Venue Duty Manager – Children's Play & Family Entertainment
Little Wonder Street – Romford
Full-time | 40 hours per week | 5 days out of 7
£32,000–£35,000 per year, depending on experience
About Little Wonder Street
Little Wonder Street is a new premium children's role-play and family entertainment venue in Romford, combining imaginative play, soft play, birthday parties and a welcoming café experience for children and their families.
We're looking for an exceptional Venue Duty Manager to become a key member of our management team and take responsibility for the smooth, safe and professional day-to-day running of the venue.
This is a hands-on management position. We are looking for someone who enjoys being visible on the floor, leading from the front and creating an outstanding experience for every family who visits us.
The Role
As Venue Duty Manager, you will be the designated manager in charge during your shifts, overseeing the operation of the venue and supporting the team to deliver excellent standards across customer service, play areas, parties, reception and general venue operations.
No two days will be exactly the same. One moment you may be coordinating a busy arrival, the next supporting a birthday party, resolving a customer query, checking venue standards or helping your team through a particularly busy period.
You'll be calm, organised and confident, with a natural ability to lead people.
Your responsibilities will include:
- Leading the day-to-day operation of Little Wonder Street during your shifts
- Opening and closing the venue
- Leading, motivating and supporting the front-of-house, play and party teams
- Allocating staff and coordinating breaks throughout the day
- Ensuring an exceptional customer experience from arrival to departure
- Overseeing reception, admissions and booking procedures
- Coordinating children's parties and ensuring they run smoothly and on time
- Monitoring play areas and ensuring excellent standards of presentation, cleanliness and safety
- Carrying out regular venue and safety checks
- Responding confidently and professionally to customer questions and complaints
- Managing incidents and following the appropriate reporting procedures
- Supporting staff training, performance and development
- Helping prepare staff rotas and ensuring appropriate staffing levels
- Monitoring stock and operational supplies
- Supervising tills, cash handling and end-of-day procedures
- Supporting the café team during busy periods while working alongside the café/kitchen lead
- Ensuring company procedures, health & safety requirements and operational standards are followed
- Supporting special events and seasonal activities
- Helping us continually improve the Little Wonder Street experience
About You
We're looking for someone who genuinely enjoys hospitality, families and creating great experiences.
You'll need to be comfortable taking responsibility for a busy venue while remaining approachable to both customers and staff.
Most importantly, you're a hands-on manager.
If reception suddenly becomes busy, you'll help. If a party needs attention, you'll step in. If a parent has a concern, you'll deal with it professionally. You'll notice the details and won't walk past something that needs fixing.
Essential
- At least 2 years' experience in a supervisory, assistant management or management role
- Experience leading a team in a busy customer-facing environment
- Excellent customer service and communication skills
- Confident handling customer concerns and complaints
- Strong organisation and time-management skills
- Ability to remain calm and make decisions during busy periods
- Experience with tills, cash handling and opening/closing procedures
- Good understanding of health & safety and operational standards
- Reliable, proactive and comfortable taking responsibility
- Availability to work weekends and bank holidays as part of a rota
Particularly desirable
Experience within any of the following would be highly valued:
- Children's soft play or role-play venues
- Family entertainment centres
- Leisure centres
- Visitor attractions
- Children's activity venues
- Hospitality or high-volume cafés/restaurants
- Birthday parties or events
Experience with staff rotas, First Aid, food safety, fire/evacuation procedures, stock control and booking/POS systems would also be an advantage.
An Enhanced DBS check may be required for the successful candidate.
What We're Looking For
We want someone who is:
Warm with families.
Brilliant with people.
Firm when necessary.
Highly organised.
Commercially aware.
Obsessed with standards.
And never afraid to get stuck in.
Little Wonder Street is being created to be somewhere families genuinely love visiting. We're looking for a manager who will take pride in the venue and help us build a fantastic team and culture from the beginning.
What We Offer
- £32,000–£35,000 salary, depending on experience
- Full-time, permanent position
- 40-hour working week
- 5 days out of 7 on a rota
- Opportunity to join an exciting new family entertainment concept from the beginning
- Genuine opportunity to grow as the business develops
- Training and development
- Staff benefits and discounts
- A varied role where you can make a real impact on how the venue operates
Apply
If you're an experienced, energetic and hands-on manager who loves creating exceptional customer experiences, we'd love to hear from you.
Please apply with your CV and a short introduction explaining why you would be a great fit for Little Wonder Street.
Pay: £32,000.00-£35,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Discounted or free food
- Store discount
Work Location: In person
