Catering Manager (Operational)

An exciting career opportunity is available for a catering professional to join one of the country’s leading education caterers and work within a diverse and innovative business. Derbyshire Catering Service is a market leading, national award-winning, education catering service.

We have a commercial mind set, are determined to deliver the best school meal experience for our consumers and ensure that our customers (primary, secondary, and special schools) are confident in the service we provide. Currently DCS cater for 357 sites across Derbyshire and several neighbouring counties with our market share increasing rapidly.

DCS are currently recruiting for a Catering Service Manager who will oversee busy catering operations in our secondary schools across the East Midlands. You will be part of the senior management team working closely with the Head of County Catering Service to drive standards and business performance.

The service is highly regarded within the industry and its success is built on a foundation of strong commercial drive, that works in line with a commitment to fulfilling our social responsibilities as a local authority catering provider.

As a Catering Service Manager, you will be responsible for all aspects of a mix of strategic and operational management delivery within catering across our secondary sites.

This will include:

• quality assuring catering products and service delivery, maintaining health and safety and hygiene standards and growing and developing the catering business.
• Budget targets and expenditure management will be a key responsibility ensuring catering operations run both efficiently and effectively.

The successful candidate will have a strong commercial awareness and the ability to work well in a high paced and pressured environment where the development and maintenance of client relationships is critical to the role. This will require assisting in the development of strategies for growth and retention and having confidence in dealing with challenging situations.

This role also includes the management and development of direct line reportees. The performance management of your teams must be in line with the Service’s standard and helping your team realise their true potential will be vital. You will be required to have a good understanding of how all roles support the vision and values of the Service.

You will be expected to promote the Service’s standards where our language is positive, where we engage and listen to our teams and customers, promote positive attitude, and recognise our responsibility as leaders to motivate and inspire. The successful candidate will require excellent communication and negotiation skills with the ability to inform, persuade and influence decision makers at all levels. This skill will need to be supported by the ability to devise, write and produce a range of professional management reports suitable for client meetings, stakeholders and management briefings.

The successful candidate will hold a valid driving license and have the flexibility to visit site locations across the business portfolio

Due to this post having access to children and/or vulnerable adults, the successful candidate will be required to undertake a Disclosure and Barring Service check. The possession of a criminal record will not necessarily prevent an applicant from obtaining this post, as all cases are judged individually according to the nature of the role and information provided. Click here to see our policy on criminal background checks.

Apply now and take the first step towards a fulfilling career with us! By joining Derbyshire County Council you will have access to a range of amazing rewards and employee benefits, including our generous annual leave scheme, excellent local government pension and fantastic employee discounts. To discover more detail about the rewards and benefits available to you, click here

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