Event Operations Manager

Boomtown Fair; Bristol; Hybrid; GBP 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading creative organization in Bristol is seeking an experienced Event Operations Manager to oversee event management plans and ensure compliance with safety and sustainability strategies. This full-time, permanent role involves collaboration across departments, managing staff welfare, and oversight of onsite operations during events. The ideal candidate has over 4 years of large-scale event management experience and a proactive approach to problem-solving. Competitive salary and various employee benefits included.

Benefits

Generous annual leave

Salary sacrifice schemes

Enhanced maternity/paternity leave

Regular staff socials

Accommodation and meals onsite

Complimentary festival ticket

Qualifications

• 4+ years of experience in festival or large-scale event operations (30,000+ capacity).
• Experience with site layouts, contractor procurement, and administrative workflows of Licensing/SAG.
• A 'solution-first' mindset for complex operations.

Responsibilities

• Manage public and crew welfare services at events.
• Oversee licensing requirements and operational compliance.
• Support harm reduction initiatives and sustainability strategies.
• Act as a duty manager during event operations.

Skills

Event operations management

Crowd management

Health and Safety compliance

Problem-solving

Stakeholder management

Tools

Project management tools

Google Workspace

Job description

Please Note: We only consider candidates for jobs who apply by sending their CV and supporting Cover Letter to [e-mail] - we do not look at any applications made through Linkedin

ROLE PURPOSE

The Event Operations Manager role at Boomtown is responsible for the comprehensive management and execution of the Event Management Plan. Key responsibilities include ensuring compliance with festival licensing requirements, overseeing specific operational areas, and driving the delivery of the annual Sustainability Strategy.

This position is a core part of the Operations Department, with a focus on delivering public and crew welfare services. This includes safeguarding and their interface with Medical services, and strategically curating Harm Reduction charities.

The role involves managing interdepartmental collaboration and workflow, specifically in areas such as Health & Safety, Crowd Management, and Noise Management. This role designs and prepares for the ground operations delivered by the Arena Managers and Campsite Managers.

Reports To: Operations Director

Location: Boomtown HQ, Bristol with onsite residency in Winchester July/Aug (approx 5-6weeks).

Contract: Full-Time, Permanent

Salary: £40,000 per annum

Start Date: March 2026

About Boomtown

Boomtown is a world-leading creative organisation known for pioneering artistic output, large-scale immersive environments and storytelling rooted in community values. Based in Bristol, we produce an annual five-day festival at the Matterley Estate in the South Downs National Park — bringing together music, theatre, art, culture and innovation.

We exist to inspire creativity, connection and collective action. Beyond the event itself, we champion social awareness, environmental responsibility and community engagement through year-round partnerships, educational initiatives and sustainability programmes.

Core Responsibilities

1. Event Management

• Public & Crew Welfare contract management; overseeing contracting, deployment schedules and position briefings.
• Arena Operations: Oversight of public arena management, recruiting and briefing managers focusing on H&S Sign offs, crowd movement, and "live" staffing levels.
• Campsite Operations: Oversight of campsite management, Coordinating therecruitment and briefing managers , coordinating campsite hubs and welfare interface.
• Cross Departmental Information management across Noise, H&S and Crowd Management contractors.
• Signage Strategy: Ownership of the festival’s signage plan to ensure safe wayfinding, harm reduction messaging and brand consistency across the site.

2. Licensing & Operational Compliance

• EMP Coordination: Collating and updating the Event Management Plan (EMP) and its annexes as directed by the Operations Director.
• Resource Tracking: Maintaining the "Critical Path" for the operations department, ensuring all HODs meet submission deadlines for the SAG (Safety Advisory Group).

3. Harm Reduction & Sustainability

• Harm Reduction Delivery: Supporting the Directors to track and implement the strategy. Coordinating the onsite presence of Harm Reduction providers and charities.
• Sustainability Delivery: Ensuring the festival’s sustainability strategy is communicated and embedded into all departments, collecting data, updating the annual report and managing green initiatives as developed within the strategy.
• Crew Experience: Managing the Crew Info and Crew Welfare teams to ensure a high standard of care for our 5,000+ staff and volunteers.

4. Event Delivery onsite

• Duty Management: Serving as a Duty Operations Manager during the build, show, and break.
• Contractor Point of Contact: Acts as the primary liaison for operational suppliers onsite, ensuring they meet their service level agreements (SLAs).
• Ops Box Support: Providing real-time support to the Event Director & Operations Director within the Event Control environment.

Departmental Structure

Direct Reports:

• Sustainability Coordinator (advance & onsite)
• Crew Info & Welfare Leads (advance & onsite)
• Licence Compliance Manager (onsite)

Candidate Requirements

• Experience: 4+ years in festival or large-scale event operations (30,000+ capacity).
• Technical Skills: Experience with site layouts, contractor procurement, and the administrative workflows of Licensing/SAG.
• Software: Proficiency in project management tools and Google Workspace.
• Mindset: A "solution-first" approach. You are someone who enjoys the complexity of building a temporary city and thrives on refining systems to make them more efficient.
• We are committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives and skills, and we are happy to discuss adjustments or access needs at any stage of the process.

ROLE DETAILS

Hours:

40 hours per week, Monday to Friday, normal office hours are (9am - 5pm) based in Bristol HQ

Onsite Residency Requirement (Festival Period):

This role involves working onsite in Winchester for approximately 5–6 weeks (July–August). Hours and duties may vary. Accommodation and food will be provided for the duration of the residency.

We will discuss individual needs and reasonable adjustments in advance of this period.

BENEFITS

• Generous annual leave allowance including extra time off over Christmas and your birthday
• Salary sacrifice schemes for bikes (inc E bikes), and IT equipment
• Enhanced maternity/paternity leave (subject to eligibility)
• Regular staff socials
• Accommodation and meals on festival site
• Complimentary +1 Boomtown festival ticket for a friend or family member

HOW TO APPLY

We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and communities. If there are adjustments we can make to support you through the process, please let us know. We encourage applications from underrepresented and marginalised groups within the festivals and live events sector

To be considered for this role, please email a copy of your CV with a supporting Cover Letter to [e-mail] detailing relevant experience and skills, highlighting how these attributes will support the day-to-day objectives of the Operations Manager position at Boomtown.