Job Opportunity: Catering Operations Manager
Start Date: ASAP
Reporting to: Head of Catering
Hours: Full-time, 37 hours per week, occasional evening work required, all year round
Salary: Grade 8, Scale point 27 - 31 £38,220 - £41,771
The Midsomer Norton Schools’ Partnership is seeking an experienced and passionate Catering Operations Manager to support the delivery of high-quality, nutritious school meals across our schools.
This is an exciting opportunity to join a forward-thinking Multi Academy Trust that places children, wellbeing and community at the heart of everything we do. The role sits within a wider Trust catering structure led by the Head of Catering, who has overall strategic responsibility for catering across the Trust. Working closely with the Head of Catering, you will help across our schools, ensuring excellent food quality, strong hygiene standards and a positive dining experience for pupils and staff alike.
The role is based across Bath, Midsomer Norton and Radstock, with regular travel between Trust schools. You will work alongside another Catering Operations Manager who supports our South Somerset schools, forming part of a collaborative and supportive catering leadership team under the direction of the Head of Catering.
About Us
Midsomer Norton Schools’ Partnership is a thriving and ambitious Multi Academy Trust with schools across Bath and North East Somerset and Somerset. We are committed to delivering exceptional education and support services that enable every child to flourish. Our catering teams play an important role in school life by providing nutritious, high-quality meals that support student wellbeing, learning and healthy lifestyles.
We are proud of our collaborative culture and commitment to continuous improvement, investing in our people and encouraging innovation across all areas of the Trust.
About the Role
As Catering Operations Manager, you will support the Head of Catering in developing and delivering high-quality catering operations across the Trust’s schools. You will work directly with kitchen teams to ensure menus are delivered to a consistently high standard, staff are well trained and supported, and all kitchens maintain excellent food safety and hygiene practices.
This is a varied, hands-on role that combines operational management, training, compliance, business development and staff leadership.
Key responsibilities include:
- Supporting the Head of Catering in the development and delivery of nutritious and cost-effective menus across Trust schools
- Training and supporting kitchen teams in food preparation, presentation and portion control
- Preparing recipe specifications and supporting menu consistency
- Monitoring HACCP and COSHH compliance across all kitchens
- Supporting the development of hospitality and function catering for internal and external events
- Providing operational kitchen cover where required, including occasional working as a chef to support school kitchens during periods of staff absence or operational need.
- Providing operational kitchen cover where required and coordinating staffing support across sites
- Helping to maintain high culinary standards and excellent customer service across all schools
- Deputising for the Head of Catering when required
What We’re Looking For
We are looking for a motivated and experienced catering professional who can build strong relationships, lead by example and support teams across multiple sites.
The successful candidate will have:
- Experience in a commercial or large-scale catering environment
- Strong leadership and team management skills
- Excellent knowledge of food hygiene, health and safety and HACCP procedures
- Experience delivering high-quality catering services in a customer-focused environment
- Good organisational and communication skills
- A flexible and proactive approach
- A full driving licence and access to their own vehicle
Qualifications such as Food Safety Level 3, catering NVQs or equivalent professional catering qualifications would be advantageous.
There are many advantages to working for us. Included in your actual annual salary is a generous annual leave entitlement, which should be taken during school holiday periods, access to a local government pension scheme, sick pay scheme, cycle-to-work scheme, free eye tests and an employee assistance helpline. Support staff in schools can also benefit from a range of national discount schemes available to education professionals, such as the Blue Light Card, offering savings on shopping, travel and leisure.
We encourage early applications as we reserve the right to close the vacancy prior to the closing date if we receive sufficient applications for the role.
