Welcome

Thank you for your interest in Charcoalblue!

We are seeking an ambitious, experienced and self-driven Chief Operating Officer (COO) to oversee our organisations overall business operations strategy, which is crucial for our growth and success. The goal of the COO position is to secure and maintain the functionality of the business to drive extensive and sustainable growth and as such, you should have a clear understanding of Charcoalblues core values and culture, be an exemplary leader, have superb business acumen, and have a sound understanding of business strategies to help grow the business sustainably into the future.

Charcoalblue is a company founded in a creative, multi-disciplinary team approach - this remains key to our culture, and this new position will be instrumental in building our global business.

Full details of the role can be found below.

To apply, please complete the online application and submit a short CV (2 pages max.) and a cover letter of no more than 1000 words, addressing the following prompts:

What motivated you to apply for this COO role?
Describe your leadership style and how you perceive your fit with our company cultural values.
Provide an example of a time when you drove financial and organisational growth.
How would you approach integrating into an established leadership team operating internationally across three jurisdictions?

We look forward to receiving your application by 5pm on Tuesday 22nd October 2024 .

Interviews will be conducted through a combination of remote (via Microsoft Teams) and in person, from week commencing 28th October.

Company Overview

Charcoalblue is widely regarded as the most exciting and innovative theatre, acoustics, and experience consultancy in the world. We specialise in the performing arts, live entertainment, media, technology, education, experiential, hospitality, workplace and cultural sectors. We imagine, design, and deliver captivating spaces that entertain, educate, and transform individuals through collective experiences. Guided by listening, collaboration, and a passion for innovation, excellence, emotion, and theatricality, we strive to create extraordinary moments. Since our inception in the UK in 2004, Charcoalblue is now the largest organization of its kind, delivering projects to every corner of the globe. We operate as a cohesive and collaborative team with studios in London and Bristol in the UK, New York, Chicago, and San Francisco in the US, and Melbourne in Australia.

Description of Role

The Chief Operating Officer is a crucial member of the senior leadership team at Charcoalblue, reporting directly to the Managing Partner.

Charcoalblue is made up of five different Business Units and a global Business Support Team each team striving to be a diverse group of individuals with varied and complementing skills to respond to current, as well as foreseeable future business needs; and all working together as a collaborative Group. NB the Business Unit Managing Directors (MDs) also report directly to the Managing Partner (MP).

As such, we expect the successful candidate to be an experienced and efficient leader, and an excellent and collaborative communicator. The role will require you to be hard working and inspiring, as you effectively manage, enhance and control our international business operations, functions, budgets and team. You will be well versed in operating across more than one geographical jurisdiction and across different time zones, and will apply your excellent commercial and cultural vision. If you also have exemplary people skills, strong business acumen and solid work ethics, we’d very much like to meet you!

At commencement you will be taking over the line management responsibilities of Finance and Operations. Over the next two years, you will also take over the leadership of People and possibly Marketing and Business Development. All of these functions have Associate Director or Director level appointments in place; therefore, a line management group maximum of six.

Per our succession planning, it is anticipated that the appointed COO would be invited to apply for Partnership on demonstrating successful operation of our group operations over the course of the first year, subject to Partnership requirements at that time.

Key Responsibilities

To deliver on the operational requirements to enable the overall company vision and growth plans, ensuring the Charcoalblue group remains profitable, sustainable, and aligned with Charcoalblue cultural values.

Strategic:

Review existing business strategies and, where appropriate, lead and implement new business strategies, plans and procedures that align with the short- and long-term objectives of the group, developed in tandem with the Managing Partner to ensure Business Unit growth plans can succeed.
Set comprehensive goals for overall business growth, performance, and success in collaboration with the Managing Partner and Business Unit Managing Directors.
Collaborate with the Managing Partner in setting and driving organizational vision, operations strategy, and groupwide workforce planning.

Operations:

Oversee company operations and employee productivity; support in building a highly inclusive culture that ensures team members can thrive and that company goals are met.
Assist and support the Managing Partner and Business Unit Managing Directors in expansion activities.
Establish policies and procedures that promote company culture and vision.
Analyse effectiveness and efficiency of operational processes, both internally and externally; seek ways to improve processes.
Ensure that the company’s statutory obligations are fulfilled with regard to health and safety, filings, audits, insurances, contracts and contractual commitments.
Oversee group marketing initiatives and implement improvements to business practices, in collaboration with the Senior Partner Design and New Work.
Oversee daily operations and make adjustments to IT & Technology systems and processes, as necessary, in conjunction with the Operations Director.
Oversee the company’s contractual commitments, the training and oversight of those who regularly review appointment documents and ensuring best practice in contractual record keeping and NDAs, etc.

Finance:

Oversee daily operations (Finance and Operations) to ensure sufficient investment capital can be budgeted for near-term growth targets.
Control company costs, including monitoring invoices and money handling procedures, accounting and bank processes to mitigate business risk and potential losses.
Prepare timely and accurate financial performance reports and other reports for the Managing Partner; report at quarterly Partnership meetings and lead the Finance team and function.
Encourage all those in leadership roles to drive maximum performance and commitment.
Evaluate performance by analysing and interpreting data and metrics.
Develop and maintain key relationships with external Partners and Vendors.
Raise capital through banks or outside investors to help foster growth or obtain sales goals, if required.
Present new ideas and cash flow strategies to the Partners and Business Unit leads.
Monitor employee salaries and benefits to ensure team members feel valued, in conjunction with People Team leadership.
Implement Business Unit Growth Plans.

Governance & Leadership:

Motivate the global Business Support Leaders to meet or surpass organisational and sales goals.
Provide mentoring and delegate to business support leadership team.
Run developmental reviews and ongoing 1-1 coaching for direct reports.
Coordinate with the People Team to recruit and retain skilled talent.
Promote healthy communication between colleagues for the benefit of information flow and to curb any problems that arise.

Metrics Ownership

Responsible for:

At commencement Performance to Growth Plans
At commencement Performance to Budget
At commencement Monthly Income 95% of target or higher
At commencement Monthly Expenditure - 105% of budget or lower
At commencement Debtors Average debtor days no higher than 45 days and never more than £500k in +90 days
At commencement IT monthly 90% team satisfaction rate or higher
At commencement Finance - successful annual unreserved audit filing
From 2026/2027 Improving annual Team Survey metrics year on year response rate of +70% and satisfaction of more than 3.5 on average
Assuming a Marketing & Business Development 2026/2027 handover Marketing performance to digital strategy (website/social media) SEO raising Charcoalblue to #1 in three search categories theatre consulting, acoustics and experience design and delivery

Not responsible for:

Delivery of annual Innovation & Creativity Steering Committee goals (Senior Partner Design and New Work).
Delivery of Succession Plan by 2030 (Managing Partner)
Delivery of Business Unit Services (Managing Directors and Managing Partner)
Diversification, Distribution and expansion of Services to Clients (Managing Directors and Managing Partner)
Sales (Managing Directors, Managing Partner, and Senior Partner Design and New Work)
Design and Innovation (Senior Partner Design and New Work)

This list is not intended to be exhaustive and may be subject to alteration over time.

Qualifications & Skills

We are open to receiving applications from candidates with a varied range of experience and education. If you meet most of the qualifications below, we encourage you to apply.

Essential

Experience managing the operations of an international business with a minimum of £20m annual turnover.
Ideally minimum 15 years of experience in an executive level leadership role in a complex enterprise.
Ideally 5 years of experience managing finances, operations, human resources, and business strategies across multiple jurisdictions for an international organisation.
Experience successfully managing and compiling complex budgets with key stakeholders and for improving company profits.
Experience in strategic planning and business development, including internationally; experience in fundraising a plus.
Experience using data analysis to deliver in line with performance and operational metrics / KPIs.

Desirable Skills & Attributes

BA/BSc or MA/MSc/MBA in Business Administration or in a similar relevant field.
Ability to make business projections three years into the future.
Familiarity with IT/business infrastructure, including MS Office and Google suite.
Demonstrable experience of ethical leadership and excellent interpersonal skills.
Ability to communicate well with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders, with an adaptable style and strong verbal and written communication skills.
Outstanding organisational and time management skills.
Ability to deliver complex messages and provide authentic leadership.
Ability to lead in a collaborative style within a fast-paced environment, liaising with multiple internal business leaders and stakeholders.
Demonstrable ability to identify new business opportunities with new clients, architects, and other potential customers.
Proven networking skills; the confidence to seek out and nurture new professional relationships, and effectively manage and sustain established relationships.
Ability to problem solve and work through ambiguity, proactively source solutions and deliver tangible results.
A strategic thinker, but with high attention to detail the ability to think, plan, and execute multiple projects in different phases simultaneously.
Ability to work calmly and effectively under pressure.
A high degree of self-motivation, organisation, and initiative.
Flexibility and adaptability to changing business needs.

Role Details

Employment Details

Our standard full-time working week is 40 hours (to be arranged flexibly between Monday-Friday), plus an hour per day (unpaid) for lunch, with an understanding that flexible working hours will apply to meet our clients needs and to accommodate the company’s global time zones. Charcoalblue does not provide for the payment of overtime. The nature of the job and the Partnerships business could occasionally entail some work outside normal working hours.

There is a six-month probationary period for this role.

We operate a hybrid working model, meaning you will work from your home (or other place of your choosing) with regular attendance at one or both of our UK studios (London / Bristol). We will provide you with the necessary IT hardware and software to enable you to carry out your role successfully in line with your duties.

Please note, the successful applicant must be based in the UK to effectively meet the current needs of this role and should be able and willing to travel to our UK and international studios or clients premises regularly as required, with notice.

Annual leave entitlement, Take-What-You-Need (TWYN) Leave Policy: With prior arrangement, there is an opportunity for employees to benefit from additional paid leave days over their statutory holiday/annual leave allowance. You will receive 20 days annual leave minimum per annum (pro-rated in the first year where applicable), plus statutory Bank Holidays. We traditionally close our studios between Christmas and New Years Day, resulting in an additional average 4-5 holiday days per annum.

Employee Benefits

Charcoalblue operates a bonus scheme which you will benefit from following successful completion of a six-month probationary period as a permanent employee. Please note that the bonus is subject to the Partnerships performance year on year and is not guaranteed.

Following successful completion of your probationary period, you will be eligible to participate in our company benefits package, including our pension auto-enrolment scheme, our annual bonus scheme and allocation of theatre or other live event tickets per month. We offer this benefit to encourage you to immerse yourself in the theatre and arts industry as far as possible. We will also contribute to your home broadband and give you a monthly contribution towards your home utilities to enable you to work from home effectively in line with our hybrid working model. Other benefits are accumulative as you progress with the company.

Per the invitation to the Partnership note above (see under Description of Role ), following successful completion of your first year, you (and spouse/dependent(s) where applicable) will become eligible to join our Private Health Insurance plan, in line with our company policy.

Salary

The salary range for this role is £140,000 - £180,000 per annum.

Please state your salary expectations in your covering letter in line with your experience.

Charcoalblue intends to offer the selected candidate base pay within this range, dependent on job-related, non-discriminatory factors such as experience. Base pay is one part of the total rewards that Charcoalblue provides to compensate and recognise employees for their work. As above, Charcoalblue provides a robust benefits package to help support you physically, financially, and emotionally through the big milestones and in your everyday life.

Start Date

January 2025

Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Overview

Charcoalblue is actively working towards becoming an inclusive organization. We work consistently to ensure the elimination of unfair and discriminatory practices within the Company and encourage full contribution from its diverse community.

Our mission is to manifest an inclusive ethos by creating a diverse and inclusive working environment across our practice. Recruitment opportunities are open to all, and we are particularly keen to hear from ethnically diverse and disabled candidates, as these groups are currently underrepresented within our teams.

If you require this application in a different format or need support during the application process, please contact Jake Katz via email jake.katz@charcoalblue.com. Equally, please contact Jake if you have any questions in relation to access, or how the role might need to respond to your personal circumstances.

Charcoalblue aims to provide a service that does not discriminate against its clients and customers and works to ensure all can access the services and goods supplied by the Company. We believe that all employees and clients are entitled to be treated with respect and dignity.

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Charcoalblue

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