Senior Director Tour & Retail Project Operations, Worldwide Studio Tours & Retail

Every great story has a new beginning, and yours starts here.Welcome to Warner Bros. Discovery… the stuff dreams are made of.Who We Are… When we say, “the stuff dreams are made of,” we’re not just referring to the world of wizards, dragons and superheroes, or even to the wonders of Planet Earth. Behind WBD’s vast portfolio of iconic content and beloved brands, are the storytellers bringing our characters to life, the creators bringing them to your living rooms and the dreamers creating what’s next…From brilliant creatives, to technology trailblazers, across the globe, WBD offers career defining opportunities, thoughtfully curated benefits, and the tools to explore and grow into your best selves. Here you are supported, here you are celebrated, here you can thrive.Position Overview:Following the success of the Warner Bros. Studio Tours in London and Hollywood, Warner Bros. Worldwide Tours and Retail division (WWT&R) has built on its experience of visitor engagement, exceptional customer service and innovative merchandise to include experiential retail.In addition to shops within both Studio Tours, the division also includes Harry Potter New York and the Platform 9 ¾ shops at Kings Cross station and Heathrow airport.The latest addition to the division is Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo, which opened in summer 2023 and is home to authentic sets, props and costumes from the eight Harry Potter films.Visitors are invited to discover ‘behind-the-scenes’ secrets of film production and see how the books were brought to life on-screen.With the chance to explore Diagon Alley, enter the Great Hall, appear in a moving portrait and even ride on a broomstick, visitors experience the magic of filmmaking firsthand. Since opening, the Studio Tour has achieved high ratings on Google Reviews and is consistently sold out.The Role:As Senior Director, Tours & Retail Project Operations you will be responsible for leading and supporting the development of operations projects, in new openings and the expansion and development of existing businesses across all Tours and Retail locations globally. You will lead the projects operations team to ensure that projects (new opening, expansions, updates, new technology and policy/ process changes, are delivered and installed / mobilised ready to operate to WWT&R procedures and standards.This role will be required to support the management teams at WB Studio Tour London, WB Studio Tour Tokyo,WB Studio Tour Hollywood, and Harry Potter New York. You will be required to build effective relationships with all departments; Visitor Experience, Retail, Commercial, Marketing & PR, Finance, Technical Services, Facilities, buildings and construction teams, quantity surveyor, architects/ designers, and wider internal & external stakeholders. You will need to ensure communication is maintained with quick and decisive actions taken in any complex, commercial, operational or people situation. Duties and priorities will adapt with the business needs as required throughout periods of medium to large-scale projects.This role will require global travel (possibly many weeks at one time) as needed.Key ResponsibilitiesProject Operations and New Openings:Represent the WWT&R operation on projects at meetings relating to the design, build and operation of all projects and business expansionsLead the project operations team to contribute to the operation, communication, tracking and stakeholder management of projects with clear objectives for the teamContribute proactively to the Tours & Retail Leadership team to work on opening new projects and developments which support the growth of the businessEstablish key operational project stakeholders, tasks, define resources, WWT&R budgets, and ensure ownership is maintained to deliver upon timelines. This will include wide communication with all of WWT&R support functions including Technology, construction, show design etcManage and communicate any foreseeable business risks, seek to resolve issues with the required operations/project teams, advising on proposed actionsCollaborate with internal and external project teams to ensure operational expectations are metMaintain visibility and establish actions on construction and design planning, fit out and quality standards from an operational perspective throughout any build or development phaseWork with Tour teams to support on creative development and operational delivery of new attraction elements, retail upgrades and occasional seasonal features globallySupport the integration of new technology, contribute to specification with the needs of the T&R operations teams. Support in the planning, creation, and implementation of ticketing and pos/inventory systems for ticket launch schedules for pre- and post-opening periodsGain cultural understanding in our locations globally to ensure a wider perspective on labour laws, health and safety management and visitor behaviour is understood for the future development of Tours & RetailSupport to embed and induct new team members to WBD and Tours & Retail division cultureEnsure established emergency response processes in line with WBD Business ResilienceGeneral:Ensure relevant consistency of values, positioning, procedures, quality across the businessIdentify challenges and business risks in the global Tours & Retail locations, supporting the Directors and General Manager to solve operational issuesSeek continuous improvement opportunities and identify to WWT&R leadership teamMaintain operational standards and support management teams to consistently ensure high product quality and brand standards, in conjunction with the Liaison ManagerIdentify consistent global key performance indicators with leaders and track measurable progressChampion the visitor and where required, support the development of customer service strategies for improving performanceBuild active relationships with leadership teams to ensure cohesive operations, visitor engagement and effective managementSupport in safety actions in response to incident trends and risk assessmentsAttend Senior Leadership meetings with Heads of Department across all project locations to support development and shared learningsProvide support within the organisation as required by senior leadershipProfile:Commercial knowledge and ability to strategise on the financial performanceProven communication skills, project co-ordination and management ability to report on status to all levels of the organisationAbility to problem solve, seek solutions, and drive decision makingSelf-motivated, enthusiastic, and capable of working on own initiative/projectsFlexibility and adaptability in changing business environmentsConfidence in financial statement appraisal, with an understanding of accountingMotivational leader with the ability to inspire other leaders and managers to achieve success across global locationsAble to effectively prioritise workload, work under pressure and constantly manage and deliver changeWork both alone and as part of a team with a flexible approachPreviously held a senior post in a new opening project, ideally in the visitor attractions/ venue / retail marketCombination of project management, commercial/retail and visitor experience background in international locations outside of the UKProject management experience is essentialProven complex, multi stakeholder project management plus background in project management oroperationsExperience of working on the installation of new tech systems in areas such as ticketing, inventory control, pos, scheduling etcExperience of having worked in an environment where emphasis is placed on service, product presentation and commercial strategyDirect leadership responsibility of a teamExamples of building cross-functional relationships in a large complex organisationBusiness and/or Finance qualifications would be beneficialProject Management qualifications are desirable eg. Prince, Lean six etcHealth and Safety qualifications (IOSH and NEBOSH) would be advantageousKnowledge of Retail systems (POS and inventory management) is beneficialAdvanced level of Excel is requiredFlexible to travel globally and extended international visitsPrepared to work flexible hours across multiple time zones. The role likely to include early start and later finishes to accommodate meetings in other time zonesMust be willing to fly, use public transport of all types in all counties, including long haul tripsHow We Get Things Done…This last bit is probably the most important! Here at WBD, our guiding principles are the core values by which we operate and are central to how we get things done. You can find them at www.wbd.com/guiding-principles/ along with some insights from the team on what they mean and how they show up in their day to day. We hope they resonate with you and look forward to discussing them during your interview.The Legal Bits…Warner Bros. Discovery embraces the opportunity to build a workforce that reflects the diversity of our society and the world around us. Being an equal opportunity employer means that we take seriously our responsibility to consider qualified candidates on the basis of merit, regardless of sex, gender identity, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, religion or belief, marital status, pregnancy, parenthood, disability or any other category protected by law.If you’re a qualified candidate and you require adjustments or accommodations to search for a job opening or apply for a position, please contact us at #####.
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