Customer Service Manager

Impact Food Group; Woking; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading school catering provider is seeking a Customer Service Manager to oversee a team and ensure smooth meal booking operations. The successful candidate will lead administrative staff, manage customer inquiries, and improve internal processes. Strong leadership and organizational skills are essential, along with experience in a fast-paced environment with digital platforms. This role offers Monday to Friday work, 25 holidays, and various employee benefits.

Benefits

25 days holiday plus bank holidays

Access to IFG rewards (discounts)

Yearly Summer Party

Qualifications

• Proven experience managing a customer service or administrative operations team.
• Strong organizational and leadership skills with the ability to develop people.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to handle complex queries.
• Experience with digital platforms in a fast-paced environment.
• Attention to detail and commitment to accuracy.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop a team of customer service administrators.
• Ensure prompt and professional team responses to inquiries.
• Oversee daily use of management platforms and data accuracy.
• Collaborate with internal teams to resolve cross-functional issues.
• Approve menu templates and manage academic calendars.

Skills

Team Leadership

Customer Communication

Organizational Skills

Digital Platforms Management

Problem Solving

Tools

Forbrains

Kanpla

Pebble

Fourth

Job description

Customer Service Manager

Impact Food Group

At Impact Food Group, we’re more than just a school caterer. We’re on a mission to create a positive food culture and help more students enjoy healthier, better-quality food. Making a positive social impact is at the heart of everything we do. We’re constantly learning, evolving, and improving — every way, every day.

Through our industry-leading brands — Innovate, Hutchison, Cucina, and Chapter One — we cater for over 600,000 students and operate in more than 900 schools nationwide, growing every year.

We’re now looking for a talented and highly organised Customer Service Manager to join and play a vital role in supporting our business.

Guided by our values, integrity, bold, impactful, humble and community; you will help us shape a workplace and culture we can all be proud of.

The Customer Service Manager will be an experienced and people-focused team manager that can lead a team responsible for delivering a smooth and reliable school meal booking service for parents. The role will oversee a System Administrator, an Admin Coordinator, and a team of Customer Support Agents.

Role Responsibilities Include :

• 1. Team Leadership & Performance Management
  Lead, support, and develop a team of 6 administrators, setting clear expectations and service standards.
  Manage daily workflow, ensuring timely resolution of calls, emails, and Freshdesk tickets.
  Conduct regular 1 : 1s, coaching, and performance reviews to build capability and consistency.
• 2. Communication & Customer Support Oversight
  Ensure all team responses to parents, schools, and internal teams are prompt, professional, and accurate.
  Oversee the handling of late orders and meal cancellations, ensuring kitchens receive correct information.
  Support the escalation and resolution of complex or sensitive service issues.
• 3. Systems Administration & Data Quality Management
  Oversee the team's daily use and management of Forbrains, Kanpla, Pebble, Fourth, and other platforms.
  Manage calendar updates including term dates, closure days, and school-specific schedule changes.
  Collaborate with internal teams (IT, Schools Liaison, Finance, etc.) to align processes and resolve cross-functional issues.
  Support the implementation of new system features, updates, and integrations.
  Maintain documentation, SOPs, and knowledge bases for both staff and service users.
  Ensure accurate system builds, menu cycles, recipe code integration, and platform synchronisation across all ordering tools.
• 4. Cross-Department Collaboration
  Represent the team in regular and ad-hoc meetings with system partners (Forbrains, Kanpla, Pebble, Fourth).
  Act as the main liaison between Central Admin, Operations, Mobilisations, and Technology teams.
• 5. Menu & Calendar Management Oversight
  Approve menu templates and ensure layout accuracy across all ordering systems.
  Ensure annual academic calendars are prepared, verified, and uploaded in advance of operational deadlines.

Skills & Experience

Proven experience managing a customer service or administrative operations team.

Strong organisational and leadership skills with the ability to develop people and drive high performance.

Excellent communication skills with the ability to handle complex queries diplomatically.

Experience working with multiple digital platforms or systems in a fast-paced environment.

Strong attention to detail and commitment to accuracy in data and content.

Ability to analyse issues, identify patterns, and lead cross-departmental problem solving.

Ability to manage competing priorities and deadlines.

If you’re a collaborative, solution-focused professional who thrives in a busy and purposeful environment, we’d love to hear from you. Join us and be part of a team that is transforming lives through the power of food, making a genuine difference for students across the UK.

What we can offer...

Monday to Friday working, 25 days holiday plus bank holidays, Access to IFG rewards (money off high street), Yearly Summer Party, Centrally based offices.

What you need to do now

If you're interested in this role, click 'apply now' to forward an up-to-date copy of your CV.

Impact Food are committed to the safeguarding of children, and our employees share this commitment. Successful candidates are required to undergo an enhanced DBS check, which Innovate Services Ltd supply the cost for.

We are a committed equal opportunities employer - if you require any assistance for the interview process, please detail within your application. All information is kept confidential and in compliance with GDPR requirements