Organisation: Durham County Council
Job Category: Arts / Tourism / Culture
Location: The Light, Durham
Salary: Grade 6 £28,142 – £31,022 pro rata to hours worked
Salary Band: £20001 to £30000
Contract Type: Permanent
Working Pattern: Please see advert text
Date Posted: 28-07-2026
Closing Date: 16-08-2026 11:59
Reference: 300214
About the job
Help launch County Durham’s newest cultural landmark!
Opening in August, The Light will bring together art, science, history, creativity and community, welcoming up to 100,000 visitors a year. We’re looking for an exceptional Duty Manager to help shape our visitor experience and operational day-to-day excellence from day one and although the contract offered is 24hrs per week, as we quickly grow and evolve, we are looking for candidates who wish to do this too and are therefore able to offer availability which is closer to full time rather than part time hours.
This is a rare opportunity to play a defining role in launching a major new cultural venue.
WHAT IS INVOLVED?
As Duty Manager you will support the Operations Manager in delivering all aspects of day-to-day operations. You will help build a positive, motivated team to ensure income targets are met or exceeded, customers leaving have had a fun and memborable visitor experience, and all while ensuring The Light is safe and accessible to all.
You will be:
- A team leader with a proven track record in galleries, museums, multiuse cultural venues or who can demonstrate clear transferrable skills from other sectors.
- Skilled in delivering exceptional Front of House operations.
- Proven track record int compliance, health and safety and operational best practice.
- A positive, flexible problem solver who thrives in fast-paced environments.
- Experience in target driven retail, catering or commercial hire to achieve required income
- Passionate about accessibility, inclusion and engaging diverse communities.
What we offer:
- A career defining-defining opportunity to help open and shape a major new cultural venue.
- The chance to be involved in building systems, teams and standards from the ground up.
- Supportive leadership and a collaborative, creative working environment.
WHAT WILL I NEED?
You’ll have an NVQ Level 3 (or equivalent experience) and First Aid qualification (or be willing to work towards one), along with experience leading Front of House teams in a cultural or visitor-focused setting.
You’ll bring strong health and safety awareness, excellent customer service and communication skills, commercial know-how including cash handling, and a flexible, positive approach with a genuine passion for culture, inclusion and community engagement.
Please refer to the attached Person Specification for the full criteria.
For more information about working at The Light, visit our recruitment website
INTERVIEWS
It is expected interviews will take place week commencing 25th August 2026.
We operate a guaranteed interview scheme for applicants that can show they meet all the essential criteria and have indicated they have a disability, are a looked after young person, care leaver or a veteran.
OUR OFFER TO YOU
We offer a competitive rewards package that includes attractive salaries, a generous annual leave entitlement of 27 days (rising to 32 after five years’ continuous local government service), membership of the excellent contributory career average Local Government Pension Scheme, and a range of flexible working arrangements including hybrid working (home and office) where applicable. Explore the full range of rewards and benefits on our website
Rewards and benefits are subject to individual terms and conditions.
EQUALITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION
We are a proud equal opportunities employer and believe a diverse workforce brings fresh ideas and drives service improvement. We welcome applications from everyone and make employment decisions based on skills and ability. As a Disability Confident Leader, we actively encourage applications from disabled and neurodivergent people and offer support throughout the recruitment process.
HOW TO APPLY
Please note, we do not accept CVs. All applications must be submitted online via the Northeast Jobs portal. Use the ‘Person Specification’ section of the form to clearly demonstrate how you meet the essential (and where possible, desirable) criteria. Applications that do not evidence the essential requirements will not be shortlisted.
Please visit our website to understand our position on using AI to support your application and for guidance on completing your application.
If you require assistance when applying for this role, please contact our Recruitment Helpdesk on 03000 26 27 27, or via email RecruitmentREG@durham.gov.uk
All correspondence relating to your application will be sent from donotreply@northeastjobs.org.uk. Kindly check your spam/junk folder regularly to ensure you don’t miss any updates.
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www.northeastjobs.org.uk/job/_/300214