Newcastle Theatre Royal Trust

Job Description

Job Title: Head of Business Optimisation & Projects

Department: Business Support

Reports To: Director of Finance

About Us

At Theatre Royal, we’re a bold, creative, and collaborative team, driven by ambition and a passion for powerful storytelling. We are always looking ahead – embracing new ideas and delivering with purpose.

We’re here to achieve the organisation’s strategy, and we believe everyone plays a part in shaping our success.

Our Values:

Ambitious – We strive for excellence and quality in everything we do.
Inclusive – We celebrate diversity and welcome different voices and perspectives.
Collaborative – We build trust and work in partnership to achieve shared success.
Creative – We nurture creativity and celebrate imagination and originality in everyone.
Progressive – We’re forward-thinking, embracing change and looking to the future.

About the Role

The Head of Business Optimisation & Projects supports the organisation’s strategic projects, activities, and core business support functions. The role ensures that our systems, processes, and teams are ready for the future, and that we continue to operate with efficiency, innovation, and purpose.

You will work closely with the Chief Executive and Finance Director to align projects and priorities with the organisation’s overall strategy. Through collaboration and shared planning, you will help translate vision into action, ensuring that initiatives are delivered effectively and sustainably.

You will guide cross-departmental projects, shape clear plans, and support delivery that strengthens organisational effectiveness. You will champion improved ways of working, create better tools and systems, and support colleagues across all teams to deliver their work with clarity and confidence.

The role also plays a central part in business improvement activity. You will identify new opportunities, strengthen our financial resilience, and build partnerships that raise the profile of the organisation. You will contribute to planning, data use, and optimisation work that ensures we continue to grow and respond to sector needs.

You will lead the Business Support Team, oversee all organisational systems, and work closely with external partners to ensure that technology is secure, compliant, integrated, and aligned with our goals. You will also represent the organisation at events and sector gatherings, sharing insight and contributing to wider conversations on innovation and best practice.

A key part of the role is bringing people together. You will foster collaboration across departments, encourage team building, and help create a culture where colleagues move forward together with shared purpose and ambition.

About You

You enjoy making things work better, and you take pride in helping people feel confident with the tools and systems they use every day. You have experience with Tessitura and you are comfortable using basic SQL when needed. You have worked with systems such as Artifax, StaffSavvy, Xledger, Square, VisitOne, Shape, My Compliance, ResDiary or similar platforms, and you understand how they connect to support a busy organisation. You also have experience working with managed service contracts, and you know how to get real value from external partners.

Experience with business intelligence systems would be a bonus, but it’s not essential - an interest in learning how data can drive better decisions is just as valuable.

You like solving problems, improving processes, and finding practical ways to make work smoother. You can translate technical detail into clear information for others, and you enjoy bringing teams together around shared goals. You build strong relationships, stay curious about new ideas, and feel comfortable representing the organisation in conversations with partners and peers. Most of all, you want to use your skills to help an organisation grow, strengthen its resilience, and deliver the best possible experience for audiences and communities

Job Description 

Strategic Projects & Organisational Development

•Lead and coordinate cross-departmental business optimisation projects, aligning them with organisational strategy and ensuring clear planning, efficient delivery, and optimised processes that drive departmental effectiveness and operational efficiency.

•Support all teams to create additional capacity by enabling more efficient operations and successful project/programme outcomes

•Support the Senior Leadership Team and Heads of Department in shaping and delivering business plans, process improvements, and organisational priorities.

•Develop systems and processes that enable agile working, collaboration, and real-time reporting.

•Manage and balance cross-departmental needs, ensuring projects add long-term value to both operations and audience impact.

•Champion a culture of continuous improvement, innovation, and ambition across the organisation.

Business Improvement

•Identify and develop new opportunities, ventures, and partnerships to enhance organisational financial sustainability and impact.

•Contribute to the development of business plans and optimisation strategies that drive growth, improve efficiency, and increase income, which will improve financial resilience.

•Collaborate with peers, suppliers, and industry leaders to identify market trends, best practices, and emerging tools.

•Act as a public-facing representative for the organisation – attending events, building networks, and actively contributing to sector conversations.

•Leverage the organisation’s strengths to elevate its profile and position it strategically within the industry.

•Strengthen internal capabilities to ensure the organisation operates at peak performance.

•Continuously evaluate and enhance ways of working across the organisation to improve efficiency, reduce waste, and ensure resources are used effectively, supporting long-term financial resilience and sustainability.

Business Support & Systems Leadership

•Lead the organisation’s business support functions, overseeing the development, optimisation, and integration of all business systems (Currently: Artifax, Tessitura, StaffSavvy, Shape, Xledger, My Compliance, IHasco, VisitOne & Square).

•Ensure systems are secure, compliant, future-proofed, and aligned with organisational needs.

•Manage the Business Support Team and outsourced IT partners, ensuring service delivery, responsiveness, and value for money.

•Maintain awareness of sector developments, emerging technologies, and digital innovation to ensure the organisation stays ahead of industry trends.

Relationship Building & Consultancy

•Advise on process design, change management, and digital transformation to support sustainable growth and resilience.

•Build strong relationships across the arts and culture sector, acting as a connector and sharing insights to encourage innovation and collaboration.

•Represent the organisation at industry events, raising its profile and contributing to sector-wide discussions on technology and transformation.

Responsibilities

For Heads of Department

•Develop and deliver departmental plans aligned with organisational strategy.

•Lead and support teams to achieve high standards of performance and creativity.

•Manage budgets, resources, and reporting within your area.

•Maintain oversight of compliance within your department, ensuring policies and procedures are followed, including health and safety, safeguarding, and data protection.

•Lead on implementing and monitoring statutory obligations and best practice in your area.

•Contribute to organisational decision-making and collaborative projects.

•Support a culture of learning, inclusivity, and innovation.

Application deadline:

• Tuesday 25th November 2025. Please apply via the linked application form.

Interviews:

• Thursday 4th December 2025

Hours

• Full Time (39hours per week)

Salary

• £47,493.30

Employee benefits

• Critical Illness and Death in Service Cover
• Employee Assistance Programme available to all staff and their household members
• 27 days annual leave plus 8 bank holidays
• Discounted Travel Scheme - Annual Metro and bus travel.
• Discounted Tickets - Access to staff discounted tickets for performances, subject to availability
• NE1 Discount card - Access to city centre discounts and activities.
• NGCV Discounts - Theatre Royal staff have access to discounts across 10 Newcastle Gateshead Cultural Venues.

Working at the Theatre

We recognise that only once every member of our team feels a sense of belonging they will truly thrive during their time working with us.

You will be welcomed at the Theatre. If you need any adjustments at the time of applying or within the role please let us know at any stage in the process by contacting: recruitment@theatreroyal.co.uk

A Special Time to join us
It’s an exciting time to become part of Newcastle Theatre Royal as we celebrate 20 years of pantomime magic with Danny and Clive. Their partnership has become a much-loved tradition for audiences across the region, bringing laughter, warmth and festive spirit to our stage every year.

Joining us during this special anniversary means becoming part of a team that continues to create memorable experiences and uphold one of the region’s most celebrated theatrical traditions.