Account Director

Compass Group PLC; Waingroves; On-site; GBP 100,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading hospitality provider in the UK seeks a Senior Operations Manager to oversee multiple catering outlets, including restaurants and events. The role demands strong financial acumen, leadership skills, and experience in high-quality dining environments. Main responsibilities include ensuring exceptional food and service standards, driving sales growth through marketing initiatives, and developing team engagement. This position offers opportunities for professional growth within a dynamic team committed to excellence and sustainability.

Benefits

27 days holiday + bank holidays

Discretionary bonus scheme

Competitive pension contribution

Comprehensive medical and health care benefits

Enhanced maternity/paternity pay

Free staff meals while on site

Qualifications

• Minimum of 3+ years proven experience in a similar senior/regional role.
• Proven experience in previous contract catering, hospitality and/or venue management roles.
• Strong financial acumen and track record of delivering against budgets.
• Inspirational leader with excellent communication and stakeholder skills.
• Commercially savvy and results-driven, with a focus on continuous improvement.

Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day operations across multiple catering outlets.
• Take ownership of full P&L, including forecasting and financial reporting.
• Implement strategic plans to ensure high standards of food and beverage.
• Champion employee engagement and team development.
• Drive sales growth through innovative marketing and events.

Skills

Leadership

Financial acumen

Communication skills

Stakeholder management

Customer service focus

Creative marketing

Team development

Job description

What We Offer

• 27 days holiday + bank holidays
• Discretionary bonus scheme
• Competitive pension contribution offer
• Comprehensive private medical + health care benefits
• Enhanced maternity/paternity pay
• Free staff meals whilst working on site
• A supportive, values-driven culture within cohesive teams
• Opportunities for growth and development within a national business

Responsibilities

• Lead day‑to‑day operations across the multiple catering outlets on site, consisting of restaurants, coffee shops, and event spaces
• Take ownership of the full P&L, including forecasting, and financial reporting to internal senior stakeholders
• Co‑create and implement strategic plans with RHS Wisley and internal teams to ensure the guests experience the highest standard of food and beverage on offer
• Champion employee engagement, wellbeing, and team development on site
• Deliver and exceed standards in customer service, food quality, and compliance
• Drive sales growth through creative marketing and events planning with an innovative approach to increase potential sales and market position
• Act as the on‑site cultural ambassador, fostering a positive and inclusive workplace
• Inspire a team to embody the Restaurant Associates Venues culture and work with senior operators on site to continue implementing this

Qualifications

• Minimum of 3+ years proven experience in a similar senior/regional role
• Proven experience in previous contract catering, hospitality and/or venue management roles
• Ideally worked in a similar environment – heritage/culture visitor attraction venue with multiple different food offering operations – grab & go, restaurants, events‑based dining such as canapes and bowl food
• Strong financial acumen and track record of delivering against budgets
• Inspirational leader with excellent communication and stakeholder skills
• Commercially savvy and results‑driven, with a focus on continuous improvement and strong KPI management
• Passionate about food, service, and guest experience
• Confident, client‑facing, and calm under pressure
• Able to balance strategic thinking with operational delivery

Restaurant Associates is a leading premium hospitality provider with an ethos drawn from our history of fine and high‑quality dining in London and New York.

Within our venues team, we provide catering and hospitality services to some of the most iconic visitor attractions and destinations in the UK including the Imperial War Museum London, Glyndebourne Opera House, Knebworth House, Design Museum, Whipsnade Zoo and many more. Within these amazing venues we operate a host of bespoke cafés and restaurants, as well as delivering private events ranging from small meetings to large‑scale ground events of up to 1000 people. You can find a full list of our venues on our website. We pride ourselves on being an inclusive, diverse, fun, and dynamic place to work with opportunities to collaborate with a wide range of teams plus a commitment to putting our people first.

Restaurant Associates is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applications from candidates of all backgrounds. As a business, we are committed to sustainability led practices and are proud to have achieved 3 stars with the Sustainable Restaurant Association's Food Made Good Programme.