Area Manager - West Sussex

KPI Recruiting; Chichester; Hybrid; GBP 42,981,000 - 44,083,000; Full time

Job summary

KPI Recruiting in West Sussex is seeking an experienced Area Manager to provide temporary cover across up to 15 school catering sites. The role combines travel between sites with a mix of working from home and at local offices, overseeing daily operations and supporting Catering Managers to uphold high standards of food, service and safety.

You will lead site teams, monitor performance and budgets, manage client relationships and drive improvements, with Level 3 Food Safety and Health & Safety

Qualifications

• Strong catering background, ideally in education/school catering.
• Experience managing multiple catering sites and teams.
• Confident with clients and school stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Manage catering operations across up to 15 school sites.
• Lead and support Catering Managers and site teams.
• Ensure food quality, presentation and customer service standards.
• Develop relationships with schools, clients and stakeholders.
• Address client queries and operational issues with practical solutions.
• Monitor site performance and implement improvements where needed.
• Ensure food safety, health & safety and company procedures.
• Support staffing, training and development across the area.
• Monitor budgets, costs, sales and overall financial performance.
• Arrange appropriate cover for absences and vacancies.
• Carry out site checks and audits to maintain compliance.

Skills

Catering management

Leadership

Client relations

Problem-solving

Communication

Driving licence

Education

Level 3 Food Safety Certificate

Health & Safety Certificate

Job description

Area Manager - West Sussex

£16.00 per hour | Monday-Friday | 37.5 hours per week

Temporary - ASAP until the end of the year

We are looking for an experienced Area Manager to provide temporary cover, managing up to 15 school catering sites across West Sussex.

You will oversee the day-to-day running of catering services across your area, supporting Catering Managers and site teams to maintain high standards of food, service, compliance and customer satisfaction.

The role involves regular travel between schools throughout the week, alongside a mixture of working from home and using local offices.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage and support catering operations across up to 15 school sites.
• Lead and support Catering Managers and site teams.
• Ensure consistent standards of food quality, presentation and customer service.
• Build strong relationships with schools, clients and other key stakeholders.
• Deal with client queries, feedback and operational issues, finding practical solutions to problems.
• Monitor site performance and implement improvements where required.
• Ensure food safety, health & safety and company procedures are followed across all sites.
• Support staffing, training and development across your area.
• Monitor budgets, costs, sales and overall financial performance.
• Ensure appropriate cover is in place for absences and vacancies.
• Carry out site checks and audits to maintain compliance and standards.

What We're Looking For

• Previous Area Manager, multi-site Chef Manager or similar catering management experience.
• A strong catering background is essential, ideally within education/school catering.
• Experience managing or supporting multiple catering sites.
• Confident dealing directly with clients and school stakeholders.
• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to deal with operational issues independently.
• Good leadership, communication and people management skills.
• Level 3 Food Safety Certificate or equivalent.
• Health & Safety Certificate or equivalent.
• Full UK driving licence and ability to drive is essential due to regular travel between sites.
• An Enhanced DBS is desirable. If you do not currently hold one, this can be processed once the client has selected a candidate for the role.

INDHOS