Business Centre Manager

Can you help turn a remarkable place into a thriving one?

Business Centre Manager, St Matthew’s Community Enterprise Centre, West Hull

Salary from £35,000 depending on relevant experience, skills and qualifications.

For more than 40 years, Giroscope has worked in West Hull to bring unwanted buildings back into use. We provide secure housing and create the opportunities and the support people need to make positive change happen.

St Matthew’s Community Enterprise Centre is the next chapter in our story.

Based in a restored Grade II listed building, St Matthew’s offers offices, coworking, meeting rooms and event space for businesses, organisations and people with ideas they want to develop.

We are looking for an enterprising and people-focused Business Centre Manager to help St Matthew’s fulfil its commercial potential while keeping it welcoming, accessible and connected to the community around it.

This is a role for someone who understands that a successful centre is about more than filling rooms. It is about creating a place people want to return to, recommend and become part of.

You will take responsibility for growing occupancy, increasing bookings and developing new sources of income. You will build great relationships with prospective tenants, local businesses, partners and event organisers, turning interest into long-term customers and useful collaborations.

At the same time, you will ensure that the people using St Matthew’s feel connected, supported and valued. You will take an interest in their work, signposting into opportunities to create an environment in which businesses and ideas can grow.

What you will be doing
You will:

• Lead the day-to-day operation and commercial development of St Matthew’s.
• Increase occupancy across offices and coworking space.
• Grow meeting-room, event and venue-hire income.
• Generate enquiries, conduct viewings and convert opportunities into bookings and agreements.
• Develop new offers, partnerships and uses for the building.
• Build strong relationships with tenants, customers and local organisations.
• Create a consistently welcoming and professional customer experience.
• Help members make useful connections and access relevant opportunities.
• Ensure the centre is well organised, well presented, safe and efficiently run.
• Have a flexible approach to working some evenings and weekends.
• Monitor performance, manage costs and take action to keep the centre moving towards long-term financial sustainability.
• Work closely with colleagues across Giroscope and contribute to the wider life of the organisation.

About you
You are commercially aware, confident with people, and motivated by making things happen.
You will bring experience from business development, hospitality, workspace, venue management, events, property or another customer-focused environment.
You will be able to demonstrate:

• A track record of generating income, increasing bookings or improving occupancy.
• Strong sales and relationship-building skills.
• Confidence working towards clear commercial targets.
• Good judgment and the ability to balance different needs.
• A practical, resourceful approach to solving problems.
• The ability to build trust with people from diverse backgrounds.
• Strong organisation and attention to detail.
• Pride in creating a high-quality experience.
• The willingness to take responsibility and follow through on commitments.
• Experience of social enterprise, community business or the Hull business landscape would be useful, but it is not essential.
• We are particularly interested in how you work: whether you listen, whether you notice what is needed and whether you can turn ideas and relationships into practical results.

What we offer

• Salary from £35,000 depending on relevant experience, skills and qualifications.
• 25 days’ annual leave, plus public holidays.
• The opportunity to shape the future of a distinctive business and community space.
• A role in an organisation with strong local roots, an independent spirit and a long record of turning possibilities into action. 

How to apply 

Send your CV and a covering letter to vacancies@giroscope.org.uk.

Please tell us:

• how you have previously grown income, occupancy or bookings;
• how you build lasting relationships with customers and partners; and
• what you would do to make St Matthew’s both commercially successful and valuable to the people who use it.

The post will remain open until filled. Early applications are encouraged.

Giroscope welcomes applications from people with different experiences, perspectives and backgrounds. We want St Matthew’s to be a place where people are treated fairly, feel welcome and have the opportunity to contribute.

Do you have any questions about this role or want to know if it’s the right fit for you? We welcome informal chats before you apply. Contact Richard Motley, richard@giroscope.org.uk to book a quick 20-minute introductory Teams call/meet.