F&B & Retail Operations Manager
JAM Event Services · Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi Emirate, United Arab Emirates
Tailor my CV for this job — freeF&B & Retail Operations Manager
You will support the flagship F&B and retail operators, drive timely operator actions and reporting, and take the day-to-day lead on the F&B and retail pop-up programme. This is a delivery-critical, cross-functional role, with strategic, contractual and financial decisions escalated to the Unit Head.Key responsibilitiesFlagship F&B operator
- Support day-to-day operator management, guest experience, staffing and service standards, menu implementation, compliance and operational readiness
- Chair operational meetings when delegated, issue minutes and hold owners to actions, deadlines and corrective measures
- Review sales, visitor conversion, transaction trends, feedback and contractual KPI submissions; follow up on discrepancies and prepare concise management updates
- Oversee the operator's handling of F&B events, group bookings, catering and seasonal activations
- Coordinate with HSE, FM, Security, Operations, Events and MarComms, and escalate material issues promptlyFlagship retail operator
- Support shop operations, visual merchandising, signage, stock availability, service standards, gift cards and POS escalations
- Run product development and delivery meetings: approved SKUs, samples, approvals, milestones and launch readiness
- Help bring collections, gifting, seasonal lines and exhibition merchandise to shelf on schedule
- Enforce corrective actions on product quality, VM, staffing, training and e-commerce coordinationF&B and retail pop-up programme
- Lead the pop-up pipeline end to end: vendor outreach, proposals, approvals, onboarding, launch, trading reviews and offboarding
- Maintain the vendor database, site allocation, activation calendar, agreements, checklists and trackers
- Support commercial negotiations within approved parameters and prepare business-case comparisons
- Lead site readiness: kiosks and fixtures, utilities, access, permits, insurance, HSE and food safety, deliveries, staffing and signage
- Oversee trading compliance, performance reporting and end-of-activation reconciliation and handoverEvents, activations and delivery
- Turn programming, exhibition and seasonal priorities into operational plans with schedules, budget inputs and staffing needs
- Coordinate F&B and retail participation in major events, private functions and activations, including on-site troubleshooting
- Lead assigned projects with status reports, risk registers, post-event results and lessons learnedGovernance and reporting
- Maintain trackers, agendas and minutes, action logs, dashboards and submission calendars
- Challenge incomplete or overdue operator submissions, verify data and escalate with practical recommendations
- Prepare briefing notes, management slides, performance summaries, sales forecasts and vendor comparisons
- Provide flexible cover to Specialists during peaks and absencesEssential requirements
- Fluent Arabic and English (written and spoken) – mandatory
- 5–8 years' progressive experience, including manager-level ownership of hospitality/F&B operations, retail operations, vendor portfolios or high-volume destination/event projects
- An established local network within the UAE hospitality industry
- Strong hands-on F&B operations knowledge plus credible retail, merchandising and gifting experience
- Proven management of external operators, concessions, brand partners or vendors, including performance reviews and issue resolution
- Experience launching and running pop-ups, kiosks and events from onboarding to close-out
- UAE experience with local vendor approvals, HSE, food safety and event/site processes
- Based in Abu Dhabi or able to commute daily, and available to start 9 NovemberPreferred
- Government, cultural, museum, tourism, destination or major-events background
- Familiarity with concession contracts, revenue share, retail POS, gift-card processes, sales/stock dashboards and e-commerceCore capabilities
- Confident operator leadership: able to challenge poor performance and secure commitments without relying on positional authority
- Highly organised and accountable; you close actions without being chased
- Strong commercial and numerical skills
- Excellent stakeholder management, meeting facilitation and judgement
- Calm under pressure and happy to be on the floor during launches, peaks and events
- Advanced Excel, PowerPoint and OutlookContract terms – please readThis is a month-by-month rolling freelance contract that may extend up to 6 months. Each extension depends on business needs, so the full term is not guaranteed and the contract may end at short notice. Please apply only if this arrangement works for you.