Catering Manager

Academics Ltd; Liverpool; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

Academics is seeking an experienced Catering Manager to supervise in-house catering operations for a secondary school in Liverpool. The role requires leadership of a multi-site team, driving high standards of food quality and service, and managing back-office systems in a busy school environment.

The position offers Term Time + 3 Weeks contract (37 hours per week) with a focus on work-life balance, while delivering strong commercial performance and compliance with nutrition standards.

Qualifications

• Experience leading a commercial or institutional kitchen/catering team (school, college, or large-scale food service is desirable).
• Strong IT literacy and back-office administrative competency to manage digital cashless sales, stock management, and electronic ordering systems.
• In-depth understanding of healthy eating standards, meal balance, food safety, and compliance with national school food standards.

Responsibilities

• Oversee catering team across multiple school dining facilities, ensuring efficient daily service and mentoring staff.
• Develop and maintain high food quality and customer satisfaction for staff and pupils.
• Drive Healthy Eating Policy compliance and align with school curriculum and policies.
• Utilise digital systems for inventory, back-office administration, and cashless payment/ordering.

Skills

Catering management

Leadership

Communication

Food safety

Nutritional knowledge

Interpersonal skills

Tools

Cashless systems

Inventory management software

Electronic ordering systems

Job description

Catering Manager - Secondary School - Liverpool

Academics, a leading education recruitment agency, is seeking an experienced, proactive, and commercially minded Catering Manager to oversee the complete in-house catering operations for a secondary school environment in Liverpool.

This is a Term Time + 3 Weeks contract (37 hours per week), offering an ideal schedule for an experienced catering leader looking for work-life balance while driving high standards of food quality, team performance, and modern back-office systems management.

Key Responsibilities

• Operational & Financial Leadership: Manage the catering team across multiple school-based dining facilities, ensuring efficient daily service, maximizing generated income, meeting target sales, and mentoring staff to reach their full potential.
• Service Standards & Quality: Oversee and continually develop the in-house catering provision to deliver exceptional food quality, high customer satisfaction, and smooth service delivery for both staff and pupils.
• Healthy Eating Champion: Drive the school's Healthy Eating Policy and nutritional standards in alignment with the Healthy School Programme and Food Technology curriculum, serving as the central point of advice across the school community (including primary cluster links).
• Back-Office & Cashless Systems Management: Utilise digital systems to oversee inventory, back-office administration, and the school's electronic cashless payment/ordering systems (specific software training provided, though general back-office tech literacy is required).

Key Requirements

• Catering Management Experience: Proven experience leading a commercial or institutional kitchen/catering team (school, college, or large-scale food service experience is highly desirable).
• Technical & Administrative Skills: Strong IT literacy and back-office administrative competency to manage digital cashless sales, stock management, and electronic ordering systems.
• Nutritional Knowledge: In-depth understanding of healthy eating standards, meal balance, food safety, and compliance with national school food standards.
• Leadership & Communication: Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to lead, train, and inspire kitchen staff while working collaboratively with school leadership.
• Compliance: Enhanced DBS check on the Update Service (or readiness to undergo an immediate background check).

Academics is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. All appointments are subject to enhanced background and reference checks.

Salary will be determined by the successful candidate's qualifications and relevant experience, and will be in accordance with the client's pay policy.