Senior Operations Manager, Arts & Entertainment

London, England, United Kingdom

8/11/2025

Who We Are:

IMG is a global leader in arts, culture, fashion, events, media and sports. The company manages some of the world’s greatest artists, cultural opinion formers, fashion icons and athletes; owns and operates hundreds of live events annually; and is a leading independent producer and distributor of entertainment and sports media.

Responsible for managing and coordinating all operational aspects to ensure the successful delivery of portfolio of outdoor events

Key Responsibilities And Accountabilities

• Take operational leadership of multiple high-profile outdoor events, while providing support to additional key events within the A&E portfolio as needed.
• Act as the planning and operational management lead on key projects including full project management and overall responsibility of the operations budget
• Responsible for supplier appointment and contracting within the events under your control
• Liaise with traders and sponsors, assisting them prior to the event and ensuring these key stakeholders remain invested in the events
• To provide mentoring and guidance to junior members of the operations team
• Liaise with local authority and other statutory bodies including acting as lead contact for SAG meetings and ensuring all licensing objectives and licensing conditions are met
• To write and create the ESMP, Fire Risk Assessment and General Risk Assessment
• Oversee the health and safety and food hygiene process. This will include writing the event risk assessments and safety plans for events
• Responsible for negotiating, contracting and liaising with event contractors
• Manage the full freelance process, ensuring contracts and payment are raised correctly in accordance with IMG Processes
• Manage and set the operational budgets under the guidance of senior management ensuring the wider operations team remain within budget
• Assist the Operations team where appropriate on international events and new business
• Any other duties that are within scope of the role that may be required
• Continuously enhance and expand events by bringing forward creative ideas and strategic thinking, while proactively introducing innovations that elevate the visitor experience and strengthen team performance
  
  

Unusual Challenges or Circumstances

• Regular weekend work where you may be required to travel to events in line with the Arts & Entertainment portfolio,
• Outside of event travel there will be a requirement to travel for meetings as part of the role.
  
  

Key Results Areas

• Deliver high-quality events that are executed safely, on time, and within budget.
• Achieve positive feedback from stakeholders, including event attendees, senior leadership, colleagues, and partners.
• Demonstrate strong planning and organizational skills to meet deadlines, hit revenue targets, and maintain service excellence while managing costs effectively.
• Contribute innovative ideas and fresh perspectives to enhance team performance and event outcomes.
• Actively embody and promote the company culture, participating in initiatives that support team morale and a positive work environment.
• Foster effective communication and strong relationships with internal teams, external partners, and key stakeholders.
  
  

Your Career at IMG

IMG is highly invested in the career development of its employees. If successful in your role, it should provide you with a stepping stone to the next stage and beyond. Examples of roles that people previously advanced to from the role or the level of this position are Operations Director. It is important to note that while most people look at the position of their line manager as the next step, there is significant opportunity for cross-promotion across the many different divisions of the company. This is possible because of the vast scope of our company and will be strongly encouraged.

As a valued employee you will have access to development tools including the Events Mentoring scheme to support your career and personal development with IMG.

Knowledge And Experience

• Experience of taking the operational lead on high profile public facing large scale events, preferably with experience of 20K + capacity including music festivals with camping
• Experience of budget management including identifying, negotiating and engaging contractors, suppliers, & freelancers
• Experience of forecasting and managing large scale complex budgets
• Experience of managing a small team and effectively collaborating with the Festival Teams to drive improvements and growth
• Experience of working with and managing numerous contractors, freelancers and junior team members
• Experience of managing and effectively communicating with Key Stakeholders, including Local Residents & SAG Groups.
• Experience of managing the Risk Management and Compliance process with suppliers and traders
• Experience in driving event growth and innovation, with a focus on enhancing visitor experiences and introducing creative solutions to support team objectives
  
  

Skills & Abilities (Personal And Professional)

An effective leader with exceptional interpersonal and people management skills who can effectively lead and manage a team, freelancers & suppliers while fostering a collaborative and inclusive culture. The ideal candidate will be adept at promoting creativity, teamwork and a positive work environment ensuring all the team members feel valued and engaged all within a fast-paced environment.

Including but not limited to:

• Working knowledge of MS office packages such as Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint
• Ability to use AutoCAD to assist with updating and developing event layouts
• Excellent communication, negotiation and team building skills
• An ability to manage a dynamic environment and workload
• Established ability to manage issues and projects to completion in a demanding environment
• Ability to handle pressure, stay calm and show leadership
• Able to demonstrate leadership qualities to be able to handle issues that arise both on site and in the office
• Ability to be commercially aware and solutions focused
• A strong confident negotiator who is creative and resourceful
  
  

Qualifications And Training

• Educated to A Level or equivalent
• Level 2 IOSH/NEBOSH qualification as a minimum (others may be acceptable)
• An understanding of both UK and EU Health and Safety Legislation and Regulations, including CDM 2015 and the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974
• Personal License Holder
• A crowd management qualification such as NVQ Level 4 Spectator Safety Management is desirable
• A current in date First aid at work qualification is preferable, however, training can be provided
• Full, clean UK driving license is desirable
• AutoCAD operator / training
• Food hygiene qualification
• First aid qualification