Catering Strategy Leader: Growth & Innovation

Arriva TrainCare; Birmingham; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

CrossCountry in Birmingham seeks a Head of Catering Strategy to lead the catering proposition across the network. You will balance an outstanding customer experience with commercial performance, operational excellence and food safety in a hybrid role.

You will own strategy, oversee budgets and margins, drive innovation, and develop supplier partnerships while guiding a high-performing team to deliver measurable improvements for passengers and operations.

Qualifications

• Proven strategic leadership with ability to translate priorities into delivery plans.
• Strong commercial acumen with budget ownership, forecasting and performance management.
• Excellent problem-solving, data interpretation and evidence-based decision making.
• Track record of leading change and improving customer experience and efficiency.
• Experience in a customer-focused environment with stakeholder management.

Responsibilities

• Set and own CrossCountry's catering strategy with clear annual plans.
• Drive revenue, costs, margins and waste targets through governance and forecasting.
• Champion food safety with audits, inspections and corrective action plans.
• Lead and inspire the catering team, building high-performance capability.
• Identify and implement innovative propositions and technology to improve service.
• Develop strategic supplier relationships and hold partners to account.
• Elevate service standards and training for on-board colleagues.
• Shape the customer proposition using insight and market trends.
• Provide operational support across Birmingham and regional service centres.
• Collaborate with leadership and unions to plan and implement changes.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Budget ownership

Forecasting

Problem-solving

Change management

Customer focus

People leadership

Food safety knowledge

Communication

Stakeholder management

Negotiation

Data interpretation

Education

Food safety qualification (basic/intermediate)

Professional qualification in food safety or related discipline

Job description

CrossCountry in Birmingham seeks a Head of Catering Strategy to lead the catering proposition across the network. You will balance an outstanding customer experience with commercial performance, operational excellence and food safety in a hybrid role.

You will own strategy, oversee budgets and margins, drive innovation, and develop supplier partnerships while guiding a high-performing team to deliver measurable improvements for passengers and operations.