General Manager

Aramark UK; Birmingham; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 50,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Generous annual leave

Pension scheme

Life assurance

Blue Light Card

Health cash plans

EAP

Online GP

Cycle to Work

Career development

Job summary

Aramark UK invites applications for a General Manager to lead the catering operation at HMP Birmingham, one of the UK’s largest prisons. You will oversee prisoner feeding, staff and visitor catering, and on-site retail delivery within a complex custodial environment.

You will manage a team of around 16, ensuring safe operations, financial performance, and adherence to governance standards while developing staff and delivering KPI targets.

Qualifications

• Experience managing large catering, facilities contracts.
• Strong financial control and budgeting ability.
• Experience in highly regulated environments.
• Leadership of multi-disciplinary teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead the overall catering operation across HMP Birmingham.
• Ensure prisoner feeding, staff catering and retail services are safe and compliant.
• Collaborate with Kitchen Manager and Head Chef on production planning and stock control.
• Drive service improvements and contingency planning across operations.
• Coach and develop managers and catering staff.

Skills

Leadership

Financial acumen

Stakeholder mgmt

Custodial sector experience

People management

Contract catering

Education

Level 4 Food Safety

City & Guilds 706/1 & 706/2

NVQ Level 2 Cookery

Job description

Lead a Critical Service Within One of the UK's Largest Prisons

Lead with Purpose. Deliver Excellence. Make a Difference.

Are you an experienced operational leader with a background in contract catering, facilities management or large-scale service delivery?

Aramark UK is seeking an exceptional General Manager to lead our catering operation at HMP Birmingham, one of the UK's largest Category B prisons. This is a highly visible leadership role with overall responsibility for the safe, compliant, and effective delivery of prisoner feeding, staff catering, retail and visitor catering services across a complex custodial environment.

Reporting to the Regional Manager, you will act as the senior Aramark representative on site, leading a team of approximately 16 colleagues and working in close partnership with HMPPS, Ministry of Justice stakeholders and prison leadership teams.

This is a unique opportunity for a commercially minded leader who is passionate about operational excellence, people development, client engagement and creating meaningful social impact through rehabilitation and vocational training opportunities.

What's in it for you?

• Competitive salary of £45,000 - £50,000 DOE
• Generous annual leave allowance increasing with service
• Opportunity to purchase additional annual leave
• Company pension scheme
• Life assurance
• Blue Light Card membership
• Employee Benefits Platform including:
• Health cash plans
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Online GP service
• Cycle to Work scheme
• Financial wellbeing support
• Career development opportunities within Aramark UK's Justice & Immigration sector

The Opportunity

As General Manager, you will have full accountability for the day-to-day and strategic management of the HMP Birmingham catering contract. You will lead a high-performing team responsible for delivering services to a large prisoner population alongside staff, contractors, and visitors within a challenging and rewarding operational environment.

You will be responsible for:

• Overall contract performance and service delivery.
• Financial management, budget control, and P&L accountability.
• Food safety, health & safety, and statutory compliance.
• Client relationship management and stakeholder engagement.
• People management, succession planning, and team development.
• Delivery of contractual KPIs and service standards.
• Continuous improvement initiatives and operational efficiencies.
• Supporting rehabilitation through prisoner training and employment opportunities within the catering operation.

What you will be doing

• Leading the overall catering operation across HMP Birmingham.
• Ensuring all prisoner feeding, staff catering and retail services operate safely, efficiently and in accordance with contractual requirements.
• Working closely with the Kitchen Manager and Head Chef to manage production planning, stock control, waste reduction, and menu compliance.
• Driving service improvements and innovation across all catering operations.Maintaining operational resilience and contingency planning within a live custodial environment.

Client & Stakeholder Management

• Acting as the primary point of contact for HMP Birmingham and Ministry of Justice stakeholders.
• Building strong partnerships with prison management teams and key decision-makers.
• Leading quarterly business reviews and client engagement meetings.
• Managing customer expectations whilst ensuring contractual compliance and service excellence.
• Managing site budgets and financial performance.
• Monitoring labour costs, food costs, and operational expenditure.
• Producing forecasts, financial reports, and business plans.
• Identifying opportunities to improve efficiencies whilst maintaining service quality.
• Leading, coaching and developing a team of managers, supervisors, and catering colleagues.
• Creating a positive, inclusive, and high-performance culture.
• Managing recruitment, succession planning, and employee development.
• Supporting investigations, grievance processes and performance management when required.
• Ensuring all colleagues receive appropriate training and development opportunities.

Compliance & Governance

Ensuring full compliance with:

• HACCP and Food Safety legislation
• Health & Safety legislation
• HMPPS and Ministry of Justice requirements
• Aramark policies and procedures
• Contract specifications and service level agreements
• Leading audits and compliance reviews.
• Maintaining exceptional standards of governance and record keeping.

What we are looking for:

We are looking for an experienced operational leader who can confidently manage a large, complex contract and build trusted relationships at all levels.

• Significant experience managing large catering, hospitality, facilities management, or service contracts.
• Strong financial and commercial acumen with budget management experience.
• Proven leadership experience managing multi-disciplinary teams.
• Experience working within a highly regulated environment.
• Excellent stakeholder management and client relationship skills.
• Strong organisational, planning, and problem-solving abilities.
• Ability to analyse performance data and translate insights into action.
• Resilient, adaptable, and comfortable working within a fast-paced operational environment.
• Experience working within custodial, justice, healthcare, education, defence, or other public sector environments.
• Level 4 Food Safety qualification.
• City & Guilds 706/1 & 706/2, NVQ Level 2 Professional Cookery or equivalent catering qualification.
• Knowledge of contract catering and public sector procurement environments.

Additional Requirements

• Be eligible to work in the UK.
• Successfully complete enhanced prison security clearance and Ministry of Justice vetting.
• Comply with all information security, safeguarding, and operational security requirements.
• Always maintain the highest standards of professional conduct and integrity.

Join Aramark UK

At Aramark UK, we believe that everyone deserves a workplace where they feel valued, respected and empowered to achieve their full potential.

As a Disability Confident and Forces Friendly employer, we welcome applications from all backgrounds and are committed to creating an inclusive workplace where everyone can thrive.

This is more than just a management role—it's an opportunity to lead a critical public service, influence positive outcomes, develop exceptional teams, and make a genuine difference every day.