Hoppi Venue Manager

Position: Venue Manager

Location: Abu Dhabi

FOUNDERS BACKGROUND

We are young parents who have been blessed to follow our dream. Our dream is for children to be happier, more creative, more imaginative, more informed, inspired, aware, balanced and amazed. We aim to see joy on the faces of children.

ORGANIZATIONAL DESCRIPTION

OliOli® was our first pioneering project - a childrens museum that redefined play and learning by creating immersive galleries for open-ended exploration.

Building on this foundation, we are now bringing Hoppi® - a new play destination for families - coming soon to a new mall in Abu Dhabi.

Hoppi® is designed especially for children between the ages of 2-8, combining active physical play experiences with engaging, hands-on exhibit zones. It is a space where children can play, imagine, and explore, while parents enjoy a safe, enriching, and welcoming environment.

Hoppi® aims to be a beloved family destination in Abu Dhabi, adding joy, creativity, and playfulness to the lives of families.

POSITION OVERVIEW

The Venue Manager will oversee daily operations and ensure Hoppi® delivers safe, high-quality, and joyful experiences for children and families. The role includes leading the team, maintaining operational excellence, and building Hoppi®s reputation as a go-to family destination in Abu Dhabi.

KEY DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategic & Commercial Focus

• Work closely with the corporate team to support the venues P&L, ensuring sustainable growth and alignment with agreed financial targets.
• Drive growth across all revenue streams ticketing, café, merchandise, and events/parties with a focus on long-term profitability and guest value.
• Contribute to budgeting, forecasting, and financial planning in collaboration with corporate, with emphasis on revenue opportunities and cost awareness.
• Track, monitor, and deliver on key performance indicators (KPIs) including attendance, revenue per visitor, repeat visitation, café sales per head, and merchandise sales per head.
• Partner with the corporate sales/partnership team to establish and grow B2B sales (travel trade and corporate partnerships) with a goal of contributing at least 15% of revenue by end of year 1.
• Prepare and present monthly reports covering guest experience, operational highlights, commercial performance, and key challenges, in coordination with corporate finance.

Guest Engagement / Satisfaction:

• Ensure that all children/guests visiting Hoppi® have a joyful and memorable experience through a highly talented, effective, kind and committed frontline team.
• Guest feedback:
• Accurately measure and respond to guest satisfaction on a periodic basis:
• Effectively collect information from guests to understand how they spend their time in the space and how we can improve that experience through (a) reviews (b) frontline team and (c) direct guest interactions.
• Spend time on the floor, particularly during special program implementation to understand guest feedback and address it as appropriate.
• Structured compilation and sharing of the guest feedback with colleagues to address the complaints raised and avoid similar problems in the future.
• Identify any patterns/systemic issues in relation to guest dissatisfaction and resolve them in an optimal and appropriate manner.
• Check the various virtual platforms where guests provide their feedback and respond to guests as appropriate/required.
• Based on guest feedback, identify galleries/programs which require new/additional content and resources.
• Ensure that the frontline team is well-equipped to engage with different types of group visits, including field trips and birthday party visits.

Leadership:

• Ensure that the team has a thorough understanding of why Hoppi® exists, and why we do what we do.
• Recruit/develop superstar facilitators as part of the frontline team.
• Contribute towards a positive, genuine, team-based, guest-first centric culture.
• Keep team morale high through a) recognizing star performers b) encouraging and enabling others to outperform c) sincerely caring for their development and growth d) having informal gatherings for team building activities, etc.
• Supervise and oversee the performance of the frontline team; assess/evaluate and provide constructive feedback regularly with a continuous focus on their development and on improving guest satisfaction.
• Bring positive energy to the floor, and inspire the frontline team to ensure that kids/guests are having an amazing time.
• Develop and implement a training calendar for the frontline team that enables them to excel at engaging with guests in a meaningful way; bring in external experts as/when appropriate and necessary.
• Ensure and enable transparent/effective communication within the team.
• Address team concerns, constraints and grievances in an empathetic and compassionate manner.

Marketing & Community engagement

• Execute marketing initiatives in alignment with the central brand/marketing team, including mall activations, seasonal campaigns, and promotional offers that drive footfall and revenue.
• Establish Hoppi® as the hub for relevant topical discussions for parents by hosting regular talks, workshops or discussions relevant to parents and children.
• Host at least 1 event in this respect every 6 weeks.
• Adhere to corporate standards and guidelines.

Implementing the Creative Calendar:

• Create the execution framework to deliver a variety of creative programs throughout the year.
• Develop a solid understanding of the programs and prepare the execution plan on a quarterly basis; prep the team and ensure they have clarity/visibility of expectations from them in relation to the programming activities.
• Work with local colleges and other institutions to identify and create a pool of part-time talent and develop training programs to ensure they are able to deliver to the Hoppi® standard.
• Take a particularly hands-on (on the floor) approach during bigger events and activations; speak with guests on a daily basis during such times to understand feedback and opportunities for improvement.
• Work with other colleagues to prepare a detailed debrief for each program.

Physical infrastructure:

• Through the dedicated facilities team (including a senior manager and a supervisor), ensure that the premises are safe, clean and presentable at all times + that all the exhibits and equipment are in good working condition.

Operations/admin:

• Manage the staffing schedule to optimize guest experience and satisfaction.
• Be responsible for all other administrative and operational aspects of the venue.
• Prepare monthly reports + ensure that the knowledge in relation to the guest engagement function is institutionalized through the right documents, templates and systems.
• Create mechanism with the creative team to allow team members to submit ideas and carry through from concept to delivery.
• Oversee payroll review, and cross-departmental coordination for smooth operations.
• Ensure full compliance with child safety standards, food safety regulations, and mall fire & safety guidelines.
• Oversee and optimize technology systems including POS, booking/ticketing platforms, CRM, and reporting tools.
• Manage merchandise operations including stock management, visual merchandising, and pricing strategy to maximize sales.
• Oversee all café operations ensuring menu innovation, food quality, hygiene, supplier relationships, and guest satisfaction.
• Build and maintain a strong relationship with mall management, ensuring smooth day-to-day operations, compliance with mall policies, and alignment on safety, security, and facilities management.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Prior leadership experience within a guest engagement role in the relevant industry is a MUST.
• Minimum of 7-year work experience, including in Dubai, is a MUST.
• Ability to work within a highly diverse and multicultural environment.
• Exceptional communication skills.
• Outcomes driven.

Traits & Characteristics

• Self-starter and self-motivated; thrives in a team-oriented and collaborative environment.
• Thoughtful, conscientious, and genuine.
• Lots of positive energy; respectful of diversity; patient and empathetic; friendly; courteous.
• Excellent organization and execution skills with strong attention to detail.
• Resilient and quick learner.