feels heard and respected throughout
• Devise effective ways of gathering resident feedback and analyse/present the results. Use these results to inform KPIs and overal site strategy
• Have a thorough understanding of resident retention rates and the reasons why these may fluctuate - anticipate the needs of residents or potential issues before they arise to encourage retention
• Develop and apply in-depth knowledge of residents to promote specific values & benefits of EWA that will encourage satisfaction and retention on an individual level
• Devise a programme of resident-focused events each year to ensure authentic engagement and collaboration between residents
• Lead on overall resident culture, facilitating connection and collaboration by getting to know residents and their work in a genuine and authentic way

Essential Requirements

• Minimum 2 years experience in a similar role
• An understanding of the workspace market & creative industries and a genuine interest & curiosity in our residents
• Experience managing a team of at least 2-3
• A natural conversationalist, balancing a warm and professional style of both written and verbal communication
• The ability to deliver feedback to your team and to suppliers/providers with positive results
• Exemplary problem solving skills
• Ability to work well under pressure and manage an unpredictable workload

Benefits

• Generous Health & Wellness Package
• Company Events
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Perkbox Membership
• Discounts with EWA Access
• BUPA 24/7 Counselling support
• Aviva Pension
• 23 days holiday, plus bank holidays and 1 additional day per year (up to 3 years)