This is a rare opportunity for a General Manager to take ownership of a flagship venue and play a key role in shaping its next chapter!
Lead a standout cultural venueFull operational & commercial ownershipCollaborative, creative environmentLong-term growth opportunity
THE COMPANY Our client curate and produce events and venues across the UK and Europe. From greenfield festivals and large-scale concerts to immersive experiences and cutting-edge club spaces, they create unforgettable cultural moments that bring communities together.This role sits within one of their venues - a venue built with purpose. A space that champions forward-thinking programming, high production standards and inclusive, modern club culture. It's not about nostalgia - it's about building something meaningful and lasting, raising standards and delivering experiences that make the city proud.With a reputation for ambitious creative vision and operational excellence, the wider organisation offers strong central support while empowering venue leaders to take real ownership. THE ROLE As General Manager, you will take full responsibility for the successful running of the venue, balancing customer experience, creative ambition, financial performance, safety, and legislative compliance.Reporting to the Operations Director and leading the on-site team, you will act as the central point of contact across all departments - ensuring seamless collaboration between internal teams, bookers, promoters, contractors and stakeholders.This is a hands-on leadership role requiring commercial acumen, operational rigour and a passion for live events and venue culture.Key responsibilities of the General Manager include:
Overseeing all aspects of venue operations, ensuring safe, compliant and high-quality deliveryDriving commercial viability and monitoring performance against forecasted event and overhead budgetsIdentifying efficiencies and continually improving standards across the venueRepresenting the venue in company-wide budget and reporting meetingsRecruiting, leading and developing the core venue teamEmbedding collaborative working practices and clear communication channelsBuilding strong relationships with bookers, promoters and partners to ensure alignment and delivery excellencePlanning and managing all event operations including ticketing, bar, security, welfare, medics, production, cleaning and contractorsActing as Key Holder / Duty Manager for the majority of events (evening and weekend work required)Ensuring compliance with licensing, legislation and industry best practiceLeading on stakeholder management and maintaining clear, timely communicationMaintaining and overseeing all venue documentation including H&S policies, risk assessments, EMPs, production packs and SOPsNegotiating supplier and client contracts and monitoring deliveryManaging procurement, financial systems and company processesOverseeing facilities management and ensuring venue infrastructure is fit for purpose
THE CANDIDATEThe ideal General Manager candidate will have extensive experience managing venues, large-scale events or complex projects, with a strong understanding of commercial performance and operational compliance.Essential experience includes:
Solid experience running venues, events or comparable operationsStrong knowledge of licensing, venue legislation and security managementProven budget management experienceConfident IT literacy including MS Office (particularly Excel) and Google platforms
The General Manager will be:
A confident and effective communicator at all levelsA proactive, hands-on leader who motivates by exampleHighly organised, detail-driven and commercially astuteA creative problem solver who applies logic and knows when to escalatePassionate about live events, culture and delivering exceptional customer experiences
Desirable experience includes health & safety qualifications, first aid or emergency response training, up-to-date regulatory knowledge, and technical production expertise. WHAT'S IN IT FOR YOU?
The opportunity to lead a culturally significant venueA role with genuine autonomy and responsibilityCompetitive salary and auto-enrolment pensionTraining opportunities and ongoing professional developmentThe chance to be part of a growing, innovative organisation with shared knowledge across a network of event professionals
Live specialises in all disciplines (and at all levels) across events, experiential and exhibitions. If this position isn't quite what you're looking for please visit www.live-recruitment.co.uk to view all of the opportunities we are recruiting. Vacancy reference: MM17017 As a specialist events recruitment agency, we help our clients build the most talented and diverse teams in the UK. We actively encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds and are committed to ensuring a supportive and accessible recruitment process. If you require any adjustments or accommodations, please do not hesitate to let us know.