Project Director Time Out Market London

London

Reporting to the COO, Time Out Market

Fixed-Term Contract until mid-2028

Time Out Market London will be the global flagship for Time Out Market. This role is the central point of coordination for the project, bringing internal teams, consultants, contractors, the landlord and vendors together into one integrated plan.

The Project Director will be responsible for delivering the Time Out Market London project from start to finish, leading the project management and organisation of every phase: from brief and design, through planning, licensing, construction and fit-out, to opening and handover to the operating team.

The Project Director will report to the COO, Time Out Market, who holds overall accountability for the project, including budget. They will work alongside the TOM leadership team, the internal development team, the London General Manager, Time Out Media and the Finance and Legal teams.

The role also carries responsibility for keeping the Group CEO, the Markets Board and other key internal stakeholders engaged and informed throughout the project, so that decisions on design, space utilisation, business modelling, curation and pre-opening plans are taken with the right people, at the right time and with the right information.

The role is London-based and will require regular time on site.

Key Responsibilities

End-to-End Project Delivery

• Lead the delivery of Time Out Market London from initial brief and design through to planning, licensing, construction, fit-out, opening and handover.

• Develop and manage the integrated project plan, overseeing milestones, critical paths, dependencies and deadlines to ensure delivery on time and to the agreed quality standards.

Design & Build Coordination

• Coordinate the appointment and work of architects, designers, cost consultants and contractors in line with the project plan.

• Oversee planning, building control and landlord consents, working closely with the internal Development team and external advisers to ensure design and construction remain on programme and meet Time Out brand standards.

Licensing & Consents

• Own the licensing workstream, managing milestones, dependencies and documentation, and acting as the day-to-day point of contact for licensing lawyers, acoustic, security and other specialist consultants.

• Coordinate internal teams and external advisers to ensure all drawings, operating plans, reports and supporting documentation are delivered on time, managing submissions and responses to representations while keeping the COO and Legal informed of progress, risks and potential impacts.

Budget & Cost Tracking

• Monitor the capital budget, cost reporting and change control, identifying and escalating potential variances and risks to the COO.

• Coordinate consultant and contractor tenders with internal and external stakeholders, preparing monthly reports on spend against budget and forecast costs to completion.

Operational Readiness

• Lead the operational readiness programme until the London General Manager is appointed, then support them in delivering the pre-opening plan.

• Coordinate vendor onboarding and fit-out, recruitment, training, equipment and furniture delivery, supplier contracts, systems and IT, trial trading and launch activities, ensuring the Market is ready to open.

Snagging & Handover

• Coordinate commissioning, snagging and the formal handover of the completed project to the operating team.

• Support the Market through its first months of trading, ensuring outstanding works and issues are resolved within agreed timescales.

Governance & Reporting

• Lead weekly project meetings, maintain live risk, issue and decision logs, and coordinate health and safety and CDM compliance with the principal contractor and relevant advisers.

• Provide clear progress reports and decision-ready updates to the COO, leadership team, Markets Board and Group leadership, capturing lessons learned to inform future Time Out Market developments.

Internal Stakeholder Engagement

• Maintain regular engagement with the COO, Group CEO, Markets Board and key internal stakeholders, establishing clear updates, reviews and decision-making points throughout the project.

• Ensure stakeholders are involved in key decisions covering design and brand standards, space utilisation, business modelling, vendor and bar curation, and pre-opening plans, ensuring decisions are recorded and reflected in the project programme, budget and design.

External Stakeholder Management

• Act as the day-to-day point of contact for the landlord, contractors, consultants, licensing lawyers, acoustic and security advisers, local authorities and vendors throughout the project.

• Work collaboratively with internal teams across Operations, Commercial, Design & Projects, Finance, Legal, Time Out Media and the London General Manager to ensure effective coordination and delivery.

Performance Measures

• Project milestones delivered in line with the agreed programme.

• Market opened on the agreed date.

• Premises licence and all required consents secured on schedule.

• Accurate cost reporting and delivery within the approved budget.

• Key project decisions made at agreed stage gates, with appropriate senior stakeholder involvement.

• Health and safety compliance maintained throughout construction.

• All vendors fitted out and ready to trade at opening.

• Snagging and outstanding works completed within agreed timescales.

General Requirements

The Project Director must have a proven track record of delivering large, complex hospitality, food hall, leisure or retail projects in London, from inception through to opening. Hands-on experience managing multi-million-pound capital projects and coordinating consultant and contractor teams is essential. Experience within food halls or multi-vendor environments would be advantageous..

• Proven experience delivering large hospitality, food hall, leisure or retail projects in London, from inception to opening.

• Experience managing multi-million-pound capital projects and coordinating consultant and contractor teams.

• Working knowledge of UK planning, licensing, building regulations and CDM requirements.

• Experience with premises licensing, including licensing lawyers and acoustic and security consultants, is desirable.

• Strong project management skills, including integrated planning, critical path, risk and change control.

• Experience delivering operational readiness and pre-opening programmes.

• Experience coordinating multiple tenants, vendors or concessions through fit-out is desirable.

• Confident using project management tools such as Asana or similar.

• Strong communication and reporting skills, with experience presenting to senior leaders and board-level stakeholders.

• Able to build trusted relationships, influence decisions and engage stakeholders effectively.

• Calm, organised and decisive under pressure, with a collaborative approach.

About our culture

At Time Out Group we believe in diversity and equal opportunity for all people. We do not discriminate against external or internal candidates on the basis of age; disability; gender, gender reassignment; race; religion or belief; sexual orientation; marriage and civil partnership; pregnancy and maternity. We believe that diversity develops creativity and enables personal and professional growth where we all learn from each other. We believe in an open culture where ideas are shared candidly and where there is no fear of failure, but rather an understanding that we must experiment and have the freedom to succeed. We believe that everyone has the right to express themselves as they are as this enriches us all. We believe in an open world, social justice, and the pursuit of happiness, after all, we are in the happiness business.

Recruitment Scam Warning

Time Out is aware of recruitment scams in which individuals falsely claim to represent our company.

Please note that Time Out will never ask candidates to pay fees, transfer money or make purchases at any stage of the recruitment process. We also do not conduct interviews or communicate with candidates via Telegram or WhatsApp.

If you receive a suspicious message, job offer or payment request claiming to be from Time Out, please do not respond or send any money. Instead, contact us at hr.uk@timeout.com so we can investigate.

About Time Out Group plc

Time Out Group is a leading global media and hospitality business that inspires and enables people to experience the best of the city.

It all began in London in 1968 when Time Out helped people discover the exciting new urban cultures that had started up all over the capital. Since then, this iconic brand has consistently maintained its status as the go-to source of inspiration for both locals and visitors alike. Today, it is the only global brand – with a local voice – dedicated to city life.

Through Time Out Media and Time Out Market – which are highly synergistic – the Company helps its large audience go out in the world's greatest cities with its curated content and experiences, and connects global brands as well as local talents with this valuable audience.

Time Out Media’s multiple digital and physical channels span websites, mobile, social media, videos, newsletters and Live Events. Across these channels, Time Out distributes its high-quality content – created and curated by a global team of local experts – around the best food, drinks, culture, art, music, theatre, travel and entertainment in over 350 cities and over 50 countries. The Company is monetising this global reach and its strong traffic from a desirable audience by offering bespoke 360-degree multichannel advertising solutions to international, national and local brands and businesses. Since its launch in 1968, Time Out has become a global brand that advertisers and consumers love and trust.

Time Out Market is the world's first editorially curated food and cultural market, leveraging the Time Out brand to bring the best of the city together under one roof: its best chefs, drinks and cultural experiences – based on the editorial curation Time Out has always been known for. The first Time Out Market opened in 2014 in Lisbon, quickly becoming one of the city's most popular destinations. The success of Lisbon brought further expansion and there are currently 13 open Markets: in addition to Lisbon, there are sites in New York (in Brooklyn's Dumbo neighbourhood and in Manhattan's Union Square), Boston, Montreal, Dubai, Cape Town, Porto, Barcelona, Bahrain, Osaka, Budapest and Vancouver. More Time Out Market locations are in the pipeline as the global expansion continues.

Time Out is a dynamic, pioneering brand and so is our team. We want to work with the best and brightest talent because we work for the world’s greatest cities, the people enjoying them and the businesses in them. As a truly global team we get to collaborate with colleagues from New York to Paris, Cape Town and Sydney and beyond. It’s our expertise, authenticity and collaboration that make us successful and a unique team.