Operations Manager

Operations Manager

Job Title: Operations Manager
Location: Surrey
Contract Type: Full-time, permanent
Salary: £60,000 per annum + company car, or car allowance

Why Join us?

• 28 days holiday (including bank holidays)
• 3 volunteering days to give back to causes you care about
• 3 days grandparent leave for those special family moments
• 24 weeks enhanced maternity leave
• Bespoke training & development opportunities
• Pension & life insurance
• Discounts on high street brands, cinema & holidays via the Perkbox App
• Wellbeing hub & access to employee assistance programme
• Free meals while at work
• Career development & HIT Apprenticeships for all experience levels

About the Role:

We are seeking a dynamic and strategic Operations Manager to lead our multi-site catering operations across a group of prestigious independent schools in Surrey. As the senior figure in operations, you will work closely with the leadership team to deliver excellence in service, client relationships, commercial performance, and team development.

You’ll be instrumental in shaping food strategies, sustainability targets, and the customer experience across a diverse portfolio - from everyday pupil dining to high-end hospitality.

You will be joining Holroyd Howe, one of the UK’s leading contract caterers, providing fresh innovative food services solely to independent schools and colleges. We are a team of experienced professionals who tailor our catering service provision specifically to suit children of all ages in order to meet the bespoke requirements of each school.

Our mission is simple: To provide our teams with the right skills to succeed in their jobs, we invest in their training and development. Our exceptional teams of seasoned specialists customise our catering services to fit children of all ages and satisfy the unique needs of our clients.

• Oversee performance and development of your senior management team across multiple school sites
• Build strong client relationships and lead on retention, contract delivery, and innovation
• Drive continuous improvement and implement change in line with company strategy
• Ensure consistent delivery of quality, safety, service, and financial targets
• Deliver exceptional people leadership, ensuring managers are supported and developed
• Collaborate with the central food, compliance, HR and marketing teams
• Lead budget setting, performance analysis, forecasting, and reporting
• Drive sustainability and health & wellbeing initiatives in line with client and company goals
• Lead on new openings, mobilisation, and project delivery

Candidate Profile

• Proven multi-site leadership experience within contract catering, ideally within the Independent Education sector.
• Outstanding communication and stakeholder management skills
• A commercially focused, data-literate leader with a collaborative approach
• Inspirational leadership style with a track record of building successful teams
• Excellent understanding of compliance, sustainability, food safety, and allergen legislation
• High-level budget management and commercial strategy experience.

Holroyd Howe is one of the UK’s leading contract caterers, providing fresh innovative food services solely to independent schools and colleges. We are a team of experienced professionals who tailor our catering service provision specifically to suit children of all ages in order to meet the bespoke requirements of each school.

To provide our teams with the right skills to succeed in their jobs, we invest in their training and development. Our exceptional teams of seasoned specialists customise our catering services to fit children of all ages and satisfy the unique needs of our clients.

We pride ourselves on:

Sustainability

Sustainability is at the heart of our thinking; always mindful of the ethics of our sourcing and how we prepare our meals.

Nutrition

We take nutrition seriously and understand the impact a healthy diet has on the fundamental years of development. Meals are always freshly prepared from scratch and packed with nutritious ingredients.

Food Innovation

We offer a wide portfolio of training opportunities and experiences, which attracts chefs who are passionate about culinary excellence and menu innovation to our team.

From tasting tables, theme days and food theatre, to chef demonstrations and supplier showcases, we create engaging and fun dining experiences for our students. We work together to make mealtimes exploratory, quirky, and fun for our pupils, helping them build strong and healthy relationships with food.

Holroyd Howe is an equal opportunities employer. We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all employees to share this commitment. All roles within Holroyd Howe involve regulated activity. It is a criminal offence for individuals barred from working with children to apply for such roles. An Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, including a Barred List check will be required for all successful applicants. Shortlisted applicants will be asked to provide information about relevant criminal offences and will be subject to an online search of publicly available information. This search helps identify any issues that may affect suitability to work with children.

This appointment is offered on the return of satisfactory professional references.

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