Hospitality Director
We are seeking a dynamic and commercially driven Hospitality Director to lead and manage our diverse and vibrant range of services
Closing date - 2 January 2026
Interview date - 8 January 2026 (subject to change)
Salary - £65-70,000 per annum (dependent on experience)
Hospitality Director Job Pack - download here
We are seeking a dynamic and commercially driven Hospitality Director to lead and manage our in-house bar and outsourced catering operations. This role encompasses a diverse and vibrant range of services including a daytime café and bar and includes theatre performances, music gigs, large-scale commercial events, opening nights and intimate VIP functions, high-yield hospitality packages and the MIF biennial festival at Aviva Studios.
The bar operations will be managed by Factory International and the kitchen and catering operations will be managed by a third-party partner. The successful candidate will be responsible for overseeing both in-house bar operations and outsourced catering functions, ensuring seamless service delivery, profitability, and exceptional customer experience across all touchpoints.
The key responsibilities for the Hospitality Director include;
Operational Leadership
· Lead the strategic and day-to-day management of all bar and catering services across the venue.
· Oversee the daytime café and bar operations, ensuring high standards of service and customer satisfaction.
· Manage bar and catering provision for wide range of activities including theatre style performance and shows, music gigs, opening nights, VIP events and large-scale commercial functions.
· Collaborate with the Events Team to deliver high-quality catering and bar services for major events.
Strategic Planning & Innovation
· Lead the development and delivery of a distinctive F&B programme that enhances placemaking and elevates the visitor experience, aligning with our creative vision and programming.
· Drive strategic commercial relationship with wholesalers to ensure quality, value and innovation across our F&B supply chain
· Build and nurture relationships with beer wine and spirit brands supporting the BP team in securing sponsorship and commercial deals that amplify our brand and visitor experience.
Commercial Performance
· Drive turnover, profit, and yield across all bar and catering operations.
· Develop and implement pricing strategies, unique and creative promotions and product offerings to maximise revenue.
· Monitor and manage stock levels, purchasing, and supplier relationships to ensure cost efficiency and responsiveness to event needs.
Outsourced Catering Management
· Manage the relationship with the outsourced daytime catering provider, ensuring alignment with venue standards and customer expectations.
· Coordinate with the outsourced provider for large-scale commercial events, ensuring seamless integration with in-house teams.
Team Leadership & Development
· Lead and develop a high-performing team across bar and outsourced catering functions.
· Foster a culture of excellence, accountability, and continuous improvement.
· Ensure compliance with health and safety, licensing, and food hygiene regulations.
The person specification for the Hospitality Director are;
ESSENTIAL
- Proven experience in managing bar and catering operations in a multi-use venue, festival or similar environment.
- Strong commercial acumen with a track record of driving profitability and operational efficiency.
- Excellent leadership and team management skills.
- Experience working with outsourced providers and managing complex stakeholder relationships.
- Exceptional organisational and communication skills
- Commitment to championing representation and inclusion at every level of the organisation with a proven ability to work with people from a wide range of background
DESIRABLE
- Experience in theatre, live music, festivals, arenas or cultural venues.
- Knowledge of licensing, food safety, and health & safety regulations.
- Familiarity with EPOS and stock management systems.
- Enthusiasm for training, mentoring and support of emerging talent
- Locations
- Aviva Studios
- Yearly salary
- £65,000 - £70,000
Our Mission
Through art, music and culture, in digital and physical space, our mission is to create the meeting points between imagined futures and real lives.
Throughout all our areas of work we will embody our values: Open, Inventive, Equitable, International, and Determined.
Already working at Factory International?
Let’s recruit together and find your next colleague.
Freelance Event Managers and Event Assistants
Join our pool of Freelance Event Managers and Assistants to help deliver our ambitious programme of events at Aviva Studios! Looking for people at all levels of experience in a range of event types.
WORK WITH US AT FACTORY INTERNATIONAL
We are looking for a number of Freelance Event Managers and Event Assistants to deliver events and activities across Factory International’s diverse programmes of work. We are looking for people at all levels of experience across a range of event types.
Freelance Event Managers and Event Assistants - call out brief, download here!
At Factory International we want to bring together a talented team of motivated and passionate people from all backgrounds and skillsets to join our diverse and supportive talent. Reaching out into every corner of Manchester and harnessing the talent and energy that is found across the city and beyond.
This is an exciting opportunity to work with us to support the delivery of events across our programmes of work, a broad portfolio of events in the world-class spaces of Aviva Studios.
We match people to projects that fit their skills and experience, which means your start date and contract length will depend on the events you work on.
What we're looking for;
The main purpose of the Event Manager and Event Assistant roles is to deliver events and activities across Factory International’s programmes of work including commercial events, brand activations, large scale concerts and our wide-ranging public programme. We are looking for people to bring strong event delivery experience and strong on-the-ground problem solving ability to the delivery of events, liaising with external partners to deliver memorable projects.
The scope of the role is broad, and from week to week you could be delivering conferences by major corporate clients or large scale gigs and concerts by international artists; high profile product launches in the expanse of the Warehouse or community-centered events such as cultural festivals in the public realm. The role is varied and you will be working across multiple parts of the building to deliver exciting and innovative work for our partners and audiences.
It would be great to hear from anyone who has skills & experience in the above areas.
Please note that these roles will be on site and in person, so being based in Manchester or within a reasonable commuting distance is essential. It's important to note that successful applicants will be specifically contracted for advancing and delivery roles or delivery-only roles. We have requested you to list your preference as part of the application process, but the decision will ultimately be made by the hiring manager and will be dependent on professional experience and the interview process.WHAT’S NEXT
Should you be successful in the application process, we will contact you to confirm a timeslot for a brief interview on Friday, January 30, 2026. Should we wish to proceed with contracting you as one of our Freelance Event Managers or Event Assistants, we will confirm via email and you will be required to attend the Freelancer onboarding session on Monday, February 9, 2026. Please hold these dates for now to ensure you're available if successful.
- Department
- Producing
- Locations
- Office / Factory International
- Employment type
- Contract
Our Mission
Through art, music and culture, in digital and physical space, our mission is to create the meeting points between imagined futures and real lives.
Throughout all our areas of work we will embody our values: Open, Inventive, Equitable, International, and Determined.
Already working at Factory International?
Let’s recruit together and find your next colleague.