Catering Operations Manager - Independent Schools

Job Introduction

Are you an experienced Catering and Hospitality Operations Manager with a proven track record in prestigious multi-outlet environment? Have you managed a multi-million-pound catering operations? Perhaps you have worked in an independent education sector? We might just have your next professional venture right here for you!

An excellent high-profile position has become available with the Independents by Sodexo in partnership with Oundle School and Laxton Junior School for a Catering Operations Manager following a recent mobilisation. You should have a solid, proven record in a similar role and a passion for fresh and exciting food offer. To do well in this role, you should have exceptional leadership skills to lead a team of 120 staff across a large, prestigious school set across the town of Oundle, including 13 boarding houses and a central refectory, over a 7-day operational setting and are able to demonstrate an outstanding ability to operate in  a complex multiple stakeholder environment and have a strategic and commercial approach to managing this key contract.

Oundle School was established in 1556 and is one of the country’s leading co-educational boarding and day schools. The School has 860 boarding and 260 day pupils, with 250 day pupils aged 4 – 11 attending Laxton Junior School. The School prides itself on being associated with the best in modern independent school education. This would not be possible without the invaluable contribution made by the dedication, hard work and professionalism of the support staff functions.

We offer a salary of £50,000 - £59,000, flexible benefits fund and great progression and development opportunities within Sodexo – a world-leading contract catering company.

http://www.independentsbysodexo.com/

Role Responsibility

• Manage and control the services to the agreed contract specification and to the agreed performance, qualitative and financial targets.
• Supply Chain Management – ensure value for money is achieved through robust management of purchasing.
• Nurture client relationships in order to stabilise & develop them for long term partnerships
• Recruit, induct and develop talented employees within the team and, if necessary, firmly and fairly manage poor performance.
• Identify opportunities for organic growth and new business.
• Exceptional management of Food Hygiene, Health, Safety and Environmental Legislation using the Sodexo Safety Management System.
• Responsible for driving continuous improvement and innovation
• Strategic and technical support – professional advice to customers, peers and the team.
• To always challenge the way things are done – the way things have been done in the past may not be the right way for the future
• To control the client labour budget ensuring personnel are scheduled against business needs in a cost-effective manner.
• To establish and maintain productive working relationships with individuals at all levels within the school and Sodexo.
• To engage with key client groups - “Walk the Floor” during service periods and engage and interact with clients, colleagues, and any visitors. Attend pupil food committee meetings as agreed.
• To be an active (site based) member of the senior team for Independents by Sodexo by contributing ideas and debate, assisting with projects and tender presentations.
• To support the wider Sodexo team and third-party contractors in delivering major capital projects as agreed with the school

The Ideal Candidate

Essential

• Proven track record in contract catering and hospitality management within a high quality, high volume, multi-outlet environment with seven-day operation
• Exceptional leadership and stakeholder management skills
• Passion for fresh, exciting and innovative food offer and high standard service delivery
• High level on literacy, numeracy and IT literacy
• Exceptional attention to detail
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills and the ability to be an effective team player
• Flexibility and the ability to work under pressure and across a range of shifts and service times
• Excellent time management and organisational skills

Desirable

• Industry qualifications and experience
• Intermediate Food Hygiene certificate
• IOSH Managing Safely
• Experience in and/ or knowledge of Independent Schools sector
• FM qualification or experience

Sodexo and our clients are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and adults within a regulated activity. This role will require applicants to undergo screening appropriate to the post, including checks with past employers and the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and/ or Disclosure Scotland.

About the Company

In the UK and Ireland, Sodexo employs some 36,000 employees to deliver integrated facilities management services to clients at over 2,000 locations in the energy, corporate, healthcare, education, leisure, defence and justice sectors. With an annual turnover of over £1bn, we provide everything from catering, cleaning and reception to security, laboratory and grounds maintenance services, enabling our clients to focus on their core business. 

At Sodexo we are committed to a leading role in promoting equality opportunities and valuing diversity and inclusion. We seek to create a work environment based on mutual respect for all individuals, building a culture that appreciates and values the experiences and skills brought by each person to benefit our organisation and work hard to ensure that all people, whatever their race, colour, sex, gender identity  disability, nationality, national or ethnic origin, religion or belief, marital/partnership or family status, sexual orientation, age, social class, educational background, employment status, working pattern, are welcome to and included within our organisation.  

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 are building on our support to the Armed Forces community through the development of specific pathways within our recruitment process to  support ex-forces personnel and reservists, those applying for jobs with us who meet the ideal candidate criteria for the role advertised are guaranteed to progress to the selection process.