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To discuss holding your wedding or any event at The Monastery, contact Kate or Fran to arrange a personal welcome tour.

Call 0161 223 3211 or email Kate or Fran now.

We would love you to visit us at The Monastery! You’ll be sure of a warm welcome, and we know you’ll enjoy the time you spend with us.

For more information, click here.

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**Please note: The Monastery will be closed on bank holiday Mon, April 1st. We're sorry for any inconvenience & will be open as usual from Tue, April 2nd, 2024**

Job Description

General Manager at Manchester Monastery

The Monastery Trust in Manchester is looking for an Exceptional General Manager to run this Inspirational and Extraordinary Site.

General Manager 

Salary circa £40/45k depending on skills and experience

Summary

We’re looking for an exceptional General Manager for our Charitable Trust who has a passion for historic buildings to look after our precious Modern Day Monastery.  We operate as a community charity, a heritage visitor attraction and a weddings and special events venue as well as being an educational, training, cultural and community venue with a spiritual sanctuary and wellbeing centre. We have an exciting and varied programme of events and visitors… so no two days are ever the same!

The Monastery

An extraordinary place to visit,

A sanctuary with a heart full of peace.

An architectural wonder,

An intellectual feast.

Who we are

The Monastery of St Francis & Gorton Trust owns this precious heritage site, it is a registered charity and building preservation trust set up in 1996 to save, restore and find a sustainable new use for E W Pugin’s architectural masterpiece, known locally as Gorton Monastery. The significance of Pugin’s derelict site led to its listing by the World Monument Fund in New York as one of the “100 Most Endangered Sites in the World” and led to its nickname as Manchester’s Taj Mahal. 

The Trust is now in its 25th year with an award winning track record of heritage led regeneration working in one of the most challenging communities in Manchester delivering community projects alongside education, arts, health, wellbeing, training and employment opportunities.

The Trust’s 4 pillars of work are: Heritage & Culture; Health & Wellbeing; Ceremony & Celebration; Wisdom & Consciousness.

Who we’re looking for

We are looking for an exceptional, experienced and dynamic general manager most likely from the cultural, heritage, hospitality or leisure sector. You will need to be very organised and a great leader who loves working with people and to be good at making things happen.  

You will be an ‘expert generalist’ with the ability to turn your hand to a wide remit of tasks. We have some ambitious plans for the future and so you will need to thrive on change and be brilliant with buildings, people and projects.

You will be self-motivated with high very standards and possess business and commercial skills capable of leading the in house sales, finance, operations, heritage, wellbeing, retail, visitor and volunteer team. 

You will also be working with our clients and liaising with catering and event partners as well as community, charity and trusted partners who deliver their outreach, health and educational work from the Monastery site.

With a wide range of skills in your toolkit, you will need to demonstrate the following skills and experience:

> An understanding of – or keen demonstrable interest in – the historic environment, culture and heritage, and the challenges of managing repairs and conservation, whilst delivering an exceptional visitor and customer experience. 

> You will be interested in our charitable objectives and how to maximise their potential as well as the needs of our community visitors and what matters to them

> Experience of managing facilities and maintaining a large historic building.

> Experience of working with several operational and commercial teams.

> You will be a good communicator and an accomplished problem-solver. 

> You will be self-aware, resilient and have a positive, calm and confident approach with excellent organisational skills. 

> You will be comfortable managing operational services, understand the underpinning need for compliance and know what it means to hold others to account.

> You will lead on facilities industry best practice, guidelines, legislation and new developments to ensure efficient procedures are in place regarding health and safety, security, maintenance and housekeeping.

> You will collaborate and develop systems where necessary, to ensure that The Monastery is compliant, efficient, sustainable, safe, well maintained and presented to a high standard.

> You will really care about our work and you will have an understanding of what makes a great visitor experience and venue, and you will be keen to make sure your high standards are evident in all areas of our work.

> Working at weekends, evenings and Bank Holidays as part of a 7 day rota will be required with this role.

What it’s like to work here

We are a small, friendly and highly motivated, inclusive, hands on and happy team with a big vision for our Modern Day Monastery to step up and serve its highest possible purpose in a post covid world.

We’re a passionate bunch and we enjoy learning from each other. We thrive on change and love working in such an inspirational and unique site. We are all keen to do good and put something back into society and make sure we support others through our community and charitable partnerships. 

Many roles at The Monastery are customer and community facing, with all teams working hard to make everyone feel welcome and valued while we maintain superb standards of service. 

This is an opportunity to make a real difference in the widest sense and to become a valued member of our Monastery team.

What you will be doing

You will work with all aspects of our Modern Day Monastery, reporting to our Chief Executive. As well as having an eye on the day to day, you will also help us to plan and organise as we recover from the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and look to the future.

Your positive and caring attitude and your inclination to want to improve facilities will help us to deliver an outstanding experience to everyone who visits the Monastery.

You will oversee delegated budgets including the management and ongoing review of external contracts. You will understand and value the care and conservation of this much-loved heritage and have a holistic view of building and site management.

The key areas in this role are managing the daily operations of the building, our people, partners and visitors. You will build relationships to ensure that teams within The Monastery and our trusted partners all realise their own potential. 

We know that we cannot serve our diverse audiences without firstly celebrating the diversity of our people, that is why we are working hard to create an inclusive culture where everyone feels a sense of belonging. We welcome and value difference so however you look, wherever you come from and whatever your favourite radio station, we want to hear from you.

The package – benefits of working at The Monastery

> Working with inspirational like-minded people to deliver our charitable vision

> This is so much more than a job but a chance to make a real difference to others in shaping the future of our Modern Day Monastery

> Generous annual leave, free parking, pension scheme and flexible working whenever possible

> Training, development & personal growth opportunities tailored to you

>Based at the beautiful Monastery, Gorton Lane, Manchester, M12 5WF

Additional information

Closing Date: 31st August 2021 

Please include a covering letter (no longer than one page) and CV as part of your application outlining why you are interested in this role, highlighting your relevant skills and experience. We only accept on-line applications to trust@themonastery.co.uk 

Equal opportunities statement

The Monastery celebrates diversity and is committed to creating a fair and equal society, free from discrimination.

Safeguarding statement

The Monastery is committed to safe recruitment processes to help the organisation attract and appoint the right staff/volunteer for the role and responsibilities as set out in the vacancy advert. We will not accept applicants who are not suitable to work with children, young people, or adults at risk. 

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