Studio Manager - Luxury Women's Portrait Studio

Most luxury hospitality roles optimise for “guests had a nice time.” This one optimises for “this changed my life.” We’re a luxury all-female intimate portrait studio in East London. Over the past 6 years, we’ve helped 1,600+ women transform how they see themselves through powerful portrait experiences. This isn’t product photography or corporate headshots. We turn women into art they keep for life. Your job is to make that transformation happen smoothly, every single day. THE ROLE (no buzzwords, just reality) You run the studio floor. Founders own brand, marketing, pricing and sales. You own everything that happens from “she’s booked” to “her artwork is delivered” inside the building. Your three core responsibilities: 1. Lead the Studio Team (8–10 people) Photographers, hair/makeup artists, Guest Experience, retoucher, ops assistant. You coach them, give clear feedback, and create simple growth paths so they know what “great” looks like here. You schedule them, protect the vibe on the floor, and hold them to clear standards for punctuality, attitude, and quality. 2. Own the Guest Experience Our sessions are 2 hours: pre‑shoot nerves to post‑shoot euphoria. You set the tone, protect the vibe, and handle escalations when things wobble. You can read a room, spot when a guest or team member is “off”, and address it early. 3. Run the Operation Scheduling 1,000+ sessions/year across 7 days Keeping the space, team presentation, and flow at a true luxury level Tracking performance and fixing bottlenecks before they become fires In numbers, you live and die by: % of sessions starting on time Shoots completed vs shoots booked On‑time artwork delivery % Client issues / refunds / formal complaints Team reliability (no‑show / lateness, rota stability) How little the CEO is dragged into day‑to‑day studio problems If those are going in the right direction, you’re winning. YOU’RE PROBABLY A FIT IF YOU: Have 3–5+ years running teams in luxury hospitality (spa, hotel, salon, fine dining, clinic, etc) Have managed 5–15 people in a busy, high‑emotion environment Are comfortable with hard conversations and holding people accountable Can read a room and adjust how you show up with different personalities Enjoy developing people: regular 1:1s, clear expectations, celebrating wins, and course‑correcting when needed Think in checklists, calendars, and simple systems rather than constant firefighting Like making decisions from a simple dashboard, not just vibes Want real ownership of a space, not just a job description YOU’RE PROBABLY NOT A FIT IF: You need strict Monday–Friday 9–5 (we’re a 7‑day operation; weekends are normal) You avoid confrontation or struggle to hold standards with people you like You need a policy manual for every situation (you’ll help refine the playbook as we go) Big emotions scare you (our clients are often going through a lot; we support them through it) “Good enough” feels acceptable to you WHAT YOU GET £47,000–£50,000 base salary Performance bonus based on clear metrics (client ratings, operational reliability, team stability) OTE: £55,000–£65,000 for strong performance there is room for progression over time Weekdays off in exchange for regular weekend work High autonomy inside the four walls: once you’re up to speed, it’s your floor A chance to build a world‑class, women‑only transformation studio, not just another salon or hotel You’ll report directly to the founders. As the studio hits consistent targets and you prove you can run the floor without drama, this role is designed to evolve into full Studio General Manager. Fair warning: the emotions are intense, the standards are high, and the pace is fast. If you’ve been waiting to own a space like this, we’d love to hear from you.