Location: Grosvenor Vale, Ruislip
Club: Wealdstone Football Club
Reports to: CEO
Department: Stadium & Venue Operations
Contract: Full-time
Working Pattern: Including evenings, weekends and matchdays as required
About the Role
Wealdstone Football Club is seeking an ambitious, commercially minded and highly capable Head of Stadium & Venue Operations to take overall responsibility for the safe, efficient and commercially successful operation of Grosvenor Vale and the Wealdstone Social Club.
This is a hands-on leadership role with two closely connected areas of responsibility.
Firstly, the successful candidate will take ownership of the stadium operation, ensuring that Grosvenor Vale is well maintained, clean, safe, compliant and operationally efficient, while delivering consistently welcoming and professional matchday experiences for supporters.
Secondly, the role will act as the business leader of the Wealdstone Social Club, with responsibility for developing its matchday and non-matchday potential and increasing its contribution as an important ancillary revenue stream for the Club.
We are looking for someone who combines strong operational discipline with genuine commercial initiative. This is not a role focused simply on administering existing activities. The successful candidate will be expected to take ownership, identify opportunities, solve problems, improve standards and manage both the stadium and Social Club as businesses.
The ideal candidate will be equally comfortable developing a commercial plan, negotiating with a contractor, reviewing a P&L, managing an event, walking the stadium to identify maintenance issues and stepping in to resolve an operational problem when required.
Key Responsibilities1. Stadium Operations & Facilities
- Take day-to-day ownership of the operation, presentation and maintenance of Grosvenor Vale.
- Ensure the stadium is consistently clean, safe, functional and ready for use.
- Develop and manage planned, preventative and reactive maintenance programmes.
- Identify maintenance requirements at an early stage and ensure issues are resolved promptly and cost-effectively.
- Manage relationships with cleaning, security, maintenance, waste management and other external contractors.
- Monitor utilities, supplies, staffing and other operating costs, identifying opportunities to improve efficiency without compromising safety, service or the supporter experience.
- Ensure all areas of the stadium reflect positively on Wealdstone Football Club.
- Maintain appropriate operating procedures, maintenance records, inspection documentation and supplier records.
- Establish clear standards of presentation and operational readiness and ensure they are consistently maintained.
2. Matchday Operations & Fan Experience
- Lead the operational planning and delivery of all matchdays and other stadium events.
- Produce clear matchday operating plans covering staffing, stewarding, security, cleaning, catering, bar operations, supporter movement and incident management.
- Work closely with football, ticketing, commercial, communications and supporter-facing teams to deliver a coordinated matchday operation.
- Ensure supporters receive a welcoming, efficient, safe and professional experience.
- Regularly review the complete supporter journey, from arrival and entry through to signage, cleanliness, toilets, food and beverage, stewarding and departure.
- Identify and implement practical improvements that increase supporter satisfaction and encourage repeat attendance.
- Recruit, organise and manage casual matchday staff and contractors.
- Ensure the stadium is operationally prepared for high-attendance, high-profile and higher-risk fixtures.
- Lead post-match operational reviews and ensure agreed improvements and lessons learned are carried forward.
- Develop a culture in which matchday standards are consistently high and operational issues are addressed quickly.
3. Wealdstone Social Club Leadership
- Act as the General Manager and commercial leader of the Wealdstone Social Club.
- Take responsibility for the Social Club's financial, commercial and operational performance.
- Develop the Social Club into a more active, attractive and profitable part of Wealdstone Football Club.
- Work closely with the Bar Manager to maximise matchday bar and venue revenue.
- Develop a commercially attractive programme of non-matchday activity.
- Increase the venue's use for events including wakes, private parties, corporate events, sporting viewing parties, music events and other suitable activities.
- Proactively generate enquiries, leads and bookings rather than relying solely on existing demand.
- Establish clear pricing, packages, booking terms and operating procedures for events.
- Ensure every event is appropriately planned, staffed, priced and delivered.
- Monitor the profitability of individual events and redesign or discontinue activities that do not provide an appropriate financial return.
- Develop relationships with local businesses, community organisations, event organisers, funeral directors, promoters and other potential sources of bookings.
- Work with the marketing team to improve awareness and promotion of the Social Club and its facilities.
- Explore opportunities to introduce new regular or recurring events that build a broader customer base and generate repeat business.
- Ensure all Social Club activity is consistent with the values, reputation and community role of Wealdstone Football Club.
4. Financial & P&L Responsibility
- Prepare and manage annual operating budgets for the stadium and Social Club.
- Take ownership of agreed revenue, gross margin and operating profit targets.
- Produce regular forecasts and performance reports for the CEO.
- Monitor sales, staffing costs, stock, wastage, contractor expenditure, utilities, maintenance costs and event profitability.
- Negotiate commercially appropriate terms with suppliers and contractors.
- Develop business cases for proposed investments, events and operational changes.
- Identify opportunities to increase revenue, reduce avoidable costs and improve the overall financial contribution of Grosvenor Vale and the Social Club.
- Ensure operational decisions are made with a clear understanding of their financial impact.
5. Capital Projects & Improvements
- Oversee capital and improvement projects undertaken at Grosvenor Vale and within the Social Club.
- Help establish project scope, priorities, budgets and delivery timetables.
- Obtain, assess and negotiate supplier and contractor quotations.
- Coordinate contractors and internal stakeholders to minimise disruption to stadium and venue operations.
- Monitor expenditure, quality, deadlines and project risks.
- Provide regular project progress reports to the CEO and Board.
- Ensure completed projects are properly documented, handed over and incorporated into ongoing maintenance programmes.
- Identify future investment opportunities that can improve the supporter experience, operational efficiency or commercial performance of the venue.
6. Compliance, Safety & Risk Management
- Ensure the stadium and Social Club comply with all applicable safety, licensing, accessibility, food hygiene, fire safety and venue operating requirements.
- Ensure alcohol licensing requirements and venue conditions are consistently observed.
- Maintain appropriate risk assessments, operating plans, inspection records and emergency procedures.
- Work effectively with the local authority, emergency services, football authorities and other relevant bodies.
- Promote a strong culture of safety, accountability and professional conduct.
- Ensure operational risks are identified, assessed and appropriately managed.
- Escalate significant operational, safety or financial risks promptly to the CEO.
7. People Leadership
- Recruit, train, schedule and manage permanent and casual operational staff.
- Set clear expectations and hold employees and contractors accountable for service, conduct and performance.
- Build a flexible and reliable staffing structure appropriate for matchdays, events and routine stadium operations.
- Ensure team members understand their role in delivering a positive supporter and customer experience.
- Develop an operating culture that is practical, responsive, commercially aware and willing to work across traditional departmental boundaries.
- Lead by example and maintain a visible presence during key matchdays and events.
Key Performance Indicators
Success in the role will be measured against a range of operational, commercial and customer-focused indicators, including:
- Stadium cleanliness, condition and operational readiness.
- Matchday supporter satisfaction.
- Matchday incidents, complaints and operational failures.
- Delivery of matchdays within agreed operating budgets.
- Social Club revenue, gross margin and operating contribution.
- Number, frequency and profitability of non-matchday events.
- Bar revenue and spend per attendee.
- Maintenance costs and completion times.
- Utility and contractor cost control.
- Delivery of capital projects on time and within budget.
- Compliance with safety, licensing and operating requirements.
- Growth in the overall commercial contribution of Grosvenor Vale and the Social Club.
Candidate Profile
The successful candidate is likely to have significant experience in one or more of the following environments:
- Stadium or venue operations.
- Hospitality or licensed premises.
- Events and event management.
- Leisure facilities.
- Sports clubs or sporting venues.
- Bars, clubs or entertainment venues.
- Other complex, customer-facing operational businesses.
You will ideally have:
- Experience taking ownership of a budget, business unit or P&L.
- A strong understanding of hospitality, bar, venue and event economics.
- Demonstrable experience increasing revenue, controlling costs or developing underutilised facilities.
- Strong operational planning and project management skills.
- Experience managing employees, casual workers, contractors and suppliers.
- A good understanding of facilities management, maintenance and venue compliance.
- Experience planning and delivering busy or complex events.
- The ability to remain calm, decisive and visible during busy or challenging situations.
- Strong communication skills and the ability to work effectively with supporters, customers, employees, volunteers, contractors and public authorities.
- The ability to balance commercial objectives with safety, compliance and customer experience.
- A willingness to work evenings, weekends and matchdays as required.
Personal Attributes
We are looking for an individual who is:
- Commercially minded and entrepreneurial — able to spot opportunities and turn them into revenue.
- Highly organised and operationally disciplined — able to establish standards and make sure they are maintained.
- Accountable — comfortable taking ownership and being measured against results.
- Practical — willing to get involved and solve problems rather than simply delegate them.
- Customer-focused — with a strong instinct for what creates a positive supporter and guest experience.
- Cost-conscious — able to control expenditure without taking a short-term approach that damages service or future revenue.
- Adaptable — comfortable moving between strategic planning and hands-on operational delivery.
- Proactive — someone who identifies issues and opportunities before they become problems.
- Resilient, calm and dependable — particularly during busy matchdays and events.
- Collaborative — able to work effectively across football, commercial, operational and community functions.
- Committed to Wealdstone Football Club — with a genuine desire to contribute to the success, reputation and long-term sustainability of the Club.
What Success Looks Like
Within the role, the successful candidate will establish Grosvenor Vale as a consistently well-run, safe and welcoming stadium, while developing the Wealdstone Social Club into a more commercially active and profitable venue.
They will bring greater operational discipline, stronger financial control, improved supporter and customer experiences, and a proactive approach to generating new revenue.
Most importantly, they will take ownership. They will be someone who sees what needs doing, understands why it matters, builds a plan and makes it happen.
This is an opportunity to play a significant role in the continued development of Wealdstone Football Club, its home, its supporter experience and its wider commercial operation.
Pay: £30,000.00-£40,000.00 per year
Work Location: In person
