General Manager

Run the whole business — five areas under one roof — with full P&L responsibility, reporting to the shareholders.

About Arda

Arda is a music hub in Campanhã, Porto, opened in 2020 in a converted warehouse. Inside you can find 7 professional recording studios (4 commercial), 5 production rooms, offices and Porto’s Municipal vinyl library.

The business operates in 5 different areas:

  • Arda Recorders, the recording studios, which is where most of our revenue and reputation comes from.
  • Arda Suppliers, pro-audio retail, stocking equipment the large catalogues don’t carry. Most of what we sell is installed and running in the studios upstairs.
  • Arda Academy, training courses for people working in or entering the industry.
  • Fonoteca Municipal do Porto, the city’s public vinyl archive of around 35,000 records. We host it and staff it under contract with the city.
  • Tenancies: offices and rooms rented to composers and producers working out of the building.

The role

We’re looking for a general manager to run the whole business. You would report to the shareholders. Studio manager (Arda Recorders), head of sales (Arda Suppliers) and academy coordinator (Arda Academy) would report to you. You would be responsible for the P&L, for strategy, and for hiring/HR.

The main objective is to improve the operating margin. The facility was a large investment and carries the financing that came with it. The business covers its running costs across the five lines above, but the margin is currently too thin to service that financing comfortably.

We will go through the full financial picture with you — revenue by line, costs, debt, cash position and our accountant’s assessment — during the first meeting, rather than expecting you to judge the opportunity from a job posting.

Responsibilities

Commercial performance. Pricing, utilisation, cost structure and which work is worth taking. You own the P&L.

Growth. Finding revenue we don’t have today, whether that’s new markets for the studios, new courses for the academy, new markets for the audio store or new areas of operation altogether.

Revenue stability. Reducing how much the business depends on project work that varies heavily from month to month.

Strategy. Our current approach is diversification across our operations, specifically the recording business, sales and academic courses. We want someone who will form their own opinion on whether that’s right, and act on it.

Commercial integration. The departments can do more for each other than they currently do. The studios are a working showroom for Suppliers, the Academy can feed both, and the people working in the building are a network.

Supporting the team. Our engineers are very good at what they do. They need help reaching clients and pricing their work, not someone directing it.

Team and culture. Building and leading a small team: who we need, what each person is responsible for, and how they work together.

What success looks like after twelve months

  • The operating result covers the financial structure, or is clearly and measurably heading there.
  • There is a stable team with clear responsibilities and a manageable workload.
  • You have a well-founded view on which business areas should be developed or reduced/shut down, and have acted on it.
  • The areas that remain are run properly.

Who we’re looking for

  • Experience running a business, venue, studio group or similar facility with real P&L responsibility, where you were accountable for the financial result and not only for delivery.
  • Comfortable with the numbers and credible with technical staff. You don’t need to be an engineer or producer, but you do need to earn their respect.
  • Experience improving an underperforming operation, and a clear sense of the difference between cutting costs and building margin.
  • A management style based on enabling technical and creative people rather than directing them.
  • Direct and straightforward, with your team as much as with us.

Language

English is required. Portuguese isn’t, but it helps — settling in, and dealing directly with people and contractors.

Compensation

  • €35,000 to €38,000 gross per year.
  • 25% of the operating result, uncapped.

Permanent contract with a 240-day probation period.

Write to us. A CV and a few paragraphs is plenty.

Tell us about a business or operation you were responsible for and what its numbers looked like when you left it. We read everything and we reply.

jobs@arda.pt