Central Kitchen Operations Manager

Pure; England; On-site; GBP 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading food business in the United Kingdom is looking for an experienced Central Kitchen Operations Manager. This role involves overseeing production, ensuring food safety compliance, managing a diverse team, and driving operational improvements. Ideal candidates should have significant experience in large-scale kitchen environments, a strong knowledge of traceability systems, and excellent leadership skills. This position is full-time, offering competitive pay and opportunities for career growth.

Qualifications

• Significant experience in a Central Kitchen or large-scale kitchen environment.
• Strong knowledge and hands-on experience with traceability systems and compliance.
• Proven ability to implement new processes and workflows.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop the Central Kitchen team, promoting accountability.
• Ensure daily operations produce safe, high-quality food.
• Drive operational improvement projects including automation.

Skills

Leadership

Operational excellence

Traceability systems

HACCP compliance

Financial acumen

Project management

Job description

Salary: £60,000 per annum

Reports to: Operations Director

Job Overview

We are looking for an experienced and highly capable Central Kitchen Operations Manager to lead the full operational performance of our Central Kitchen. This is a site-based leadership role responsible for production, product consistency, compliance, food safety, people development, and operational excellence at scale.

You will own the production environment end-to-end — ensuring accuracy, quality, and efficiency across all processes, while driving continuous improvement and supporting Pure’s growth as a multi-channel, multi-site food business.

This is a role for someone who thrives in a fast-paced CPU/CK environment, is deeply organised, understands traceability and SALSA standards, and can lead a team to deliver consistent output with pride.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead, coach, and develop the entire Central Kitchen team, fostering a culture of excellence, accountability, and wellbeing.
• Recruit, onboard, and train team members (including night shifts where applicable).
• Build strong succession plans ("Plan Bs") and maintain an accurate organisational structure.
• Ensure daily briefs, performance check-ins, and strong communication channels.
• Uphold high standards of professionalism, teamwork, and engagement.

Operational Leadership

• Oversee all day-to-day Central Kitchen operations to deliver safe, consistent, high-quality food at scale.
• Ensure all production meets agreed specifications, weight, portions, and presentation standards.
• Maintain full compliance with food safety, HACCP, SALSA, FoodBuy, and EHO requirements.
• Implement and maintain traceability systems, batch coding, and robust record keeping.
• Build and refine Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to standardise workflow, minimise waste, and improve accuracy.
• Lead CP processes, daily run sheets, night shift workflows, and end-of-shift cleaning routines.
• Manage equipment, maintenance schedules, and ensure the site remains fully operational at all times.

Project Management & Strategic Improvement

• Drive operational improvement projects including automation, digital traceability, process redesign, and new equipment implementation.
• Lead strategic long-term development of the Central Kitchen — including potential relocation, expansion, or infrastructure upgrades.
• Partner cross-functionally with Retail, Menu Development, Supply Chain, Finance, and Operations to ensure alignment and innovation.
• Analyse operational data to identify trends, reduce waste, improve efficiency, and strengthen throughput.
• Manage the full P&L for the Central Kitchen, ensuring labour, waste, purchasing, and overheads stay within target.
• Produce accurate forecasts, budgets, and weekly financial reports.
• Constantly look for cost efficiencies without compromising product quality.
• Control ordering, purchasing, and supplier performance for optimal value and consistency.

Quality, Food Safety & Compliance

• Ensure all products consistently meet Pure's highest quality standards.
• Maintain and strengthen quality assurance systems, cross-checking production accuracy, weights, temperatures, and shelf life.
• Conduct internal audits and ensure readiness for SALSA, EHO, and internal compliance checks at all times.
• Implement corrective actions swiftly when deviations occur.
• Create a culture where food safety is non-negotiable at every stage.

Required Experience

To be successful in this role, you must have:

• Significant experience in a Central Kitchen, CPU, large-scale kitchen, or food manufacturing environment.
• Strong knowledge and hands‑on experience with traceability systems, SALSA standards, HACCP, and structured compliance procedures.
• Proven ability to build and implement new processes, SOPs, and production workflows.
• Demonstrated experience managing large, diverse teams across multiple shifts.
• Strong financial acumen and experience owning a P&L.
• Project management experience, ideally including automation or infrastructure upgrades.
• High organisational ability, calm under pressure, and solutions‑focused.
• A passion for quality, consistency, and operational excellence.

What Your First 6 Months May Look Like

• Strengthened and stabilised your leadership team, creating a clear structure for success.
• Implemented improvements in traceability, automation, and SALSA procedures.
• Reduced waste, improved accuracy, and optimised batch production workflows.
• Built strong relationships with suppliers and internal teams.
• Created a long‑term operational strategy that enables the Central Kitchen to scale sustainably — through new processes, equipment upgrades, or potential site development.

Our Values at Pure

• THOUGHTFUL: We communicate clearly and act with awareness and respect.
• PASSIONATE: We bring energy, joy, and pride to our work.
• INVENTIVE: We move fast, stay agile, and take accountability.
• GENEROUS: We support each other and act with kindness every day.

✨Ready to Lead Our Central Kitchen?

If you’re driven, operationally strong, passionate about food quality, and ready to make a real impact, we’d love to hear from you.

Apply now and help shape the future of Pure’s Central Kitchen.

Seniority level

Mid-Senior level

Employment type

Full-time

Job function

Management and Manufacturing

Industries

Food and Beverage Services