Chef Manager

Sodexo; London Borough of Merton; On-site; GBP 36,000 - 44,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Free parking

Full training

Protective uniform

Flexible environment

Job summary

Sodexo is seeking an experienced Chef Manager at Nuffield Health Parkside Hospital in Wimbledon to lead the catering team and deliver patient, staff, and hospitality dining. This hands‑on role covers daily kitchen operations, food safety, audits, stock control and budgeting, while developing people and maintaining high service standards.

The successful candidate will inspire a team and ensure 365‑day services with a commitment to quality.

Qualifications

• Experience leading a catering or kitchen team in healthcare or hospitality.
• Strong knowledge of food safety, HACCP and compliance requirements.
• Excellent organisational and communication skills; able to manage budgets and rotas.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop the catering team to deliver high‑quality food services for patients and staff.
• Oversee daily kitchen operations and ensure ongoing compliance with food safety standards.
• Plan staffing rotas, manage stock and supplier relations, and control labour costs.
• Drive continuous improvement and maintain accreditation standards.

Skills

Team leadership

Food safety

HACCP knowledge

Budget management

Staff rotas

Job description

Nuffield Health Parkside Hospital, Wimbledon, London, SW19 5NX

Job Description

• £40000 per annum + Sodexo benefits
• 40 hours per week | 5 days out of 7
• Free Parking (off site)
• permanent contract

Job Introduction

We're looking for an experienced and passionate Chef Manager to lead our catering team in delivering high-quality food services for patients, staff and hospitality functions. In this hands-on leadership role, you'll oversee daily kitchen operations, ensure the highest standards of food safety and compliance, and inspire your team to provide an outstanding customer experience. If you thrive in a fast-paced environment and enjoy developing people while driving operational excellence, we'd love to hear from you!

What You'll Do:

• Lead, motivate and develop the team, creating a positive and high-performing working environment.
• Deliver safe, high-quality food services for patients, staff and hospitality functions, ensuring excellent customer satisfaction.
• Manage day-to-day kitchen operations, ensuring services run smoothly 365 days a year.
• Maintain the highest standards of food safety, hygiene and cleanliness, ensuring compliance with all relevant policies, procedures and legislation.
• Complete and monitor all required food safety, HACCP, COSHH, temperature and compliance documentation.
• Manage stock, ordering and supplier relationships in line with company purchasing policies and budget requirements.
• Plan and manage staffing rotas effectively, ensuring labour costs are controlled while maintaining service standards.
• Support continuous improvement by driving service excellence, achieving audit requirements and maintaining accreditation standards.

What You Bring:

• Previous experience leading and developing a catering, kitchen or food service team.
• Strong knowledge of food safety, hygiene, HACCP and compliance requirements.
• Excellent organisational skills with the ability to prioritise workloads and meet deadlines.
• A positive and inclusive leadership style that motivates and engages others.
• Strong communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to build effective working relationships.
• Experience managing staffing levels, rotas, stock control and budgets.
• A proactive approach to problem-solving, quality improvement and delivering outstanding customer service.
• Commitment to continuous learning, professional development and maintaining high operational standards.

What we offer:

Working with Sodexo is more than a job; it's a chance to be part of something greater. You'll belong in a company and team that values you for you; you'll act with purpose and have an impact through your everyday actions; and you'll be able to thrive in your own way. In addition, we also offer a range of resources, rewards and benefits for our colleagues and their families:

• Unlimited access to an online platform offering mental health and wellbeing support.
• Employee Assistance Programme to help with everyday issues or larger problems where you may need additional support, including legal and financial advice, support with work related issues or personal issues such as bereavement.
• Access to a free health and wellbeing app that provides rewards for maintaining a healthy lifestyle and includes access to a 24hr virtual GP and various other services.
• The Sodexo Discounts Scheme, offering great deals 24/7 (also open to friends and family) and/or the prepayment cashback card.
• Money Insights and financial benefits via the Salary Finance Platform.
• Save for your future by becoming a member of the Sodexo Retirement Plan
• A Death-in-Service benefit for colleagues who pass away whilst employed by Sodexo
• Opportunities to enable colleagues to grow and succeed throughout their career at Sodexo, including a variety of learning and development tools.
• Cycle to Work Scheme to help colleagues to do their bit for the environment whilst keeping fit.
• Volunteering Opportunities to enable all colleagues to help support worthwhile causes in our communities.
• Flexible and dynamic work environment
• Competitive compensation
• Full training and full protective uniform supplied.

About Sodexo

At Sodexo, our purpose is to create a better every day for everyone to build a better life for all. As the global leader in services that improve the Quality of Life, we operate in 55 countries, serving over 100 million consumers each day through our unique combination of On‑Site Food and FM Services, Benefits & Rewards Services and Personal & Home Services.

We are committed to being an inclusive employer. We are a forces friendly employer. We welcome and encourage applications from people with a diverse variety of experiences, backgrounds, and identities. We encourage our employees to get involved with our Employee Networks such as Pride, Sodexo Parents & Carers, Sodexo Disability, Ability network, So Together, Generations and Origins.

We're a Disability Confident Leader employer. We're committed to changing attitudes towards disability, and making sure disabled people have the chance to fulfil their aspirations. We run a Disability Confident interview scheme for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria for the job.

Sodexo Disability, Ability network, So Together, Generations and Origins.