Join Our Team of Legends!
At FIKA Catering, we are not just in the hospitality business; we are revolutionising it. Our goal is to create exceptional, memorable experiences while making a lasting positive impact on people and the planet. We are looking for a passionate and talented Deputy Events Manager to join our vibrant team and help us deliver bespoke events that push boundaries and exceed expectations.
Why FIKA Catering?
- 40 hours per week with flexible working hours. Evenings and potential weekends will be expected, working 5 days out of 7.
- 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays.
- Bespoke training and development opportunities.
- A culture of inclusivity, diversity, and continuous growth.
- Support for your career aspirations within a purpose-driven, innovative organisation.
- Be part of a team that lives and breathes the values of our ‘Legend Policy’, championing positivity, empathy, and making a real difference.
- Location: London – working across various FIKA and client sites, with 58 Victoria Embankment as the primary office base when not required on site.
- Salary: £40,000–£42,000 per year, depending on experience
About the Role
This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced, organised and commercially minded Deputy Events Manager to play a key role within FIKA Catering’s Events Department.
Working closely with the Head of Events, you will support the day-to-day management of the department and be involved throughout the full event journey — from initial enquiry and proposal development through planning, coordination, delivery and post-event follow-up.
As Deputy Events Manager, you will act as the second point of responsibility within the Events Department, supporting the Head of Events while also being confident in taking ownership of events and making appropriate day-to-day decisions independently.
You will build strong relationships with clients, chefs, suppliers, the Logistics Manager, operational teams and event staff, ensuring that every event is well planned, commercially considered and delivered to FIKA’s standards.
This is a hands-on role. Alongside planning and administration, you will regularly attend and manage events, lead teams on site, support setup and service, solve problems and ensure that the client receives an exceptional experience.
When the Head of Events is unavailable, you will be expected to provide continuity within the department, manage agreed priorities and act as the main operational point of contact for ongoing events.
1. Event Enquiries, Proposals & Administration
- Manage and respond to incoming event enquiries in a timely and professional manner.
- Gather all relevant information from clients, including event date, location, guest numbers, timings, budget, service style, dietary requirements and event specifications.
- Prepare professional event proposals and quotations using FIKA’s agreed pricing structures and templates.
- Develop initial event concepts and recommendations based on client briefs.
- Prepare event costings including food, beverages, staffing, equipment, transport and other operational requirements.
- Revise proposals and quotations following client feedback and changes.
- Follow up on outstanding proposals and enquiries and maintain visibility of potential business.
- Maintain accurate event records, calendars, trackers and digital event folders.
- Ensure confirmed events are correctly documented and communicated internally.
- Support purchase orders, invoices and other event-related administrative processes where required.
- Ensure all information is accurate and complete before an event progresses into operational planning.
2. Client Relationships & Communication
- Act as a key day-to-day contact for FIKA Events clients.
- Build professional, positive and trusted relationships with clients.
- Understand client expectations and translate their requirements into clear event plans.
- Communicate confidently regarding menu description/allergens, timings, staffing, service styles, equipment and event requirements.
- Attend client meetings, site visits and planning meetings where required.
- Proactively follow up with clients for outstanding information and decisions.
- Manage amendments and last-minute changes professionally and efficiently.
- Identify opportunities to enhance the client’s event or recommend appropriate additional services.
- Handle straightforward client concerns and escalate significant complaints/concerns, commercial challenges or sensitive matters to the Head of Events.
- Support the Head of Events in developing and maintaining relationships with key accounts.
3. Event Planning & Coordination
- Take ownership of assigned events from confirmation through to completion.
- Develop detailed event plans, schedules and operational briefs.
- Coordinate menus with the culinary team and ensure dietary and allergen requirements are clearly communicated.
- Determine staffing requirements and coordinate FOH, chefs, event managers and other event personnel.
- Prepare staff schedules, call times, responsibilities and briefing information.
- Coordinate equipment and logistical requirements with the Logistics Manager.
- Liaise with suppliers, venues and external partners as required.
- Arrange and attend site visits where necessary.
- Identify access restrictions, loading requirements, setup times and venue-specific requirements.
- Ensure all relevant departments receive accurate and timely information.
- Check that staffing, equipment, menus, signage, allergens and operational requirements are confirmed ahead of each event.
- Identify potential risks or challenges early and create appropriate solutions in place.
- Ensure final event briefs are complete and distributed to the relevant teams.
4. Event Equipment, Storage & Operational Readiness
- Maintain full awareness of FIKA’s event equipment, stock and storage areas and ensure they remain organised, professional and event-ready.
- Work closely with the Logistics Manager to ensure event equipment is correctly stored, maintained, accounted for and readily available for upcoming events.
- Regularly review upcoming events against available equipment and identify shortages, damages, replacement requirements or additional hire needs in advance.
- Prepare or review equipment requirements for each event and communicate these clearly to the Logistics Manager.
- Conduct regular checks of event storage areas and work collaboratively with the Logistics Manager to maintain high standards of organisation and stock control.
- Ensure event equipment is accounted for following events and follow up on missing, damaged or incorrectly stored items.
- Maintain awareness of equipment condition and identify items requiring repair or replacement.
- Identify opportunities to improve FIKA’s event equipment range, storage systems and operational readiness.
- Take shared responsibility with the Logistics Manager for maintaining high standards across event storage areas, while the Logistics Manager retains responsibility for the day-to-day movement, tracking and logistical coordination of equipment.
- Ensure the Events Department always has a clear understanding of what equipment is available and what may be required for upcoming events.
5. Event Delivery & On-Site Management
- Take an active and hands-on role in event delivery.
- Lead assigned events on site when required.
- Manage event setup and ensure presentation meets FIKA standards, established by the Head of Events.
- Brief FOH, chefs and event teams before service.
- Allocate responsibilities and ensure team members understand the event plan.
- Coordinate with chefs, logistics, venue teams, suppliers and clients throughout the event.
- Monitor food presentation, service standards, timings and guest experience.
- Respond quickly and professionally to changes or operational challenges.
- Make appropriate on-site decisions to protect service quality and the client experience.
- Maintain professional communication with the client throughout the event.
- Ensure events remain on schedule wherever possible.
- Oversee event breakdown and coordinate equipment returns with the Logistics Manager.
- Capture relevant client feedback and operational learnings following events.
6. Deputy Responsibility & Department Support
The Deputy Events Manager will act as a key support to the Head of Events and provide continuity within the department.
- Support the Head of Events with the day-to-day management and organisation of the Events Department.
- Maintain visibility across upcoming enquiries, confirmed events and departmental priorities.
- Assist in prioritising workload and ensuring important deadlines are met.
- Act as the main point of contact for the Events Department when the Head of Events is unavailable.
- Take responsibility for agreed day-to-day operational decisions within the scope of the role.
- Ensure ongoing events and client requirements continue to progress during periods when the Head of Events is away.
- Support communication between Events, Culinary, Logistics, Operations and other FIKA departments.
- Escalate significant commercial, contractual, financial, HR or client issues to the Head of Events or senior management as appropriate.
- Support the development of systems, procedures, templates and standards that improve the efficiency and consistency of the Events Department.
- Assist with training and developing junior and casual event team members.
7. Team Leadership
- Lead by example and represent FIKA’s values and expected standards of behaviour.
- Create a positive, professional and solutions-focused working environment.
- Brief, supervise and support event teams.
- Provide clear instructions and expectations to team members.
- Monitor performance during events and provide constructive feedback where appropriate.
- Support training and development of event staff.
- Encourage ownership, teamwork and accountability.
- Identify staffing or performance concerns and communicate these appropriately to the Head of Events.
- Help build a reliable pool of trained event staff who understand FIKA’s service and presentation standards.
8. Commercial & Financial Management
- Work with the Head of Events to ensure events are commercially viable and appropriately costed.
- Prepare accurate event budgets and quotations.
- Understand food, beverage, staffing, equipment, transport and supplier costs.
- Monitor changes to confirmed events and ensure additional requirements are appropriately costed.
- Identify opportunities to improve event profitability without compromising quality.
- Avoid unnecessary expenditure and use company resources responsibly.
- Obtain supplier quotations and compare options where required.
- Support post-event reviews of actual costs against quoted costs.
- Identify opportunities for upselling and additional services where appropriate to the client’s requirements.
- Develop a strong understanding of FIKA’s pricing, margins and commercial objectives.
9. Creativity, Development & Continuous Improvement
- Contribute creative ideas for menus, presentation, service styles and event concepts.
- Keep aware of relevant hospitality and event trends.
- Work collaboratively with the culinary team to develop event experiences that reflect FIKA’s identity.
- Identify ways to improve event planning and operational processes.
- Contribute to the development of event templates, checklists, SOPs and planning tools.
- Participate in post-event reviews and identify lessons and improvements.
- Help develop consistent standards across FIKA events.
- Take an active interest in developing the Events Department and supporting its future growth.
10. Health, Safety & Compliance
- Ensure FIKA’s health & safety, food safety and allergen procedures are followed throughout event planning and delivery.
- Ensure relevant dietary and allergen information is accurately communicated to operational teams.
- Identify potential event risks and escalate concerns appropriately.
- Ensure staff work safely during setup, service and breakdown.
- Support completion of relevant event documentation and risk assessments where required.
- Maintain professional and responsible standards when representing FIKA at client and external venues.
Key Skills & Requirements
The successful candidate will ideally have:
- Previous experience in event management, preferably within catering, hospitality, corporate events or a similar environment.
- Experience planning and delivering events from initial enquiry through to completion.
- Strong client relationship and customer service skills.
- Experience preparing event proposals, quotations and costings.
- Strong commercial awareness and confidence working with budgets.
- Excellent organisational and planning skills.
- Exceptional attention to detail.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills.
- Confidence communicating with clients, chefs, suppliers, venues and operational teams.
- Experience leading or supervising teams.
- Ability to manage several events and competing priorities simultaneously.
- Ability to remain calm, organised and solutions-focused under pressure.
- Confidence making appropriate operational decisions independently.
- A proactive and hands-on approach.
- Strong computer and administrative skills.
- Knowledge of health & safety, food safety and allergen requirements within hospitality.
- Flexibility to work evenings and weekends according to the event schedule.
- Willingness to travel between FIKA locations, client sites and event venues across London.
What We Expect From Our Deputy Events Manager
We are looking for someone who does more than simply complete assigned tasks.
The successful candidate will be expected to:
- Take ownership – follow responsibilities through from beginning to completion.
- Think ahead – identify what needs to happen next rather than waiting to be asked.
- Communicate clearly – keep clients and internal teams informed.
- Be commercially aware – understand that great events must also be financially successful.
- Be solutions-focused – bring possible solutions when raising problems.
- Lead by example – maintain high standards even during demanding events.
- Be hands-on – be equally comfortable preparing an event plan, checking the event store and supporting the team on site.
- Protect the client experience – understand that every interaction represents FIKA.
- Support the team – work collaboratively across Events, Culinary, Logistics and Operations.
- Be dependable – provide the Head of Events with confidence that agreed responsibilities will be managed without constant supervision.
- Continuously improve – look for better ways to organise, communicate and deliver events.
The Deputy Events Manager should develop into someone who can confidently manage the day-to-day Events function when required while working closely with the Head of Events on the continued development and growth of the department.
Working Relationships
Reports to: Head of Events
Works closely with: Logistics Manager, Culinary Team, Operations Team, FOH/Event Teams, Drivers, Finance, Suppliers, Venues and Client Teams.
The Deputy Events Manager and Logistics Manager will work closely together while maintaining clear areas of primary responsibility.
The Deputy Events Manager is responsible for ensuring the event is fully planned, prepared and operationally ready, including maintaining oversight of event equipment and storage standards.
The Logistics Manager is responsible for the day-to-day logistical execution, including drivers, vehicles, deliveries, collections and the physical movement and tracking of equipment.
Both roles share responsibility for maintaining organised, efficient and event-ready storage areas and work collaboratively under the overall direction of the Head of Events.
Join us on our mission to create exceptional, socially conscious experiences while fostering a community of growth, innovation, and positivity.
Become a Legend at FIKA Catering and leave your mark on the industry!
Pay: £40,000.00-£42,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Cycle to work scheme
- Health & wellbeing programme
- Paid volunteer time
Work Location: In person
