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Description & Requirements
Magic Elf People Manager (Seasonal)
(Fixed Term 5 months, Start date July/August 2026)
Company Overview
Founded in 2007 by Mike and Alison Battle, Lapland began with a simple but powerful purpose: to honour the wonder of childhood at Christmas. Frustrated by the poor quality of festive experiences available for their own four boys, the Battles set out to elevate this moment of childhood and reimagine the Father Christmas myth through original storytelling, meticulous set design, and emotionally resonant live theatre.
Their ground-breaking immersive show opened in 2007 and immediately captured the attention and hearts of parents nationwide. Powered by their purpose, the couple partnered with Hollywood set designers and West End performance professionals to produce an experience of unprecedented quality and detail. With an NPS of 72 (outperforming industry icons in the entertainment space), Lapland’s customer loyalty is second to none and has now welcomed nearly 2 million ‘believers,’ with tickets selling out on release for what the press now terms ‘the Glastonbury of Christmas’.
Today, the Lapland Group is a fast-growing purpose driven entertainment business spanning the three pillars of Live, Product and Studios.
In 2024, Lapland’s eCommerce revenues grew tenfold, driven by the launch of magical at-home products like personalised Letters from Lapland…. (Advent calendar and soon, a Christmas Eve Experience?). These products extend the Lapland world into the home, deepening belief and connection beyond the physical experience. At the same time, our original story universe continues to scale through media. In 2023, Lapland launched its first podcast, Elfcast, which achieved No. 1 in the UK Family Charts and ranked in the global top 10 over Christmas. With plans to expand into audio and content year-round, our IP and characters are reaching audiences in new and emotionally resonant ways.
With immersive Live experiences, high-growth eCommerce, and a rapidly expanding original content, Lapland is on a mission to become the definitive global Christmas brand anchored in belief, storytelling, and the enduring magic of childhood.
Location: Manchester (Capesthorne Hall)
Reports to: Act 4 People Manager / People Operations Manager (Manchester)
Role Overview:
This role manages a team of up to 240 ‘Magic Elves’ who all work in the ‘Father Christmas Land’ (Act 4) operation, which is part of the ‘Lapland’ experience. This is a multi-faceted role, which requires a strong ability to meet the demands of people management, whilst protecting the guest experience and delivering an efficient and effective operation.
Key Responsibilities
OPERATIONS
- Manage a large team strictly in-line with approved policy, processes, and instruction. Ensure a complete and up-to-date working knowledge of procedures, consulting with Head Office on any required review or revision, ensuring a consistent and efficient operation.
- Have a thorough working knowledge of the relevant areas of operation to effectively troubleshoot and problem solve.
- Act as a champion for the ‘Lapland Accessibility and Inclusion’ policies, working with colleagues and direct reports to ensure all are trained and working in accordance with the relevant processes.
- Attend to (and follow up) guest feedback, working closely with the Guest Relations team (and other relevant stakeholders) to proactively address recurring problems within the Magic Elf cohort.
- Work closely with the Performance Manager’s to closely monitor feedback & performance of the Magic Elf team, providing support throughout the live shows
- Conduct daily registers, follow up with absences & no shows; produce & distribute daily call sheets for each day in advance.
- Deliver daily briefings to teams if required, communicating key safety, operational, experiential, and departmental information in a timely manner.
- Cover the duties of Act 4 People Manager on their days off; including producing hut allocation sheets for Father Christmas’s
TEAM MANAGEMENT
- Ensure that the Magic Elf staffing is consistently at the right level. Pro-actively address and resolve instances where staffing levels fall below the required matrix for operation.
- Establish, lead, and maintain a professional and positive working culture within the Magic Elf team, always acting as a role model.
- Ensure that team attendance is high, managing absence in a timely and effective manner in accordance with company policy, addressing any reoccurring absence trends.
- Work closely with HR and Resourcing colleagues on any recruitment requirements both before and during the live event.
- Manage poor performance and attendance in a timely and effective manner,in accordance with company policy.
- Recognise and promote good performance and attendance utilising the reward & recognition tools available.
HEALTH AND SAFETY
- Ensure a safe and secure environment for both colleagues and guests.
- Assist the Management team in the co-ordination of any emergency procedures, always ensuring the safety and wellbeing of visitors and colleagues.
- Report any health and safety accidents or near-misses into Event Control, inclusive but not limited to trip hazards, emergency issues, cleaning, site repairs.
TRAINING
- Deliver pre-approved training courses to both new and existing colleagues before and during the event; working with Act 4 Performance Manager to deliver any role or HR information to the Act 4 team.
- Attend required training courses as determined by the business.
- Conduct delegate training assessments and validations, having overall accountability that all team members within the operation are trained effectively with the required documentation complete.
VIP & PR GUESTS
- Support the communication and requests of all VIP and PR guests as determined by the VIP manager / team.
Essential Experience:
- Previous people-management experience, preferably with large teams within a theatrical, event or visitor attraction environment.
- Experience managing a casual workforce and the relevant HR practices this type of workforce entails
- Competent user of Excel & learning new staffing systems
- Strong working knowledge of best Health and Safety practices.
- Experience co-ordinating cast members within a guest-facing operation.
- Relevant experience in a staffing operation managing younger workers
Skills / Knowledge
- Excellent communication, interpersonal and diplomacy skills.
- Bright with a strong sense of initiative.
- Confident with technology & various staffing software systems.
- Flexibility of approach to working environment needs.
- Ability to work well in a team environment.
- Positive attitude throughout to ensure a good morale is sustained onsite.
- Organisational skills and attention to detail.
- Ability to work under pressure in a busy environment.
Salary:
£18.50 per hour
Life at LaplandUK:
At LaplandUK, we believe in the magic of collaboration, a steadfast commitment to excellence, and a team that's always willing to roll up their sleeves and get involved. Working with us means being part of a dynamic environment where collaboration brings out the best in everyone, diverse talents converge, and innovation thrives. Our commitment to excellence ensures that every team member is dedicated to achieving the highest standards, contributing to a workplace culture that values continuous improvement and outstanding results.
We're not just looking for employees; we want people who are excited to get involved, embrace challenges, and bring a hands-on approach to their work, creating a workplace full of positivity and collective success. Overall, working at LaplandUK offers a chance to be part of something truly special, where the wonder of childhood is celebrated by a team dedicated to making memories for over 40,000 families each year.
Passion for the Mission.
We are in service to belief. We understand the importance of what we do and its legacy.
One Company
We only succeed together. We are a positive and caring group of people who embrace developing Lapland and ourselves.
Driven to Deliver Excellence
Belief is in the detail. Powered by our purpose we challenge and innovate to exceed expectations in everything we do.
Benefits:
- Flexible hybrid working until early November, when the role is then based on-site
- Holiday paid at 12.07% at the end of contract
- Free daily on-site meal once based on-site for the live show
- Staff car parking & shuttle bus service
Applicants must be authorised to work in the United Kingdom without the need for visa sponsorship.
Lapland reserve the right to withdraw this advert at any time. Due to the high number of applications being received, we may not be able to respond to every applicant.
Lapland is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace that seeks to recruit, develop and retain the most talented people from a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. We therefore encourage applications from all genders, races, religions, ages and sexual orientations, as well as parents, veterans, people living with disabilities, and any other groups that could bring diverse perspectives to our business.