Director of F&B Development

Utilita Arena; Manchester; On-site; GBP 70,000 - GBP 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading hospitality company in Manchester seeks a Director of Food & Beverage Development to set the strategic direction for its offerings. The role involves overseeing the development and implementation of innovative food and beverage solutions, ensuring alignment with commercial objectives. Candidates should possess extensive experience in food and beverage development within complex environments, with a solid background in digital systems and strong leadership abilities. Flexible working arrangements are supported.

Benefits

25 days annual leave

Life Assurance policy

5% Pension contribution

Healthshield support

Employee Assistance Programme

Eye care vouchers

Cycle to Work scheme

Employee Referral Scheme

Qualifications

• Extensive senior-level experience across multi-site hospitality.
• Track record of large-scale rollout and transformation.
• Strong background in digital systems related to F&B.

Responsibilities

• Define and deliver F&B development strategy.
• Lead design and rollout of new F&B concepts.
• Identify market trends and maintain competitive F&B offer.
• Oversee implementation of systems to support operational efficiency.

Skills

Senior-level experience in Food & Beverage development

Concept creation and transformation

Digital F&B systems knowledge

Problem-solving capabilities

Effective communication

Leadership skills

Tools

EPOS

E-commerce platforms

Data platforms

Job description

About Legends Global

Legends Global is redefining excellence in sport, entertainment and live events. With unrivalled expertise and international reach, we provide end-to-end solutions – from venue development and event programming to revenue strategy and hospitality.

We take a 360-degree, data-driven approach across Partnerships, Hospitality, Merchandise and Attractions, working with leading clients to deliver outstanding experiences that resonate worldwide.

Our organisation is committed to fostering an inclusive and forward-thinking environment where diversity drives innovation and collaboration. Guided by our values of Align, Scale, Connect, Team and Win... we create a culture where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.

About the Role

The Director of Food & Beverage Development is responsible for setting and delivering the strategic direction, design and evolution of the organisation’s F&B offer. The role focuses on concept development, commercial performance, innovation, digital enablement and continuous improvement, ensuring all food and beverage operations align with brand, customer experience and financial objectives.

This role provides senior leadership across multi-site or complex hospitality environments, working closely with Executive, Estates, Finance, IT and Operations teams to deliver high-quality, scalable and commercially successful F&B propositions.

What we can offer

Hosting events is what we do best, and we want our People to experience that too - enjoy access to discounted tickets to unleash your superfan for all your favourites.

You will work hard at Legends Global, but you will be rewarded with lots of time to relax and rest with 25 days annual leave.

We understand that you have a life outside of work and want to ensure that your loved ones will always be taken care of whilst you’re contributing to our success with our Life Assurance policy.

A healthy contribution of 5% Pension so that your golden years are spent ticking off the items on your bucket list.

Got a dental bill? Need to book a counselling session? Or even help with Physio costs? With the support of Healthshield; Legends Global will support with these unexpected costs. For you and any children.

We understand that from time to time you might need a bit of support to get you back to feeling your best, so we have teamed up with AXA Health to provide our people with an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support mental health in the workplace.

We are visionaries: both physically and metaphorically! When you join Legends Global you will be entitled to eye care vouchers and a contribution towards any glasses you require.

Pedal your way to a greener, healthier commute—join our Cycle to Work scheme and turn every ride into a win for you and the planet

Great people know great people! Refer a friend through our Employee Referral Scheme and get rewarded for helping us build an amazing team

Key Responsibilities

• Define and deliver the Food & Beverage development strategy, aligned to organisational goals and customer experience ambitions.
• Lead the design, testing and rollout of new F&B concepts, menus, service models and delivery formats.
• Identify market trends, emerging consumer behaviours and technology opportunities to keep the F&B offer competitive and future‑focused.
• Own F&B development budgets, business cases and investment proposals.
• Drive revenue growth, margin improvement and cost efficiency through concept optimisation and supplier strategy.
• Work with Finance to ensure robust forecasting, performance tracking and ROI evaluation for all development initiatives.
• Provide strategic direction for F&B‑related technology, including EPOS, payment systems (PSPs), e‑commerce platforms, SaaS solutions and digital customer journeys.
• Ensure systems support operational efficiency, data insight, scalability and enhanced customer experience.
• Champion innovation, using data and insight to inform decisions and continuous improvement.
• Translate F&B development strategy into practical, executable operating models.
• Oversee the implementation of train‑the‑trainer frameworks to support effective adoption by operational teams.
• Provide senior oversight for event‑day readiness, service models and peak‑trade execution in complex hospitality environments.
• Act as the senior F&B development lead with internal stakeholders including Estates, IT, Legal, Partnerships and Operations.
• Build and manage strategic relationships with suppliers, partners, agencies and consultants.
• Influence at Executive and Board level, providing clear recommendations and insight‑led reporting.
• Lead, inspire and develop high‑performing F&B development and specialist teams.
• Set clear objectives, performance measures and governance frameworks.
• Ensure full compliance with food safety, licensing, health & safety and regulatory requirements.

We are looking for someone with

• Extensive senior‑level experience in Food & Beverage development, ideally across multi‑site, estate, leisure, hospitality or mixed‑use environments.
• Proven track record of concept creation, transformation and large‑scale rollout.
• Strong background working with digital F&B systems (EPOS, payments, e‑commerce, data platforms).
• Experience working closely with Estates, IT and Finance on capital projects and operational transformation.
• Strategically minded with strong commercial and financial acumen.
• Highly effective communicator with the ability to engage and influence senior stakeholders and boards.
• Strong problem‑solving capability, able to navigate complexity and ambiguity.
• Confident leader who fosters collaboration, accountability and innovation.
• Highly organised, resilient and delivery focused

Any offer of employment will be subject to satisfactory pre‑employment checks. These may include verification of identity, proof of address, right to work, employment history, qualifications, and—where relevant to the role—a basic or enhanced DBS check. All checks will be carried out in line with data protection law and we will only request information that is necessary for the role.

Inclusive Workplace

At Legends Global, we are committed to leading the entertainment industry towards a greener, faster, and more innovative digital future. There’s never been a better time to join our team. We aim to be an inclusive organisation, trusted and admired by our colleagues, customers, and suppliers. Join us and make a significant impact from day one.

We are committed to active inclusion, diversity, and equal opportunities. This commitment begins with our recruitment and selection process. We welcome discussions about flexible working arrangements.

If you need reasonable adjustments at any stage of our recruitment process, please let us know in your application. We are dedicated to providing a fair and transparent assessment process and will do our utmost to accommodate your needs.

If you are interested in applying, we encourage you to submit your application as soon as possible to ensure it is considered. We will continue to review applications on a rolling basis and may close the advert before the closing date.

GENERAL INFORMATION

The requirements of the business are such that it is necessary to have a flexible approach and therefore some business-related travel to be able to work at our venues and operational sites will be required.