Live Events Manager (Assistant Head of Venues – Events)

Application deadline: 03/09/2026 17:00

Own the live music operation at one of Cardiff’s busiest live event venues, taking shows from enquiry and advancing through to doors, show and review.

Cardiff Students’ Union is home to a busy and varied live events programme, welcoming touring artists, promoters and audiences into venues including the 1,500-capacity Great Hall.

It has responsibility for the live music operation, including administration, event management and commercial performance, and acts as the primary point of contact for live music events from initial enquiry through to event delivery and post-event review.

That means building relationships with promoters, agents, clients, contractors and other stakeholders; planning and advancing events; overseeing staffing and contractors; managing commercial performance; and being there on show days to make sure events are delivered to a high standard.

Alongside live music, the role provides technical oversight across all events delivered by the department and supports the planning and delivery of corporate, nightclub, public, student group and internal events.

About Cardiff Students’ Union Venues Department

Cardiff Students’ Union sits at the heart of Cardiff’s student community and operates a diverse collection of venues hosting live music, club nights, student events, conferences, corporate events and other large-scale activity.

The Venues Department combines live entertainment with a substantial year-round events and hospitality operation. No two weeks necessarily look the same.

Why Cardiff?

It is a compact capital with a thriving live music, nightlife and events scene, spanning major stadium and arena shows, touring productions, grassroots venues, independent promoters, festivals and a busy late-night economy. It is a city where the industry is connected, giving you the opportunity to build relationships and become part of the community.

Cardiff also offers a lot outside work. You get the culture, food, nightlife, sport and entertainment of a capital city, while being close to the coast, mountains and countryside of South Wales. It is compact and easy to get around, with Bristol around an hour away and direct rail connections to London and other major UK cities.

For someone looking to relocate, it is an opportunity to join an established venue operation, become part of a growing live events community and build both a career and a life in one of the UK’s most accessible capital cities.

What You’ll Be Doing

Please see our website job listing for a full breakdown.

Live Music & Event Delivery

• Lead the planning, administration, delivery, P&L, and development of live music events inline with the Venues Department objectives.
• Support with the planning, administration and delivery of nightclub events including busy trading periods such as Freshers.
• Contribute to the planning, administration and delivery of internal, corporate, public, and student group events.
• Make commercial data driven decisions to drive P&L for all events and operations.
• Form part of the Duty Management Team.
• Be responsible for overseeing external contractors & clients and ensuring their safe working practice.
• Support with producing suitable risk assessments & event management plans and ensuring suitable event security and first aid resources are booked.
• Ensure that customers’ expectations are exceeded whenever possible.

Technical Oversight

• The role provides technical oversight across the Venues Department rather than focusing solely on individual live music shows.

Responsibilities include:

• Oversee the operation of all technical aspects of the venues department including management of the Technical Co-Ordinator and Technical Crew team.
• Overseeing the production of event specifications and technical drawings for operations.
• Oversee the operation of the casual technical crew team consisting of approximately 2 x production supervisors, 3 x technical supervisors, 20 x technical crew.

The role also provides leadership, direction and coaching to direct reports and identifies training needs.

Commercial Performance

•  Assist the Deputy Head of Venues in identifying existing and potential commercial revenue streams and implement development plans.
• Manage financial aspects of delegated budgets in accordance with internal procedures, including purchasing, budgeting, and budget review.

What We’re Looking For

Please see our website job listing for a full breakdown & person specification .

This role would suit someone who understands how events work and is comfortable operating between promoters, clients, production teams, contractors, crew and internal teams.

Someone who can move comfortably between the planning and delivery side of events and the reality of delivering them live.

Someone who enjoys building relationships within the events industry, can keep control of multiple moving parts and understands that a successful show is the result of good preparation as much as good delivery.

It is particularly suited to someone looking to take ownership of a live music operation while developing broader venue management, commercial and technical oversight experience.

The Reality of the Role

This is not a Monday-to-Friday, desk-only events position.

Live music and major events happen when audiences are available, so the role requires a willingness and flexibility to vary and change work routines and work outside normal working hours where necessary.

Some weeks will be heavily focused on planning, advancing, bookings, commercial work and administration. Others will centre around live delivery, promoters, contractors, technical teams, audiences and the realities of getting events open and running successfully.

The role is based at the Students’ Union building at Park Place, Cardiff, although there may be occasional travel to and work from other locations.