General Manager

Aramark UK; Manchester; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Discounts on supermarket shop

Life assurance and pension

Generous holiday entitlement

Career progression and training

Apprenticeship schemes

Job summary

Aramark UK is seeking an experienced General Manager to lead our catering operations at Withington Girls' School. You will drive service excellence, financial performance and client relationships, while developing high-performing teams.

The role requires strategic leadership and a passion for delivering exceptional customer experiences, with strong governance and compliance. You will oversee multiple sites, implement continuous improvement, and collaborate with senior stakeholders to achieve

Qualifications

• Proven leadership experience in catering, hospitality, or contract catering.
• Strong financial acumen with budget management and P&L responsibility.
• Excellent stakeholder management and customer satisfaction focus.
• Thorough knowledge of food safety, HACCP, and health & safety requirements.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage catering operations across all locations, ensuring exceptional food quality and service.
• Drive financial performance through budget management and revenue/profit targets.
• Build and maintain strong client and customer relationships to ensure satisfaction.
• Provide leadership, coaching and support to management and operational teams.
• Develop, engage and retain talent through performance management and career development initiatives.
• Ensure compliance with company policies and food safety standards.
• Identify and implement opportunities for business growth and increased participation.
• Monitor and improve operational and financial performance through data-driven decisions.

Skills

Leadership

Budgeting

P&L accountability

Stakeholder management

Food safety HACCP

Team development

Job description

Aramark UK are looking for an experienced and inspirational General Manager to lead our catering operations, delivering exceptional food, service and customer experiences at Withington Girls' School. This is a high-profile leadership role responsible for driving operational excellence, maintaining strong client relationships, and ensuring commercial success through effective financial and people management.

The successful candidate will be a commercially minded leader with a passion for innovation, team development and service excellence. Working closely with senior stakeholders, you will oversee multiple operations, inspire high-performing teams, identify growth opportunities and ensure the highest standards of quality, compliance and customer satisfaction are consistently achieved.

What's in it for you:

• You will have access to our online benefits platform which includes 100's of discounts, including savings on your weekly supermarket shop and weekend treats!
• We also offer a company package including life assurance, pension contributions, generous holiday entitlement with the option to buy more, and many more perks.
• You will also be joining a great team, with fabulous career prospects and could lead to all sorts of opportunities - we LOVE to promote from within!
• As we are passionate about developing our people from within, great training is provided. We also offer apprenticeship schemes, so your learning journey can continue!

Job Responsibilities

• Lead and manage catering operations across all locations, ensuring exceptional food quality, service standards, and operational excellence.
• Drive financial performance through effective budget management, cost control, P&L accountability, and achievement of revenue and profit targets.
• Build and maintain strong client and customer relationships, ensuring high levels of satisfaction and service delivery.
• Provide effective leadership, coaching, and support to management and operational teams, fostering a high-performance culture.
• Develop, engage, and retain talent through performance management, succession planning, training, and career development initiatives.
• Ensure full compliance with company policies, food safety regulations, HACCP standards, health and safety requirements, and contractual obligations.
• Identify and implement opportunities for business growth, innovation, increased participation, and revenue generation.
• Monitor, analyse, and improve operational and financial performance through data-driven decision-making and continuous improvement initiatives.

Key Requirements

• Proven leadership experience within catering, hospitality, retail, or contract catering operations.
• Strong commercial and financial acumen, including budget management and P&L responsibility.
• Demonstrated ability to lead, motivate, develop, and retain high-performing teams.
• Excellent stakeholder management skills with a strong focus on client and customer satisfaction.
• Thorough knowledge of food safety, HACCP, health and safety, and compliance requirements.
• Strong organisational, communication, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to drive operational excellence and business growth.

At Aramark UK, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace where everyone is valued and empowered to thrive. As a proud Disability Confident employer, we actively encourage applications from individuals of all abilities and are dedicated to supporting employees with disabilities throughout their career journey.

We ensure our recruitment process is accessible, and reasonable adjustments are available at every stage, from application to interview and employment. If you require any accommodations or have any questions, please reach out to our recruitment team - [e-mail]

Join us in fostering a workplace where everyone can achieve their full potential.