Venue Operations and Client Support Co-Ordinator

Venue Operations and Client Support Co-OrdinatorAgTechUCD Innovation Centre, UCD Lyons FarmPosition type    Full-time Fixed Term for 24 monthsLocation    AgTechUCD Innovation Centre, UCD Lyons Research Farm, Celbridge, Co KildareReports to    Director of Innovation UCDSalary    €60,000 per year Hours    37 hours Full-time, with occasional evening and weekend eventsAbout AgTechUCDAgTechUCD is University College Dublin’s innovation centre for early-stage start-ups and SMEs working in agri, agtech, agrifood and veterinary sectors. Part of NovaUCD, it builds on NovaUCD’s track record of supporting high-tech start-ups. It is a collaboration between UCD and a network of industry, investor and research partners.AgTechUCD is a collaboration between NovaUCD, Kildare County Council, and Kildare LEO and is funded by the Regional Enterprise Development Fund. It also includes support from agri-companies such as; Devenish, Dairymaster, and Glanbia; investors such as; The Yield Lab, and Atlantic Bridge, along with leading AgTech researchers and innovators at UCD, Teagasc and Wageningen University and Research, Netherlands.  The AgTech Innovation Centre is based at UCD Lyons Farm, the University’s research and teaching farm. The building (about 890 sq.m.) offers flexible lab spaces, meeting rooms, offices and an exhibition space, and sits alongside the UCD Bimeda Herd Health Hub. It is home to a growing community of resident companies and is also available as a venue for events, workshops and industry gatherings.The RoleWe are looking for an energetic, organised and practical Venue Operations and Client Support Co-Ordinator to run the building day to day and to grow its profile as a venue for events and home for AgTech Start Up companies.This is primarily an operations role, with a meaningful commercial side. You will spend roughly 60% of your time on operations (building, events delivery and resident support and financial management and reporting) and 40% on marketing and sales (promoting the venue, winning event bookings and building relationships). An important part of the role is attracting clients to take up space in the incubator be it office or lab space and also selling the exhibition area and meeting rooms as an important event space.  A key requirement of the role is to attract business to the incubator and ensure it is an attractive area for prospective clients.  You will be the first point of contact for our resident companies and for everyone who hires or visits the space.Flexibility is required in this role (in working hours and tasks) and excellent verbal and written communication skills as well as a willingness to travel as needed and a full driving licence will all be essential for this positionKey Responsibilities1. Building and Facilities Operations•    Oversee the daily running of the building, including access control, opening and closing procedures and building security.•    Act as the main point of contact for maintenance and building services and out-of-hours contacts. Manage relationships with contractors and service providers (for example HVAC, plumbing, electrical, IT and broadband), log and prioritise issues, and make sure repairs are completed promptly. Technical repairs are carried out by qualified contractors; you coordinate and follow up.•    Carry out regular building walk-throughs to keep the centre clean, organised and safe, and to meet Health and Safety requirements, including the specific requirements of a lab and farm-campus environment.•    Liaise with UCD campus services and Lyons Farm colleagues on shared infrastructure, site access and safety procedures.•    Manage inventory and ordering for kitchen supplies, office consumables and event equipment.2. Event Coordination and Delivery•    Act as the primary contact for internal and external event hosts, from first enquiry through to delivery and follow-up.•    Prepare event spaces before bookings and reset them promptly afterwards, including room layouts