Real Food Festivals
Senior Market Manager
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Do you…
- Get a quiet satisfaction from a market that opens on time, runs cleanly, and closes without incident?
- Stay calm when three things go wrong at once and traders are looking to you for answers?
- Notice the things that are about to become problems before they actually do?
- Take genuine pride in a site that’s well run - not because someone’s watching, but because that’s the standard?
- Care about independent food, small producers, and the kind of markets that actually mean something to the people who trade at them?
If that sounds like you, keep reading.
Who we are
Real Food Markets has been running food markets and street food events across London since 2008 - championing independent, artisan producers at some of the city’s best-known sites, including King’s Cross, Euston, Duke of York Square in Chelsea, and Canopy Market.
We are a certified B Corp. That means we hold ourselves to a higher standard on how we operate, how we treat people, and the impact we have - not just commercially, but as a business in the world.
We’re a small, experienced team. Everyone here knows what they’re doing and is trusted to get on with it. There’s no bureaucracy, no hand-holding, and no tolerance for box-ticking. What there is: real responsibility, a team that works hard, and markets that traders and visitors genuinely love.
The role
We’re hiring three Senior Market Managers to lead our busiest, most complex sites. This is a full-time, permanent role across a shift pattern that includes weekdays and weekends (shifts are 6-12 hours).
You are the most senior person on site. The build crew is there, but you’re the one making sure the market is built correctly before it opens. Once it does, you’re the person traders come to - for everything. Questions, complaints, payment failures, stall disputes, safety issues, difficult members of the public. You handle most of it yourself and you keep the market running.
It’s a role that goes from zero to a hundred with no wind-up time. You can be ticking along and then something happens - a generator failure, a medical incident, multiple problems at once - and you need to be completely on it, immediately. That mental readiness, sustained across a full shift, is what the job actually requires. The role is full-time and permanent, paying £40,000 to £45,000 per year depending on experience.
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What you’ll be responsible for
- Taking full ownership of safe, well-run markets from build sign-off to close
- Directing and overseeing build/de-rig crews - this is a supervisory role, not a manual labour one
- Managing trader relationships on site: the first point of contact for everything
- Running continuous food hygiene and H&S compliance checks throughout every shift - not box-ticking, but genuinely doing it
- Acting as first responder for any on-site incident: medical, conflict, security
- Completing all shift documentation accurately and on time
- Contributing to the development of junior Market Managers over time
What we’re looking for
- Experience: At least 2 years in a senior or lead on-site role in markets, events, or a similar live, fast-paced environment. You’ve been the person in charge and you know what that actually means.
- Composure: When things go wrong - and they will - traders and staff look to you. The ability to stay steady, think clearly, and communicate honestly under pressure is not optional in this role.
- Situational awareness: The ability to read what’s happening around you - who’s stressed, what’s about to escalate, what a trader actually needs versus what they’re asking for.
- Honesty: When something goes wrong, say so clearly and early. We’d rather know than not.
- Maturity: Not defined by age. Defined by having encountered difficult situations - with people, under pressure, in public - and having learned how to handle them well.
- Detail: High standards on compliance, documentation, and reporting. Every shift, done properly.
- Level 3 Food Hygiene (or willingness to obtain promptly). First Aid and Fire Safety training desirable - we can provide if needed.
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What to expect
Shifts are up to 12 hours, on your feet, outdoors, in all weather. Some of our sites are among the most demanding market environments in London - established trader communities with high expectations and complex operational requirements. Duke of York Square in Chelsea and Canopy Market at King’s Cross in particular require genuine experience and maturity to run well.
You will also regularly encounter members of the public who are homeless, under the influence, or having a difficult day. How you handle those moments matters. The wrong response makes things worse. Experience in de-escalation - or simply the instinct to handle it well - is something we look for.
This is not a role for someone who wants a quiet life. It is a role for someone who finds genuine satisfaction in doing a difficult job well.
How to apply
Step 1: Video cover letter
Before anything else, we want to see and hear you - not read a polished CV. Record a short video, 2–3 minutes maximum. Keep it straightforward and honest. We’re not looking for production quality, we’re looking for the real you.
Cover these questions:
- Who are you and what’s your background?
- What draws you to this specific role at Real Food Markets?
- Tell us about the hardest shift or situation you’ve managed on site - what happened, how you handled it, and what you’d do differently if anything.
- What makes you good at this kind of work - not in theory, but in practice?
- What does a well-run market look like to you?
- What would success in this role look like after six months?
Upload your video to YouTube (unlisted), Loom, or Google Drive. Make sure the link is shareable with no password required.
Step 2: Send it to us
Email your video link and your CV to info@realfoodfestival.co.uk. Include your full name in the subject line.
We will respond to every application.
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