Deputy Championships Manager

The All England Lawn Tennis Club is the home of the Wimbledon Championships.  The AELTC’S aim is for The Championships, which have grown in both scale and complexity in recent years, to continue to be recognised as the world’s premier tennis tournament and as one of the world’s great sports events.

The AELTC wishes to appoint a Deputy Championships Manager.  Reporting to the Championships Manager, the successful candidate will make a significant contribution to the delivery of The Championships, providing operational and administrative support to the Championships Department in all activities relating to, and required for, the smooth running of the tournament.  

We are therefore seeking a highly organised individual with proven all-round operational experience at major events or venues.  Candidates must have excellent attention to detail, strong administration and planning experience, impressive interpersonal and communication skills (both written and verbal) and the ability to build effective working relationships with a diverse set of individuals, groups, contractors and organisations.  The individual must be able to demonstrate a focus on planning and operational readiness, as well as excellence of delivery, commitment, enthusiasm and a passion for quality at all levels.

The All England Lawn Tennis Club (Championships) Limited is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applicants from all sections of the community.  Appointments are made on merit.

How to apply

Sports Recruitment International is handling all applications for this job. 

To apply, please forward your cv and covering letter, detailing your suitability for the role and giving your current remuneration package to  aeltc@sportsrecruitment.com.

For a confidential discussion about the role, please contact: Alistair Milner amilner@sportsrecruitment.com or 0207 092 6966.

Deadline for applications is 18:00 on Wednesday 20^th February 2013.

Job description

The Role

To provide operational and administrative support for the Championships Department in all activities relating to, and required for, the smooth running of The Championships, Wimbledon, in careful liaison with:

• All other AELTC departments, year-round and Championships
• Championships contractors, operational groups, consultants and staff as well as local residents and Local Authorities
• Other people or organisations involved with The Championships or the Club

Key Responsibilities

Operational Coordination

• In conjunction with the Championships Manager, liaise with Championships temporary staff, Championships contractors, AELTC’s Building & Services, Commercial and IT departments to ensure correct delivery of services and facilities to standards required (see internal and external liaison)
• Assist the Championships Manager with the management and supervision of Championship support teams such as stewarding groups, ball boys/girls and the media operations team ensuring standards are met
• Assist with coordination of accommodation planning for Championships with external agents when appropriate
• Assist with the development and production of Championships signage
• Assist with the production of Championships information material for Competitors, public and staff as well as content for the website
• Provide planning and administrative support to the Championships Qualifying, Junior and Wheelchair competitions
• Provide planning and administrative support for the Championships Information Teams
• Assist with ensuring the Safety Officer has correct administrative support in run up to the Championships
• Act as a logger/assistant in the Emergency Control Room (ECR) during The Championships in conjunction with the Championships Department Administrator
• Provide assistance, where appropriate, with Non Championships tennis events during the Summer months

Project Planning / Management          

Assist with the:

• Liaison and planning, both internally and externally, relating to the delivery of a successful Championships each year, for such areas as the Queue, signage and décor in the Grounds, information services for the public, stewarding, and media operations management
• Involvement in the administration and assessment of plans for the ongoing development of the Grounds associated with the Championships Long Term Plan work

Administrative

• Attend Championships meetings and where required act as “Meetings Secretary”, recording discussions, decisions and actions accurately
• Preparation and distribution of Championships schedules in a timely manner, in conjunction with the Championships Department Administrator
• Support the management and assist in the delivery of the Championships accreditation system if required
• Develop and maintain the Championships Manual, capturing key areas of operation and activity involved in delivery
• General administration duties

Other

• Relevant Health and Safety matters
• Any other duties within the scope of the post as may be required by the Championships Director and/or Championships Manager

Person specification

Skills & Experience Required

Essential

• Excellent planning, organisational and delivery skills and to be comfortable with significant periods of pressure at certain times of the year
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, able to command respect across a broad spectrum of stakeholders, contractors and staff
• Able to build good relationships with suppliers and give objective feedback on the quality and value of services
• Literacy, numeracy and a good sense of value for money
• Major event experience, tennis knowledge
• Total commitment and flexibility to deliver a successful Championships each year
• Educated to ‘A’ Level or equivalent with excellent written English
• Experience of project management and attention to detail
• Excellent administration, presentation and reporting skills
• Experience of organising meetings, note taking and maintaining accurate records (computerised and manual)
• Budget management experience
• Ability to work autonomously, prioritise workload and contribute to high-performing team
• Communicates effectively face to face, by telephone and e-mail to people at every level (including senior executives); handles challenging situations
• Ability to build effective internal and external working relationships
• Takes personal responsibility and use initiative
• Ability to multi-task and meet deadlines
• Copes with fluctuating workloads and pressure
• Use of Word, Excel and Outlook to an intermediate/advanced level

Desirable

• Graduate level education
• Second language
• Crowd management and/or Health and Safety qualifications
• Operational management experience at high profile sporting events  or major venues
• Experience of media operations

Personal Qualities

• Highly Organised
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Total commitment and flexibility to undertake whatever duties are needed
• Diplomatic
• Attention to detail
• Professionalism
• Ability to lead people by example and persuasion and a willingness to take on whatever responsibilities need to be taken on, in the best interests of The Championships.

Other Information

• The year round basic office hours are 9am to 5pm (with an hour for lunch), although flexibility is needed to meet the demands of the job. Normal working days are Monday to Friday.
• In May and June, during the build up to The Championships, the job holder must be able to work some weekends and longer hours to meet operational requirements. Immediately before and during The Championships, there are 12-hour plus days.
• From time to time, the Championships Department is involved in major non-Championships events such as Davis Cup matches and the Centre Court Test Event (2009).
• Flexibility in attitude and skills is important to deal with the varied aspects of the Championships and carry out any duties as required.