General Services Manager

• Full time
• Monday -Friday
• Competitive salary depending on experience
• Free parking
• Opportunities for professional development
• Plus our Sodexo employee benefits package

General Services Manager

Halifax - Full time

At Sodexo, we’re passionate about our people. We know that our teams are the key to delivering exceptional service and creating meaningful experiences for our clients, customers, and employees.

We are currently seeking a dedicated and dynamic General Services Manager to join our team and play a key role in driving excellence and innovation.

As a General Services Manager you'll

• Lead and oversee the delivery of integrated facilities management services, including catering, cleaning, security, waste management and administration.
• Manage, motivate and develop a team of six direct reports, ensuring excellent service delivery across all departments.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with clients and key stakeholders, acting as a trusted point of contact.
• Take responsibility for the day-to-day management of site operations, ensuring services meet agreed standards, contractual requirements and performance targets.
• Oversee catering operations, ensuring high standards of food quality, hygiene, allergen management and customer service.
• Ensure compliance with Food Safety, HACCP, COSHH, Health & Safety and environmental legislation.
• Take ownership of site safety, including risk assessments, incident reporting, audits and corrective actions.
• Oversee security operations, ensuring incidents, concerns and non-compliance are appropriately managed and reported.
• Ensure effective waste management processes, including the safe handling and disposal of hazardous waste.
• Manage budgets, financial performance, labour costs, forecasting and operational efficiencies, ensuring agreed financial targets are achieved.
• Review staffing levels, rotas and resources to maintain effective service delivery across all departments.
• Lead recruitment, induction, training and performance management, supporting colleague development and succession planning.
• Promote learning and development opportunities, including apprenticeships and professional qualifications.
• Conduct regular team meetings, one-to-ones and performance reviews, providing clear direction and support.
• Monitor service performance through audits, inspections, customer feedback and operational reporting.
• Lead regular client meetings, presenting operational updates, performance results and improvement plans.
• Develop and maintain business continuity and emergency preparedness procedures.
• Identify opportunities for continuous improvement, innovation and business growth.
• Promote sustainability, social value and efficient working practices across the operation.
• Maintain a visible, hands-on leadership approach, supporting teams and resolving operational challenges when required.

What we're looking for

• Proven experience in a General Services Manager, Facilities Manager or similar senior operational management role.
• Strong knowledge and experience of facilities management, ideally across catering, cleaning, security and waste services.
• Demonstrable experience leading, motivating and developing multidisciplinary teams.
• Food Safety Level 3 qualification – essential.
• IOSH Health & Safety qualification.
• Strong knowledge of HACCP, allergen management, COSHH and risk assessments.
• Experience working within a regulated, compliance-focused environment.
• Good commercial awareness, including experience managing budgets, financial performance, labour costs and operational targets.
• Proven experience building and maintaining strong client and stakeholder relationships.
• Excellent leadership, communication, influencing and negotiation skills.
• Experience managing recruitment, performance, training and colleague development.
• Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage competing priorities.
• Experience supporting business growth, identifying opportunities and implementing service improvements.
• Confidence in managing audits, compliance requirements and corrective action plans.
• Good IT skills, including Microsoft Office and the ability to use operational and financial reporting systems.
• A proactive, resilient and solutions-focused approach.
• The ability to lead change, introduce improvements and support teams through operational challenges.
• A hands-on, customer-focused leadership style with a commitment to delivering excellent service.

Why Sodexo?:

Working with Sodexo is more than a job; it’s a chance to be part of something greater.

Belong in a company and team that values you for you. 

Act with purpose and have an impact through your everyday actions.

Thrive in your own way.

We also offer a range of perks, rewards and benefits for our colleagues and their families:

• Unlimited access to an online platform offering wellbeing support
• An extensive Employee Assistance Programme to help with everyday issues or life's larger problems, including legal and financial advice, support with work or personal issues impacting your wellbeing
• Access to a 24hr virtual GP Service
• Sodexo Discounts Scheme, offering great deals 24/7 across popular high street retailers (also open to friends and family)
• Save for your future by becoming a member of the Pension Plan
• Opportunities to enable colleagues to grow and succeed throughout their career at Sodexo, including a variety of learning and development tools
• Bike to Work Scheme to help colleagues to do their bit for the environment whilst keeping fit
• Sodexo UK and Irelands enhanced benefits and leave policies

A little more about Sodexo

At Sodexo, our purpose is to create a better every day for everyone to build a better life for all. As the global leader in services that improve the Quality of Life, we operate in 55 countries, serving over 100million consumers each day through our unique combination of On-Site Food and FM Services, Benefits & Rewards Services and Personal & Home Services.

We are committed to being an inclusive employer. We are a forces friendly employer. We welcome and encourage applications from people with a diverse variety of experiences, backgrounds and identities. We encourage our employees to get involved with our Employee Networks such as Pride, Sodexo Parents & Carers, Sodexo Disability, Ability network, SoTogether, Generations and Origins.

We’re a Disability Confident Leader employer. We’re committed to changing attitudes towards disability, and making sure disabled people have the chance to fulfil their aspirations. We run a Disability Confident interview scheme for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria for the job.

Click here to read more about what we do to promote an inclusive culture.

Ready to be part of something greater?

Sodexo reserves the right to close this advert early if we are in receipt of a high number of applications

File Downloads

• HR-5933_Benefits UK Brochure V9.pdf