Markets Festivals & Events Manager

14 Months Fixed Term Contract /Secondment Opportunity

This is not just an events job. This is Hackney.

Hackney’s street markets and festivals are more than just trading spaces, they are centres of community, culture and celebration. As the new Market Festivals & Events Manager, you won’t just be running events, you’ll be part of one of the UK’s most decorated local government teams, shaping a borough-wide experience that’s won multiple national awards and is now being replicated internationally.

This is your chance to lead something ambitious, inclusive and unforgettable; and take your career to the next level while doing it.

The Role

You’ll lead the design and delivery of Hackney’s borough-wide market festivals, seasonal celebrations, and community events, including our showstopping Christmas Markets and Winter Festival. You’ll run major activations, support small businesses, generate new income streams, and champion Hackney’s cultural identity through every event.

This role is the glue that connects creative energy with operational excellence, and you’ll thrive at the intersection of logistics, placemaking, culture, and commerce. From safety planning and sponsorship deals to street-level energy and national innovation, this is one of the most exciting jobs in local government.

What You’ll Be Doing

– Leading our year-round borough-wide programme of market festivals and cultural activations

– Delivering Hackney’s high-impact Christmas & Winter Markets

– Managing licensing, logistics, branding and partnerships across all events

– Driving commercial success through sponsorships, concessions and stallholder income

– Embedding Net Zero, anti-poverty and equalities goals into everything we do

– Promoting Hackney as a national and global leader in public space activation

About You

You’re part producer, part strategist, part relationship-builder. You know how to get things done, and you bring flair, precision and people skills to every project. You’ve run complex outdoor events or managed thriving market programmes,  but you’re looking for more than just delivery. You want to innovate, collaborate, and build something special. You want to create real impact, and make magic happen in public space.

Why Join Us?

Our Markets, Shop Fronts & Street Trading Service is:

– Nationally recognised and internationally referenced

– A multi-award-winning team with accolades from LGC, APSE, NABMA and more

– A driver of inclusive growth, sustainability and cultural celebration

– Home to Ridley Road, Broadway, Hoxton and the UK’s first Zero Plastic Markets

– A place where staff thrive, innovate and shape the future of public service delivery

Ready to Shape the Future?

If you want to play a lead role in reinventing how public space is used, how small businesses grow, and how communities celebrate, this is your moment.

As a Council, our most outstanding asset is our staff, who are highly dedicated to serving our residents and committed to our goals as an organisation.

If you want to work in a place where you can represent our values so we achieve the best for our residents, please click on the apply button below.

We operate a fair and open anonymous selection process. Therefore, we do not accept supporting statements or CV’s.

To proceed with your application, you will need to create an account and submit your application.

As part of the application process, you will need to complete a number of competency based questions. These questions allow you to demonstrate your suitability for the role and provide examples of your skills, knowledge and experience outlined in the job description.

We understand the benefits of using AI in the workplace. However, if you are thinking of using this tool to submit your application, we ask you to think about what value it will add. AI tools tend to lack the personal touch and authenticity we value in candidates. We encourage you to showcase your unique knowledge and skills using your own voice.

This application process replaces a supporting statement.

Prior to applying for a vacancy for a secondment opportunity, please liaise with your line manager and inform them of your interest in applying for the role.

Closing date for applications: 24 November 2025 (22:59)

Interview and assessment date: W/C 08 December 2025

We are also working towards our vision, which is to be a place for everyone; where residents and staff can be proud; a place that celebrates diversity and where everyone can feel valued, included and involved. In order to achieve this, we look for people who are: Proud; Ambitious; Pioneering; Open; Proactive; Inclusive.

Hackney Council works to eradicate discrimination on the basis of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation. We also recognise that people can be disadvantaged by their social and economic circumstances, so we will also work to eliminate discrimination and disadvantage caused by social class. We also welcome those interested in flexible working. We particularly welcome applications from disabled people, as this group is currently under represented in our workforce.

The Council has a dedicated employment support service (Hackney Works), which offers Hackney residents guidance in relation to applying for jobs. If you are thinking about applying for a job, please contact the Hackney Works team to find out what support is available: hackneyworks@hackney.gov.uk