Venue Operations & Business Development Manager

KERB Food Ltd

Manchester

On-site

GBP 40,000 - 45,000

Full time

14 days+

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Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

25 days holiday

Health Cash Plan

Wellbeing allowance

CODE App Membership

Private medical insurance

Cycle To Work

Season ticket loan

London Living Wage

Best Companies accreditation

Job summary

KERB Food Ltd is seeking a Venue Operations & Business Development Manager for the Manchester United Fan Zone in Manchester. You will lead daily operations, manage matchday and event delivery, and work with traders, partners and stakeholders to deliver exceptional experiences while driving commercial growth.

The role requires strong leadership in hospitality, cross-functional collaboration, and flexibility for matchdays and evenings. Competitive salary and benefits accompany the position.

Qualifications

Experience leading operations within hospitality, events, venues, food & drink, or similarly fast-paced customer-focused environments.
Calm under pressure with the ability to stay objective and make good decisions when busy.
Excellent relationship-building skills with clients, traders, suppliers and partners at all levels.
Flexibility to work matchdays, evenings and weekends, based regularly at the Manchester United Fan Zone.
Curiosity, commercial awareness and a desire to continuously improve how things are done.

Responsibilities

Leading the day-to-day operation of the Manchester United Fan Zone, delivering exceptional experiences for fans, traders and partners.
Taking ownership of matchday and event delivery, ensuring everything runs smoothly, safely and to high standards.
Building strong relationships with Manchester United stakeholders, traders, suppliers and operational partners, becoming a trusted contact across the venue.
Working closely with the Business Director to identify opportunities to grow revenue, improve the customer experience and expand KERB's presence within the club.
Developing ideas for activations, food and drink experiences, and events that keep the Fan Zone fresh, relevant and commercially successful.
Using customer feedback, operational insight and industry trends to continually improve how we deliver and grow the business.

Job description

Venue Operations & Business Development Manager

Application Deadline: 31 August 2026

Department: Operations

Employment Type: Permanent - Full Time

Location: Manchester, Greater Manchester

Reporting To: Tom Moffat

Compensation: £40,000 - £45,000 / year

Description

At KERB, we believe great food and drink bring people together. Whether it's a market, event or fan zone, we're passionate about creating experiences that people genuinely enjoy being part of. As we continue our expansion into major sporting venues, we're looking for a Venue Operations & Business Development Manager to lead the Manchester United Fan Zone. You'll help create an incredible environment for supporters while driving the venue's commercial success and future growth. Working closely with traders, operational teams and Manchester United stakeholders, you'll have the opportunity to influence everything from the matchday experience to long-term business development. It's a role for someone who enjoys ownership, values great hospitality and wants to play a meaningful part in building something special. If you're as passionate about brilliant experiences as you are about making things happen, we'd love to hear from you.

What you'll be doing

Leading the day-to-day operation of the Manchester United Fan Zone, delivering exceptional experiences for fans, traders and partners.
Taking ownership of matchday and event delivery, ensuring everything runs smoothly, safely and to the high standards KERB is known for.
Building strong relationships with Manchester United stakeholders, traders, suppliers and operational partners, becoming a trusted point of contact across the venue.
Working closely with the Business Director to identify opportunities to grow revenue, improve the customer experience and expand KERB's presence within the club.
Developing new ideas for activations, food and drink experiences, and events that keep the Fan Zone fresh, relevant and commercially successful.
Using customer feedback, operational insight and industry trends to continually improve how we deliver and grow the business.

What you'll bring to KERB

Experience leading operations within hospitality, events, venues, food & drink, or similarly fast-paced customer-focused environments.
A confident and proactive approach to problem-solving, with the ability to stay calm and make good decisions when things get busy.
Strong organisational skills and the ability to balance multiple priorities without losing sight of the detail.
Excellent relationship-building skills, with the confidence to work with clients, traders, suppliers and partners at all levels.
An understanding of food and drink operations, including bar and beverage service.
A genuine passion for creating exceptional customer experiences and delivering events that people want to come back to.
Curiosity, commercial awareness and a desire to continuously improve how things are done.
Flexibility to work matchdays, evenings and weekends, and to be based regularly at the Manchester United Fan Zone.

Nice to have, but not essential:

Experience working with independent food traders or street food businesses.
Experience delivering a variety of live events, from sports and entertainment to exhibitions and large-scale public events.
Familiarity with EPOS systems, particularly Good Till.

What you'll get by joining KERB