Food and Beverage General Manager

London Southend Airport Company Limited; Southend-on-Sea; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading airport is looking for a Senior Food and Beverage Manager to oversee operations across various outlets. This role requires a strong leader with extensive experience in high-volume food service environments, ensuring compliance and delivering exceptional customer experiences while managing multiple teams. The successful candidate will champion safety standards and engage with stakeholders to support the airport's success.

Benefits

Funded apprenticeships

Healthcare cover

Wellbeing apps

Employee assistance programs

Gym discounts

Mental health support

Cycle schemes

Duty-free discounts

Qualifications

• Minimum 3 years’ experience in a senior management role in food and beverage.
• Experience in a high-volume environment with turnover over £5 million.
• Knowledge of food safety, licensing laws, and allergen legislation.

Responsibilities

• Manage operational, financial, and customer experience performance of food and beverage outlets.
• Ensure compliance with all regulatory standards.
• Lead diverse teams and foster a culture of excellence.

Skills

Commercial acumen

Leadership

Team development

Food safety knowledge

HACCP knowledge

Education

Level 3/4 Food Safety

Hospitality Management degree

Personal Licence

Job description

Our SENsational colleagues are what make our airport thrive. Our goal is to develop each and every one of our colleagues’ skillsets by investing heavily in training and development throughout their careers, creating a culture of internal development and progression. A number of our senior leadership team began their career with us in an entry level role, the sky is the limit here at LSA.

As one of the key employers for Southend City, we aim to ensure that our roles are accessible to the community. We are committed to providing equal opportunities and creating an inclusive environment for our colleagues.

Now is an exciting time to join our airport. As a business, we are constantly growing, resulting in a wealth of roles to choose from, including Air Traffic Control, Fuelling, Car Parking, Rail, Security, Ground Maintenance, Firefighters, Cleaning, Technical Services, and more. There isn’t a better time to join team SENsational.

About the role:

Our Food and Beverage department plays a key role in providing passengers with a smooth and positive journey through our airport. The role involves:

• Managing the operational, financial, and customer experience performance of all Food and Beverage outlets across the airport, including cafes, a pub, a premium lounge, and dynamic pop-up bars and eateries, in a fast-paced, high-volume environment.
• Ensuring each outlet delivers outstanding service, strong commercial results, and compliance with all regulatory standards, while creating a welcoming experience for guests.
• Leading large, diverse teams and fostering a culture of excellence, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Embodying the Airport’s ‘One Team’ culture and supporting the business as needed.
• Working flexible shifts during operating hours, including early mornings, late nights, weekends, and bank holidays.

Core Activities:

Customer Experience:

Champion high-quality guest experiences, ensure outlets meet standards, support teams, drive engagement, and manage sales and budgets.

Safety, Compliance & Allergen Management:

Ensure compliance with food safety, hygiene regulations, and allergen controls, including Rachel’s Law.

Stakeholder Engagement & Airport Collaboration:

Act as primary contact for airport partners, ensuring alignment with policies and shared goals.

Operational Planning & Development:

Adapt to passenger flows, deliver training, support succession planning, analyze sales trends, and implement revenue initiatives.

Safety & Compliance:

Conduct safety checks, ensure team training, and uphold safety standards.

Stakeholder Engagement & Airport Collaboration:

Represent the food and beverage operation in meetings and contribute to airport success.

Skills, Knowledge, and Expertise:

Candidates should have:

• At least 3 years’ experience in a senior food and beverage management role within a high-volume environment with turnover over £5 million.
• Strong commercial acumen and a track record of meeting sales, cost, and profit targets.
• Knowledge of food safety, licensing laws, allergen legislation, HACCP, and experience with Shield safety (preferred).
• Proven leadership and team development skills.
• Relevant industry qualifications (e.g., Level 3/4 Food Safety, Hospitality Management degree, Personal Licence).

We encourage discussing any reasonable adjustments needed during the interview process.

Our benefits package includes funded apprenticeships, healthcare cover, wellbeing apps, employee assistance programs, gym discounts, mental health support, cycle schemes, and duty-free discounts. We look forward to your application!