General Manager

Position Summary

The General Manager will lead the Shenzhen venue as a dynamic, public-facing business and cultural destination. The role reports to the China Managing Director and works closely with the Fotografiska China and global teams.

We are looking for a hands-on general manager who can build and run a high-quality visitor destination from the ground up and ensure it connects and resonates with the Shenzhen local environment. This person will be responsible for the day-to-day management of all our business lines and will be responsible for their P&L within the framework on the annual budget.

The person will:

- Supervise the production and marketing of our 12 yearly exhibitions.

- Manage Fotografiska Shenzhen cultural program – including artist talks, art performance, music series, educational activities… in coordination with local communities.

- Supervise a sizeable F&B and retail activity, including our popular restaurant Mona – and our concept retail store – This is expected to be strong revenue drivers.

- Develop a robust B2B event and partnership business leveraging our ability to create exciting content as well as our attractive and unique space.

This is a role for someone who loves both contemporary lifestyle and culture: someone who understands that a great experience is not only about what you show or serve, but also how visitors are welcomed, hosted, guided, entertained, fed, and invited to return.

Main responsibilities

1. Lead a local team of about 70 people

- Take overall responsibility for the management and performance of Fotografiska Shenzhen, ensuring that we are on track to deliver our objectives while creating the very unique experience and culture that are at the heart of the brand.

- Ensure the coordination and alignment between the different teams – coordinating resources and priorities.

- Be highly present on site and lead by example, including on safety and guest experience.

2. Build audiences and local relevance in South China

- Work with marketing, membership, events, and programming teams to understand and grow local audiences and position Fotografiska Shenzhen as a must-visit destination for culture.

- Build relationships with partners, cultural communities, brands, media, local institutions, and relevant business networks.

- Support the development of a loyal member and repeat-visitor community.

3. Develop traffic through high impact marketing and exceptional visitor experience

- Develop marketing plans and programs that attract audiences and build word-of mouth recommendations. Leverage as much as possible the partnership with MixC and with the local government.
- Ensure that every visitor feels welcomed, cared for, and inspired — from arrival to departure.

4. Manage F&B and Retail as a core part of the business.

- Directly supervise the restaurant, bar, café, and event catering operation. Ensure that the staff is properly trained to provide an outstanding experience. Work with the central team to optimize menus and offers – with the support for the China team.

- Analyze and evolve the product mix within our concept store in relation with Fotografiska China retail team. Develop new local creators and vendors.

5. Develop a strong B2B activity through events and partnership

- Develop the pipeline for B2B event clients (and marketing agencies)

- Ensure that events, and hospitality experiences are positioned as core components of the Fotografiska Shenzhen offering, playing a critical role in driving traffic, guest engagement, brand awareness, and revenue growth.

- Work with Fotografiska China Partnership and with CRLand to approach South China based companies that may be interested to partner with us as exhibiton or program sponsors, co-branded activities or other formats.

6. Lead the preopening activities together with the China Team

- The GM will have a leading role in recruiting the team, supervising the pre-operating activities and getting ready for the grand opening on September 30. He/she will be spending a significant amount of time between now and September 2026 in Shanghai to learn directly from the China team.

Who we are looking for

The ideal candidate may come from hospitality, cultural venues, lifestyle destinations, branded experiences, events, advertising, communications, retail, or other high-touch consumer-facing businesses. We are interested in a manager who can build a team, manage complexity, care deeply about visitors, and make culture feel alive.

You should bring:

- Significant leadership experience in a public-facing, service-driven organization, ideally in hospitality, F&B, cultural venues, lifestyle retail, communications agency management).

- Strong hands-on people management skills, with the ability to motivate teams, develop talent, and ensure accountability, with a high sense of client experience. - Proven commercial and operational acumen, including budget, revenue, and cost management, with an entrepreneurial approach to problem solving.

- Fluent Chinese and professional working proficiency in English.

- Genuine passion for photography, art, culture, design, food, music, and contemporary urban life.

Personal qualities

We are looking for someone who is excited by the challenge of building a new destination in Shenzhen. Our values are: Curiosity, Joyfulness, Confidence, Inclusivity, Entrepreneurship – we hope we share these with you.

About Fotografiska

Fotografiska is anything but an ordinary museum. Founded in Stockholm in 2010, Fotografiska is a global cultural institution dedicated to photography, art, and culture, with locations in Stockholm, Tallinn, Berlin, and Shanghai.

Fotografiska Shenzhen, opening in 2nd half of 2026 will be the brand’s fifth global location and second in China. Located in Nanshan District, the museum will present photography, video, and new media exhibitions, alongside a curated mix of public programs, dining, retail, and membership experiences.

Developed in partnership with RUNWEN, Fotografiska Shenzhen aims to contribute to the cultural landscape of the Greater Bay Area and serve as a platform for creativity, dialogue, and international exchange.

Additional notes

This does not constitute an exhaustive list and you will be expected to maintain a flexible attitude and undertake any additional duties or assume any additional responsibilities as deemed appropriate by the company. This document reflects the job content at the time of writing and will be subject to periodic change in the light of changing operational and environmental requirements. Such changes will be discussed with the jobholder and the job description amended accordingly.

Apply

To apply, please send your CV and cover letter to hr@fotografiska.com.cn.