Studio Manager (Head coach) - Luxury Women's Portrait Studio

£48,000–£52,000 base in Year 1, realistic OTE £60,000–£65,000. Progression to £55,000–£60,000 base and £70,000–£80,000 OTE as the studio scales and targets are hit. Most “manager” jobs are about filling rotas and putting out fires. This one is about coaching a small, elite team to deliver life‑changing experiences for women every day – and turning one London flagship studio into a machine we can copy to other cities and countries. We’re Body & Soul Studios, an all‑female intimate portrait studio in Hackney. Over the past 6 years, we’ve helped 1,600+ women transform how they see themselves through powerful, luxury portrait experiences and artwork they keep for life. This is not retail. Not a hotel lobby. Not a nail bar. This is deep, emotional work at a very high standard. The role You own everything from “she’s booked” to “her artwork is delivered” inside the building. HQ handles branding, pricing, marketing, and ads. You run the machine: people, sessions, and production. If it happens inside these four walls, it’s your responsibility to make it world‑class at scale. Roughly: 50% coaching & leading on the floor 30% running the day (timings, flow, escalations) 20% admin, reporting, and improvement work You will: Lead an 8–10 person team (photographers, HMUAs, Guest Experience, production coordinator, ops / retouch). Run daily huddles and weekly 1:1s so everyone knows the standard and how they’re doing. Give clear, direct feedback when people slip on timing, attitude, or quality – even if they’re talented. Protect the guest experience: calm nerves, set the tone, handle wobbles, and keep the day on time. Keep the studio running like a luxury hotel: immaculate space, smooth handovers, no chaos. Oversee the production pipeline (retouching, album design, delivery) so artwork goes out on time even as volume increases. Track a simple dashboard and fix bottlenecks before they become fires. You report directly to the founder and work alongside our Sales Manager. Your job is to turn this flagship into a boringly consistent machine. Your scorecard You’re winning if these trend the right way: % of sessions starting and ending on time Shoots completed vs shoots booked On‑time artwork delivery % Client issues / refunds / complaints Team reliability (no‑shows, lateness, rota stability) Level of founder involvement in day‑to‑day studio issues (goal: you own and resolve almost all of them) You might be a fit if… You’ve managed 5–15 people in a busy, high‑emotion environment (spa, clinic, salon, fitness studio, fine dining, etc). You enjoy coaching: huddles, 1:1s, feedback, developing people over time. You’re comfortable with hard conversations and holding standards with people you like. You can read a room and adjust how you show up with different personalities. You think in checklists and rhythms, not “hero mode” firefighting. You like making decisions from a simple dashboard, not just vibes. The idea of taking a strong studio, doubling its throughput cleanly, and turning it into a multi‑room flagship you run like your own business – then helping us copy‑paste that model to other cities (including the US) – excites you. You get a kick out of enforcing systems so things run the same way on a Monday morning as a Saturday afternoon. You’re not a fit if… Your favourite part of past roles was building rotas and spreadsheets rather than being on the floor with the team. You avoid confrontation or need everyone to like you all the time. “Good enough” feels acceptable to you. You want £70k–£80k immediately, rather than building towards it over 12–24 months based on results. Compensation & progression Year 1 base salary: £48,000–£52,000 (experience dependent). Performance bonus around £8,000–£12,000/year at target (paid quarterly) based on clear KPIs: on‑time sessions, on‑time artwork, guest issues, and throughput. Realistic Year 1 OTE: ~£60,000–£65,000 once you’re fully up to speed. As the studio grows into a multi‑room, high‑throughput flagship and you consistently hit agreed targets, this steps into a £55,000–£60,000 base with OTE up to roughly £70,000–£80,000, based on performance. The logistics Full‑time, in‑studio role in Hackney (5 days/week). Regular weekend work with weekdays off as part of your pattern. Early starts and late finishes on busy days. You must be able to reliably commute, commit for 2+ years, be comfortable in an all‑female, intimate portraiture environment, and be happy with weekends as a normal part of your pattern. Apply now and fill out the short form (5 minutes max).