Catering Manager

About This Role

Leading the vibrant catering operation at Hartpury University and College is the core of this role, with two new openings launching in September 2026. This is an opportunity to take ownership of a diverse and growing hospitality portfolio, from the main restaurant and Costa Coffee outlets to events, hospitality, retail, and residential dining services. You will play a key role in delivering exceptional food and customer experiences across campus, leading and inspiring a large front-of-house team.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage all front-of-house catering operations across multiple outlets, ensuring consistent delivery of excellent customer service, operational standards, and guest satisfaction
• Inspire, develop, and support a large and diverse team, creating a positive culture focused on engagement, performance, training, and continuous improvement
• Oversee staffing and resource planning to ensure appropriate team coverage across all trading periods, including residential dining services, weekends, and special events
• Work collaboratively with the Account Director and key client stakeholders, building strong relationships and ensuring catering services meet business and customer expectations
• Drive operational excellence by maintaining compliance with company policies, food safety standards, health and safety requirements, and audit expectations
• Manage stock control and ordering processes, ensuring product availability is maintained while controlling waste and supporting financial performance objectives
• Support the delivery of events and hospitality services, ensuring all functions are executed to a high standard and contribute positively to the customer experience
• Monitor performance and identify opportunities for growth, helping to enhance existing services and support the successful launch and operation of new catering concepts and initiatives

Requirements

• Proven experience in a catering, hospitality, or retail management role, ideally within a multi-site or high-volume operation
• Strong leadership skills with experience managing, motivating, and developing large teams to achieve operational and service excellence
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management abilities, with confidence building relationships with clients, senior leaders, and colleagues at all levels
• Strong organizational and planning skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities, staffing requirements, and operational demands across a seven-day business
• A customer-focused approach, demonstrating a passion for delivering exceptional service and creating positive experiences for students, staff, visitors, and team members
• Good understanding of compliance, health and safety, and food service standards, with experience maintaining high audit and operational performance