Assistant Site Manager - Events (Bristol)

Assistant Site Manager - VR Concept Venue

Location: Bristol
Contract: Freelance, September 2026 – March 2027 (potential to extend)
Pay: £16 per hour
Working Pattern: Full-time (job share considered); requires evenings, weekends, and public holiday availability. Shift pattern arranged to overlap with, and to cover for, the Event Manager (Site Manager) as needed.
Reports to: Charlotte Potter, Producer – Fever (day-to-day line management from the Event Manager / Site Manager)
Manages: Front-of-house staff (agency and in-house); full management responsibility for all staff, including cleaners and front-of-house teams, when covering for the Event Manager during periods of leave

Role Overview
We're looking for a proactive and technically confident Assistant Site Manager to support the day-to-day running of our immersive VR experience in a high-footfall Bristol venue. Working closely with the Event Manager, you'll help keep the visitor experience running smoothly, staff well supported, and systems fully
operational. 

This role also acts as key holiday and absence cover for the Event Manager (Site Manager), stepping up to take full responsibility for the venue — technical, operational, and people management — whenever they are away. You'll need the confidence to run the site independently at short notice, alongside your regular assistant duties.

Key Responsibilities

🔧 Technical & Operational Delivery
● Support daily setup and shutdown of the VR experience, ensuring all systems, hardware, and software are fully operational.
● Carry out pre-opening checks (hardware calibration, environment readiness, content testing) alongside or in place of the Event Manager.
● Troubleshoot first-line IT and technical issues on-site (VR headsets, PCs, networking, displays), escalating to tech support partners where needed.
● Monitor experience performance throughout the day, resolving disruptions or resets promptly.
● Maintain stock of consumables (e.g., sanitisation wipes, headset liners) and uphold hygiene protocols.
● Assist in keeping technical documentation up to date and support training of team members on troubleshooting procedures.

🏛 Venue Operations (Ground Floor)
● Help ensure the ground floor VR experience space is clean, safe, and visitor-ready at all times.
● Coordinate cleaning and reactive maintenance for the VR zone, including public and back-of-house areas.
● Support queue management, timed entry, and visitor flow, particularly during peak periods.

👥 Team Support & Holiday Cover
● Assist in line managing front-of-house staff, including agency team members, day to day.
● Support daily staff briefings, rota coordination, and shift cover.
● Model high standards of customer service and professionalism for the wider team.
● Help train new team members on VR-specific procedures, safety, and technical protocols.
● Take full ownership of team management, rotas, and briefings during any period covering for the Event Manager, ensuring continuity of standards and cover.

🛡 Health & Safety
● Support daily safety and cleanliness walkarounds of the VR area.
● Act as a trained first aider for the venue, leading incident response (first aid, equipment malfunctions, or guest complaints), including full responsibility for this when covering for the Event Manager.
● Help keep risk assessments for the VR zone up to date and log incidents or near misses.
● Ensure staff are trained in relevant H&S procedures, including emergency evacuations and manual handling (if required).

📣 Customer Experience
● Help maintain a welcoming, engaging, and inclusive atmosphere for all guests.
● Act as a point of escalation for visitor queries or complaints, and the main escalation point when covering for the Event Manager.
● Support customer feedback mechanisms and feed insights back to the Producer and Event Manager.

📝 Communication & Reporting
● Provide handovers to the Event Manager (or, during cover periods, directly to the Producer) covering technical issues, visitor numbers, and operational highlights.
● Maintain accurate logs: staff attendance, incident reports, daily checklists, and maintenance tickets.
● Ensure a clean handover back to the Event Manager after any period of holiday cover, flagging anything requiring follow-up.

Ideal Candidate Profile
● Current, valid First Aid at Work certification is required for this role.
● Experience in live event, visitor attraction, or venue operations — preferably in immersive or tech-driven environments.
● Working knowledge of VR hardware/software and basic IT troubleshooting (e.g., Windows PCs, networks, Wi-Fi, device calibration).
● Experience supporting or managing teams, including casual/agency staff, in high-traffic public settings.
● Comfortable stepping up to run a site independently at short notice, with strong organisational skills and a calm, solutions-focused approach under pressure.
● Confident communicator and team player who thrives in a fast-paced, collaborative environment.
● Working knowledge of health & safety regulations and customer service best practices.

Additional Info
● Flexibility is essential: early starts, late finishes, and public holidays are part of the standard schedule.
● Some Mondays/Tuesdays may be required for maintenance, special events, or staff training.
● Holiday cover for the Event Manager should be expected on a periodic basis throughout the contract; specific dates to be agreed and scheduled in advance where possible.