Area Support Manager

Impact Food Group; Maidstone; On-site; GBP 34,000 - 42,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus up to 10%

Free meals on shift

Uniform provided

Pension

Car allowance

Job summary

Impact Food Group in Kent is seeking a Business Support Manager to oversee multi-site operations across Maidstone, Sittingbourne, Tonbridge, Medway and surrounding areas. You will lead Chef Managers, drive site performance, and strengthen client relationships.

This hands-on role requires a foodservice background, strong leadership, and comfort stepping into kitchens when needed. 45-hour weeks, Mon-Fri, with a car allowance, discretionary bonus, and perks such as free meals on shift and pension.

Qualifications

• Experience managing at least four sites and guiding site chefs/managers.
• Hands-on foodservice background with kitchen-ready approach.
• Strong communication from kitchen to boardroom.
• Self-motivated, resilient, highly organized with prioritization.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office for clear performance reporting.

Responsibilities

• Manage, inspire, and engage teams across sites.
• Understand, track, and drive restaurant profit contribution balancing quality and service.
• Build trusted relationships with clients and stakeholders to deliver shared goals.

Skills

Multi-site management

Leadership

Chef by trade

Client relationships

MS Office

Job description

Welcome toImpact Food Group (IFG). We one of England’s fastest-growing school food providers, serving around one million students every day across more than 1,500 schools. We are dedicated to delivering high-quality, nutritious meals that support student wellbeing and enjoyment.

Our brands include Innovate, Cucina, Chapter One (Independent Schools), Hutchison, and Dolce, reflecting our breadth of experience and reach across the school catering sector.

Are you an experienced Contract Catering Operations Support Manager who still likes to be involved with Food?

Looking to make a real difference? Be part of a growing business with a powerful social impact mission.

We’renot going to bore you with a long list of empty adjectives, we want one simple thing: awesome people to help us feedmorechildren better food.

About the Role:

Job Title: Business Support Manager (BSM)

Area Covering: Central Kent - Maidstone, Sittingbourne, Tonbridge,Medway and surrounding areas

Working Days: Monday to Friday

Shifts & Working hours: 45 hours per week

Working Weeks: 52weeks per year (25 days paid annual leave plus bank holidays)

Pay Details: £38,000per year plus car allowance of £3,840 per year (paid monthly)

Benefits: Bonus potential of up to 10% ( Discretionary ) of salary based on performance, free meals on shift, uniform, pension and other great company benefits

Join Our Team...

Due to continued business growth, an exciting opportunity has arisen forexperienced Operations Support Managers to join our team. In this role, you will work closely with the Operations Manager, supporting a portfolio of sites within your region.

You’ll bring multi-site management experience, a genuine passion for food and service, and strong craft skills, with the confidence to step into the kitchen and support when needed.

You will…

• Manage, inspire, and engage teams
• Understand, track, and drive the schools’ restaurant profit contribution, balancing commercial performance with quality and service
• Build trusted relationships with clients and stakeholders to help deliver our shared goal of feeding more students, better food

What You’ll Bring

• Experience managing at least four sites, supporting and guiding Chef Managers in the smooth day-to-day running of each location, while also building and maintaining strong client relationships.
• A chef by trade, with a hands-on approach and a willingness to step into the kitchen whenever needed.
• Confident communicating at all levels, from the kitchen through to the boardroom.
• Self-motivated, resilient, and highly organised, with a strong ability to prioritise effectively.
• You’ll be confident using the Microsoft Office suite, with strong skills in creating clear, professional spreadsheets and presentations that effectively showcase performance and results.

What’s in it for you?

We’ll give you the opportunity to grow and build a career you can be proud of.

You’ll have access to a wide range of free qualifications and ongoing development opportunities, as well as a staff discount scheme across over 850 retailers.

We also run monthly incentives, giving our top-performing teams the chance to win shopping vouchers and other rewards.

Next steps…

If you thinkyou’vegot what it takes, and the times above suit you,we’dlove to hear from you!

This role will require both an interview and a kitchen visit as part of the selection process.

IFG are committed to the safeguarding of children and our employees share this commitment. Successful candidates are requiredtoundergo an enhancedDBS check, which IFG will pay for.

We area committed equal opportunities employer - if you require any assistance for the interview process, please detail withinyourapplication. Allinformation is kept confidential and in compliance with GDPR requirements.