Head of Events & Catering

Location: Ashmolean Museum, Beaumont Street, Oxford, OX1 2PH

Ready to lead one of the most exciting events and catering operations in the museum world? Join us to shape unforgettable experiences at Britain’s oldest public museum.

About the role

In this role, you will work within the Commercial Department in the Ashmolean Museum, which supports the museum through income from catering, retail, publishing and venue hire.

You will lead our Events & Catering function, overseeing retail catering, venue hire and corporate membership. You will set commercial plans, manage supplier relationships and ensure excellent service standards. You will lead a team of Events Managers and support staff development. You will also oversee financial performance, ensure legal and safety compliance, and work closely with colleagues to deliver high-quality events.

This is a full-time post, working 37.5 hours per week. The role is predominantly based on-site, but some level of home-working is available, dependent on the events programme.

About You

You will have strong experience in events and catering management, with a track record of delivering high-quality events and managing budgets. You will be confident working with suppliers, leading a team and building positive relationships with clients and colleagues. You will be well organised, calm under pressure and comfortable managing multiple priorities.

Experience in museums, corporate membership schemes or systems such as Artifax would be helpful but not essential.

What We Offer

As an employer, we genuinely care about our employees’ wellbeing and this is reflected in the range of benefits that we offer including:

• An excellent contributory pension scheme
• 38 days of annual leave
• A comprehensive range of childcare services
• Family leave schemes
• Cycle loan scheme
• Discounted bus travel and Season Ticket travel loans

More information is available at https://hr.admin.ox.ac.uk/staff-benefits

Diversity

Our staff and students come from all over the world, and we proudly promote a friendly and inclusive culture. Diversity is positively encouraged, through diverse groups and champions, as well as a number of family-friendly policies, such as the right to apply for flexible working and support for staff returning from periods of extended absence, for example, shared parental leave.

We are committed to ensuring that our recruitment processes are inclusive and accessible. If you require the job description or any other materials in an alternative format, or if you would like to request any adjustments to support you through the application or interview process, please contact the recruitment team at recruitment@glam.ox.ac.uk.

How to apply

You will be required to upload your CV and a supporting statement as part of your online application. Your supporting statement should list each of the essential and desirable selection criteria, as listed in the job description, and explain how you meet each one. CVs alone will not be considered.

We aim to provide a supportive working environment and are happy to discuss training and professional development opportunities. The Chair of this recruitment panel will be Claire Lane, Commercial Director, who can be contacted with enquiries relating to the role (claire.lane@ashmus.ox.ac.uk). General queries about the recruitment and application process should be directed to the GLAM Recruitment team (recruitment@glam.ox.ac.uk).

Only applications received online by 12.00 midday (GMT) on Friday 16th January 2026 can be considered. Interviews are expected to take place on Monday 2nd February or Tuesday 3rd February 2026.

* An automatic annual increment each year will be paid up to (and not including) the discretionary range within the University of Oxford’s Grade 8 salary scale.

183661 Job Description and Selection Criteria.pdf