Cafe and Retail Manager

Sodexo; Gateshead; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading catering company is seeking an experienced café manager to lead a new café opening in Newcastle. This role involves managing operations, promoting events, and ensuring excellent customer service. The ideal candidate will have prior café management experience and strong leadership skills. This position offers opportunities for personal growth and various employee benefits.

Benefits

Mental health and wellbeing support

Employee Assistance Programme

24hr virtual GP Service

Discounts scheme

Pension plan

Learning and development opportunities

Bike to Work Scheme

Qualifications

• Proven experience in café, retail, or catering management.
• Confident in a busy customer-facing environment.
• Knowledge of food safety and health compliance.

Responsibilities

• Lead the café operations and manage performance.
• Ensure health and safety standards are maintained.
• Develop promotional activities to drive footfall.

Skills

Café management experience

Sales focus

Cash handling

Leadership skills

Health & Safety knowledge

Tools

MS Office (Word, Excel, Outlook)

Job description

• 52weeks - Mon–Fri, (9am – 5:30am) - with flexibility

Are you ready to take the lead on an exciting new café opening right in the heart of Newcastle’s thriving student community?

Sodexo is partnering with Northumbria University to launch a brand-new café within the Trinity Square student accommodation, a dynamic social and informal learning space designed to bring people together.Opening in September, this is your chance to take full ownership of a fresh concept from day one, helping shape its success and grow its presence from the ground up.

Set in a prime location with easy access to the city centre and on-site parking available, this is a perfect opportunity for an ambitious café or catering professional ready to step into a leadership role.You'll have the autonomy to build footfall, promote events, and drive financial performance, all while creating a standout experience for students, staff, and guests.

This is more than just a café job, it’s a chance to make your mark, lead a new venture, and grow your career with a global business that values creativity, commercial thinking, and leadership.

Key Responsibilities:

• To continue to develop personal skills and knowledge within the position, including any required training courses
• To attend team huddles and meetings as required
• To maintain professional work standards at all times
• To ensure daily standards of service are achieved, maintained and developed
• To ensure levels of wastage/markdowns are carefully managed to a minimum whilst maintaining product availability
• To continually monitor all H&S and FS standards in all service operations and ensure they are maintained at the required level
• To drive performance through creating and circulating promotional activity and marketing initiatives

What We’re Looking For:

• Proven experience in a café, retail, or catering management role (or strong supervisory experience ready to step up)
• Commercially driven with a strong focus on sales, profitability, and customer experience
• Hands-on experience with stock control, cash handling, and daily café operations
• Confident leading in a busy, customer-facing environment
• Ability to work flexibly across a 365-day-a-year operation (core hours are Mon–Fri, 9–5:30)
• Strong interpersonal and motivational leadership skills, particularly when managing or influencing teams not directly reporting in
• Knowledge of health & safety and food safety compliance
• IT literate, including use of MS Office (Word, Excel, Outlook)
• Background working in branded café/retail environments
• Exposure to marketing, promotions or driving footfall through events or campaigns
• IOSH and/or CIEH (or equivalent food safety/health & safety qualifications)

What we offer:

Working with Sodexo is more than a job; it’s a chance tobe part of something greater.You’ll belong in a company and team that values you foryou;you’ll act with purpose and have an impact through your everyday actions; and you’ll be able to thrive in your own way.In addition, we also offer a range of resources, rewards and benefits for our colleagues and their families:

• Unlimited access to an online platform offering mental health and wellbeing support.
• An Employee Assistance Programme to help with everyday issues or larger problems where you may need additional support, including legal and financial advice, support with work related issues or personal issues such as bereavement.
• Access to a 24hr virtual GP Service
• The Sodexo Discounts Scheme, offering great deals 24/7 (also open to friends and family).
• Save for your future by becoming a member of the Mercer Aspire Pension Plan
• Opportunities to enable colleagues to grow and succeed throughout their career at Sodexo, includinga variety of learning and development tools.
• Bike to Work Scheme to help colleagues to do their bit for the environment whilst keeping fit.

Ready to be part of something greater?Apply today and start your journey with Sodexo!

Friendly customers. Vibrant communities. Exciting careers.

Sodexo reserves the right to close this advert early if we are in receipt of a high number of applications