Cafe Manager

ESS – Defence, Energy and Government Services; Birmingham; On-site; GBP 28,000 - 34,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Contributory pension scheme

Career Pathways & MyLearning programs

Digital GP and wider healthcare

Exclusive travel discounts with TUI,


Discounts on groceries

Cinema tickets discounts

Cash rewards

Wellness & fitness classes

Family discounts

Job summary

Compass Group UK&I is seeking an experienced Café Manager to lead the on-site canteen at the HS2 Curzon Street development in Birmingham. You will oversee a small team, ensure smooth daily operation, maintain high food safety standards, and drive exceptional customer service for site workers and visitors.

The role is a hands-on, daytime position with regular hours, offering a comprehensive benefits package and a supportive work environment within a major construction site.

Qualifications

• Experience managing a café, canteen, retail, or catering operation.
• Strong leadership, organisational and communication skills.
• Experience managing budgets, stock control and performance targets.
• Level 2 Food Hygiene Certificate and relevant catering qualifications are desirable.

Responsibilities

• Lead, supervise, and develop the catering operation on site.
• Manage and support a team of 1 Catering Assistant.
• Ensure the smooth day-to-day running of the canteen service.
• Manage stock, ordering, budgets, and labour costs to achieve targets and KPIs.
• Maintain high standards of food safety, hygiene, and health & safety compliance.
• Deliver an excellent customer experience for site workers and visitors.
• Identify opportunities to improve service, efficiency, and sales.
• Train, coach, and motivate team members to perform at their best.
• Ensure food quality, presentation, and service standards are consistently maintained.

Skills

Customer service

Leadership

Budget management

Catering operations

Education

Level 2 Food Hygiene

Catering qualifications

Job description

Location: HS2 Curzon Street Construction Site, Birmingham

Salary: £31300 per annum

Monday to Friday 7:00am - 3:30pm

No evening or weekend work required.

We're recruiting an experienced and passionate Café Manager to lead the day-to-day operation of our busy site canteen based at the HS2 Curzon Street development in Birmingham. This is a hands‑on role for a strong leader who can deliver excellent customer service, maintain high standards, and ensure smooth operations within a fast-paced construction environment.

As Café Manager, you'll take full responsibility for the catering operation, leading a small team to deliver a high‑quality food service while driving efficiency, compliance, and customer satisfaction.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead, supervise, and develop the catering operation on site


• Manage and support a team of 1 Catering Assistant


• Ensure the smooth day‑to‑day running of the canteen service


• Manage stock, ordering, budgets, and labour costs to achieve agreed targets and KPIs


• Maintain high standards of food safety, hygiene, and health & safety compliance


• Deliver an excellent customer experience for site workers and visitors


• Identify opportunities to improve service, efficiency, and sales


• Train, coach, and motivate team members to perform at their best


• Ensure food quality, presentation, and service standards are consistently maintained

About You

• Passionate about delivering exceptional customer service


• Previous experience managing a café, canteen, retail, or catering operation


• Strong leadership, organisational, and communication skills


• Experience managing budgets, stock control, and performance targets


• Level 2 Food Hygiene Certificate and relevant catering qualifications are desirable


• A motivated, hands‑on manager who thrives in a busy environment


• Comfortable working within a construction site setting

Additional Information

• Based within the canteen facilities at the HS2 Curzon Street construction site, Birmingham


• Managing a team of 1 Catering Assistant


• Due to the nature of the location, parking is very limited, so alternative travel arrangements should be considered

We ensure you're rewarded for all your hard work, which is why we offer a comprehensive benefits package which includes but is not limited to:

Benefits

• Contributory pension scheme


• Grow your career with our Career Pathways and MyLearning programmes


• Quick access for you and your immediate family to a Digital GP, and wider healthcare benefits


• Exclusive travel discounts with TUI, Expedia, Booking.com and many more


• Save money on your food shop with discounts on Tesco, Sainsbury's, Morrisons and many more


• Up to 44% off cinema tickets to enjoy your favourite blockbuster


• Receive cash rewards every time you spend and use them on a wide range of brands


• Un-wind with us with free wellness, mindfulness and exercise classes


• You can share all discounts and offers with your friends and families

Please note: This role is contracted to weeks per year

About Us

As part of Compass you'll help to feed people, fuel progress and forge connections in around 6,000 venues. Join us to grow your career with the industry leader, and get competitive pay, great perks and unrivalled opportunities for learning and development, at one of the UK's biggest businesses.

Job Reference: com/3107/41205001/52822063/R/SU #Energy

Compass Group UK&I is committed to fostering an environment where every individual can truly be themselves at work and has equal opportunities to advance in their careers. We strive to build a culture that respects and celebrates the unique talents, beliefs, backgrounds, and abilities of all our team members. We want our colleagues to feel valued, empowered to reach their full potential, and to thrive - because diversity is our strength!