Contract Director

Compass Group PLC; Guildford; On-site; GBP 85,000 - 115,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Contributory pension scheme

Career Pathways development

Healthcare benefits

Travel discounts

Discounts on groceries

Cinema discounts

Cash rewards

Wellness and fitness programs

Job summary

Compass Group UK&I in Guildford is seeking a Contract Director to lead the Lodestone House catering and hospitality operation for King Edward's School in Witley. This high-profile role oversees a 30-strong team across prep and senior schools, including 70 boarders, with a focus on outstanding food, service and guest experience.

You will be responsible for contract delivery, cost control, budgeting, growing sales and maintaining exceptional client relationships, while developing the team and

Qualifications

• Proven experience managing successful teams.
• Single-site operational experience in a similar role.
• A track record of leading teams to deliver results.
• Experience growing sales and retaining business.
• A foodservice or similar background.
• Budget management and/or P&L responsibility.
• The ability to communicate effectively with senior stakeholders.
• Strong commercial awareness.
• Good IT skills.

Responsibilities

• Leading, motivating and developing a 30-strong team.
• Creating a culture centred around high-end hospitality, exceptional food and outstanding service.
• Overseeing the operation across the prep and senior schools, including provision for 70 boarders.
• Building a trusted and collaborative relationship with the client.
• Ensuring client hospitality is delivered to the required standard and identifying opportunities to increase revenue.
• Taking ownership of commercial performance, including budgets, labour, gross profit, purchasing and operational costs.
• Identifying opportunities to grow sales and further develop the operation.
• Maintaining excellent standards of compliance and operational delivery.
• Developing and training the team, with clear objectives and accountability.

Skills

Leadership

Hospitality management

Budget management

P&L responsibility

Commercial awareness

Client relationship management

People development

IT skills

Communication with stakeholders

Tools

IT systems

Job description

We're looking for an accomplished Contract Director with high-end hospitality experience to lead the catering and hospitality operation at Lodestone House, supporting King Edward's School in Witley.
This is a substantial leadership role overseeing a team of 30, delivering services across both a prep school and senior school, including 70 boarders. With hospitality, food quality and service standards at the heart of the operation, we're looking for someone who understands what exceptional looks like and can inspire a team to deliver it consistently.
The role
As Contract Director, you'll take ownership of the overall efficient and effective management of the contract, combining exceptional service with strong commercial performance and an outstanding client relationship.
The role profile includes responsibility for delivering contractual commitments, managing and developing the team, controlling costs and budgets, growing sales and ensuring foodservice and support services meet the required standards.
You'll be responsible for:Leading, motivating and developing a 30-strong team
Creating a culture centred around high-end hospitality, exceptional food and outstanding service
Overseeing the operation across the prep and senior schools, including provision for 70 boarders
Building a trusted and collaborative relationship with the client
Ensuring client hospitality is delivered to the required standard and identifying opportunities to increase revenue. [Contract Director JD | Word]
Taking ownership of commercial performance, including budgets, labour, gross profit, purchasing and operational costs. [Contract Director JD | Word]
Identifying opportunities to grow sales and further develop the operation
Maintaining excellent standards of compliance and operational delivery
Developing and training the team, with clear objectives and accountability.
High-end hospitality experience is essential.
We're looking for a confident and visible leader who understands premium service environments and knows how to bring excellent food, people and hospitality together.
The underlying Contract Director JD also specifies:Proven experience managing successful teams
Single-site operational experience in a similar role
A track record of leading teams to deliver results
Experience growing sales and retaining business
A foodservice or similar background
Budget management and/or P&L responsibility
The ability to communicate effectively with senior stakeholders
Strong commercial awareness
Good IT skills.
A chef background, facilities management or retail experience, knowledge of food production, and project or change-management experience are listed as desirable.
Why this role?
This is an opportunity to lead a sizeable team in an environment where food, hospitality and the customer experience really matter.
You'll have the scope to shape the operation, develop your people, nurture the client relationship and bring the standards and attention to detail you'd expect from high-end hospitality into an education setting.
If you're a commercially astute hospitality leader who thrives on delivering exceptional experiences and developing great teams, we'd love to hear from you.
As part of Compass you'll help to feed people, fuel progress and forge connections in around 6,000 venues. Join us to grow your career with the industry leader, and get competitive pay, great perks and unrivalled opportunities for learning and development, at one of the UK's biggest businesses.
Job Reference: com/#####/41311001/52838182/SU #Lodestone House
Compass Group UK&I is committed to fostering an environment where every individual can truly be themselves at work and has equal opportunities to advance in their careers. We strive to build a culture that respects and celebrates the unique talents, beliefs, backgrounds, and abilities of all our team members. We want our colleagues to feel valued, empowered to reach their full potential, and to thrive - because diversity is our strength!JBRP1_UKTJ

We ensure you're rewarded for all your hard work, which is why we offer a comprehensive benefits package which includes but is not limited to:

Benefits

• Contributory pension scheme
• Grow your career with our Career Pathways and MyLearning programmes
• Quick access for you and your immediate family to a Digital GP, and wider healthcare benefits
• Exclusive travel discounts with TUI, Expedia, Booking.com and many more
• Save money on your food shop with discounts on Tesco, Sainsbury's, Morrisons and many more
• Up to 44% off cinema tickets to enjoy your favourite blockbuster
• Receive cash rewards every time you spend and use them on a wide range of brands
• Un-wind with us with free wellness, mindfulness and exercise classes
• You can share all discounts and offers with your friends and families