About Absolute Taste Absolute Taste is an innovative culinary and hospitality business dedicated to delivering inspirational food and exceptional customer experiences. Our mission is to redefine the customer journey and elevate it to new heights.
Continually pushing boundaries and committed to being best in class, Absolute Taste is going from strength to strength. This is an exciting opportunity to join a highly regarded organisation during a period of growth and innovation.
We are a small, dynamic team of event professionals who are passionate about producing exciting, well-managed, safe, and sustainable events for both clients and staff. Our ability to unite people and develop strong working relationships is central to our success.
Our team is fun, resilient, hardworking, and supportivecommitted to consistently high standards of performance and delivery while fostering a positive and empowering culture.
Who You Are Significant experience managing and delivering large-scale projects within the live events industry, ideally across catering, cultural, and sporting events.
Proven ability to lead complex multi-agency planning processes, including liaison with venues, contractors, production partners, and sponsors.
Strong leadership presence in collaborative environments, with the ability to support high performance from internal and external delivery teams.
Skilled in meeting critical deadlines while maintaining reporting accuracy, compliance, and effective communication with senior leadership.
Demonstrable success managing large, dynamic budgets, producing forecasts, reconciliations, and financial reports.
Experience securing and delivering against external tenders and funding frameworks.
Proven ability to lead, develop, and mentor diverse operational teams.
Experience in procurement and management of supplier relationships.
Strong working knowledge of health and safety legislation.
Demonstrable experience in risk assessment and mitigation, including event-specific planning.
High-level proficiency in Microsoft Excel/Google Sheets, including formulas and data analysis tools.
Comfortable adopting AI-powered tools to support efficient working, communication, and scheduling.
Behaviours You will thrive in this role if you:
Are confident, adaptable, and self-directed, able to work across multiple disciplines and shifting priorities.
Lead with purpose and clarity, building strong relationships with colleagues, contractors, and stakeholders.
Communicate professionally, consistently, and proactivelyespecially under pressure.
Maintain high standards of delivery and pursue innovative, efficient solutions.
Are collaborative and solution-focused, seeking long-term improvements over short-term fixes.
Are deeply invested in the safety, sustainability, and reputation of the events you help deliver.
What the Role Includes Senior Leadership & Operational Support Act as a senior delivery lead, deputising for Heads of Department where required and leading allocated projects or workstreams.
Provide flexible operational support across departments based on project schedules and capacity.
Lead special initiatives such as internal procedure development, multi-year procurement strategies, or the rollout of new systems.
Develop and implement operational processes that improve efficiency and consistency.
Manage key procurement processes, including high-value tenders, contract negotiations, and supplier engagement.
Analyse technical specifications and financial implications, delivering actionable insights and reports.
Coordinate planning documentation, ensuring accuracy and consistency across teams.
Support Absolute Tastes sustainability and carbon-reduction objectives.
Contribute to post-project debriefs, sharing insights that drive continuous improvement.
Represent the department in internal forums and external stakeholder meetings.
Act as a senior operational lead on-site, ensuring safe, professional, and efficient event delivery.
Pre-Event Responsibilities Work with the Event Manager to ensure CAD plans and all service provisions are in place (water, waste, power, rubbish, plant, etc.).
Identify local suppliers for heavy and light equipment in international markets.
Plan routing and storage for assets between events globally.
Identify efficiencies in equipment utilisation to reduce rental expenditure.
On-Event Responsibilities Deliver clear, detailed briefings so all event teams understand objectives and standards.
Oversee event set-ups, ensuring all logistics, food safety, and health & safety requirements are met to a first-class standard.
Maintain continuous communication with the Event Manager, Logistics, and BOH teams to ensure quick and effective problem-solving.
Post-Event Responsibilities Oversee site breakdowns, ensuring clean and compliant handover, proper return of hire equipment, waste disposal, and asset management.
Supply ongoing intelligence and data to support decision-making across departments.
Participate in post-event debriefs and ensure insights are shared and actioned.
Support the Event Manager with account consolidation and budget reconciliation.
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