Head of Catering (Hospitality) and Events in Dublin

We are seeking a Head of Catering and Events to lead and grow our Catering Events business in Dublin operations. You will be accountable for the full end-to-end management of events and hospitality, including sales, service delivery, team leadership, budgeting, and operational performance. This is a hands-on leadership role, offering the opportunity to shape strategy, enhance client relationships, and drive innovation across our events portfolio.

Your key responsibilities will include:

• Lead & Develop Teams: Build, mentor, and motivate a high-performing catering and events team, ensuring accountability, engagement, and delivery excellence.
• Event Management: Oversee the full lifecycle of events — planning, coordination, execution, and post-event evaluation — to consistently meet client expectations and quality standards.
• Financial & Operational Oversight: Manage budgets, cost control, and financial performance across the events program, including payroll, stock management, and supplier relationships.
• Client Relationship Management: Act as the primary point of contact for clients, maintaining clear communication, understanding requirements, and proactively enhancing the client experience.
• Commercial Strategy: Develop and implement annual event propositions, pricing models, and sales tools that drive growth, showcase innovation, and strengthen the value of services offered.
• Compliance & Standards: Ensure all operations comply with HSE, food safety, hygiene, and internal quality standards.
• Performance Management: Conduct team appraisals, monitor KPIs, and address performance issues constructively to maintain high standards and accountability.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work closely with internal departments and external suppliers to ensure seamless event execution and operational efficiency.
• Culture & Values: Promote a collaborative, solution-focused team culture aligned with Compass values, encouraging innovation and engagement at all levels.

Our ideal Head of Catering and Events will:

• Have a minimum of 5 years’ experience in events and hospitality management or as a catering events lead.
• Possess strong client management skills with experience pitching ideas to senior stakeholders.
• Demonstrate proven team leadership capabilities, fostering engagement, synergy, and high performance.
• Be commercially focused with strong budgeting, cost management, and operational planning skills.
• Exhibit excellent communication, negotiation, and interpersonal skills across all organisational levels.
• Be innovative, solution-oriented, and able to perform under pressure in fast-paced environments.
• Have knowledge of industry trends, events management best practices, and catering operations.

At Compass Ireland, our people are our business. When you join the Compass Group you will be joining a supportive network of incredible individuals, each united by their passion for going the extra mile for the organisations we partner with. We are building a team who care about providing a great customer experience and want to grow and develop as we do. We are dedicated to investing in every colleague joining us and pride ourselves on being an equal opportunity employer; we celebrate diversity and are committed to building an inclusive environment for all our colleagues.

We consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements.

Please review our Privacy Notice for details on how we maintain, protect and why your personal data is collected when you apply for a job with Compass Group. We will not retain any CV's or job applications for longer than necessary.

Compass Group UK&I is committed to fostering an environment where every individual can truly be themselves at work and has equal opportunities to advance in their careers. We strive to build a culture that respects and celebrates the unique talents, beliefs, backgrounds, and abilities of all our team members. We want our colleagues to feel valued, empowered to reach their full potential, and to thrive - because diversity is our strength!