Central Kitchen Operations Manager

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

Job summary

A leading food production company in the UK is seeking a Central Kitchen Operations Manager to oversee the full kitchen operation, ensuring food safety, quality, and team development. The ideal candidate will have experience in high-volume food environments, strong leadership skills, and a passion for operational efficiency. Responsibilities include managing daily production, implementing SOPs, and leading a multi-shift team. This role offers a competitive salary and a chance to shape the future of kitchen operations.

Qualifications

• Experience in a high-volume food assembly or CPU environment.
• Strong understanding of HACCP and traceability.
• Proven ability to lead and develop multi-shift teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop the Central Kitchen team across multiple shifts.
• Ensure compliance with food safety standards and HACCP controls.
• Develop and implement standard operating procedures (SOPs).

Skills

Leadership

Team Development

Food Safety Compliance

Operational Efficiency

Problem Solving

Job description

Central Kitchen Operations Manager

Salary: £60,000 per annum

Reports to: Operations Director

About the Role

We are looking for an experienced leader from a large‑scale production kitchen, CPU, or high‑volume food assembly environment. This role is ideal for someone who has managed a busy production team, overseen batch‑based workflows, and understands how to deliver consistent quality at speed.

You do not need to already be an Operations Manager — experienced Kitchen Managers, Production Leads, or Assembly Managers from high‑volume food operations are strongly encouraged to apply.

If you’ve run a large kitchen producing food for multiple sites and understand structured processes, traceability, and daily operational control, you will excel in this role.

You will oversee the full Central Kitchen operation end‑to‑end, ensuring accuracy, food safety, team development, workflow efficiency, and consistent high‑quality output as Pure continues to grow.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead, coach, and develop a full Central Kitchen team across multiple shifts.
• Recruit, onboard, and train team members for consistent production output.
• Build strong succession plans and maintain a clear team structure.
• Run daily briefs, handovers, and communication routines.
• Foster a culture of accountability, teamwork, and wellbeing.

Operational Leadership

• Oversee all daily production in a high‑volume environment.
• Ensure every product meets specification: weights, portioning, coding, and presentation.
• Maintain full compliance with food safety standards, HACCP controls, and traceability.
• Strengthen batch coding, labeling, documentation, and record‑keeping.
• Develop and refine SOPs to improve accuracy, reduce waste, and streamline workflows.
• Manage production planning, run sheets, shift routines, and cleaning standards.
• Ensure equipment is maintained and operational at all times.
• Lead workflow improvements, digitalisation projects, and new equipment implementation.
• Support long‑term Central Kitchen development, including capacity expansion or infrastructure upgrades.
• Work cross‑functionally with Retail, Supply Chain, Menu Development, Finance, and Operations.
• Analyse data to reduce waste, improve efficiency, and enhance throughput.
• Manage the Central Kitchen P&L including labour, waste, purchasing, and overheads.
• Produce weekly financial updates, forecasts, and accurate reporting.
• Identify cost efficiencies without compromising quality or consistency.
• Oversee stock control, ordering, and supplier performance.

Quality, Food Safety & Compliance

• Ensure products consistently meet Pure’s highest quality standards.
• Lead temperature checks, weight verification, traceability audits, and coding accuracy.
• Maintain readiness for all external inspections and internal audits.
• Promote a culture where food safety is prioritised at every step.

You Will Be Successful in This Role If You Have:

• Experience as a Kitchen Manager or Production Manager in a high‑volume food assembly or CPU environment.
• Strong understanding of HACCP, traceability, food safety controls, and compliance processes.
• Proven ability to lead and develop teams across different shifts.
• Experience standardising workflows, implementing SOPs, and running structured operations.
• Financial understanding of labour control, waste reduction, and operational KPIs.
• Excellent organisational skills, calm under pressure, and solutions‑focused.
• A passion for delivering consistent quality at scale.

What Your First 6 Months May Look Like

• Strengthened leadership and team structure across shifts.
• Improved traceability, workflow accuracy, and communication routines.
• Reduced waste and optimised batch production processes.
• Built strong relationships with suppliers and internal stakeholders.
• Developed a long‑term operational improvement plan for the Central Kitchen.

Our Values at Pure

THOUGHTFUL – Clear communication and respect.

PASSIONATE – Pride, energy, and commitment to excellence.

INVENTIVE – Fast, agile, accountable problem‑solving.

GENEROUS – Supportive, kind, and team‑focused.

Whether you’re a strong Kitchen Manager from a busy food assembly environment or already leading large production teams — we’d love to hear from you.

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