Head Chef- NEC Exhibitions

Global Sports Jobs Limited; Birmingham; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 62,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

23 days' annual leave + bank holidays

Healthcare and wellbeing support

Employee Assistance Programme

Family benefits

Meals on duty

Job summary

Levy is recruiting a Head Chef to lead the culinary operation at NEC Birmingham. You will oversee day-to-day kitchen activities, manage a diverse brigade, and ensure exceptional food quality across exhibitions, conferences, banqueting and live events.

You will collaborate with the Executive Chef and culinary team to bring menus to life, plan production for high-volume days, and maintain rigorous food safety and cost controls, while driving sustainability across venues.

Qualifications

• Head Chef or senior culinary leader in hospitality, events, exhibitions, hotels, stadia or contract catering.
• Experience in high-volume, fast-paced kitchens.
• Delivery of food for exhibitions, conferences, banqueting or large events.
• Strong leadership and people development capabilities.
• Level 3 Food Safety qualification or willingness to obtain.

Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day kitchen operations with high standards of quality and service.
• Motivate and develop the kitchen brigade; recruit, onboard and train new team members.
• Deliver exceptional food across exhibitions, conferences, banqueting, hospitality and live events.
• Collaborate with the Executive Chef and culinary team to bring menus to life.
• Plan production to meet high-volume event demands and ensure operational readiness.
• Maintain HACCP, hygiene and food safety compliance.
• Own food costs, waste, stock control and labour planning.
• Adapt to changing event requirements with calm, organized leadership.
• Champion Levy's sustainability and responsible sourcing.

Skills

Head Chef

Senior leadership

High-volume kitchen

Hospitality experience

Events catering

Food safety level 3

Education

Level 3 Food Safety

Job description

About the Role

This role leads the culinary operation at NEC Exhibitions in Birmingham, one of the UK's largest and busiest exhibition and live events venues. It oversees day-to-day kitchen operations and delivers exceptional food across exhibitions, conferences, banqueting, hospitality and live events. The post-holder leads a talented kitchen brigade and collaborates with the Executive Chef and wider culinary team, as well as Operations, Events and Front of House teams, to deliver seamless service. The position sits within Levy UK & Ireland's culinary team and champions sustainability and responsible sourcing.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the day-to-day running of the kitchen operation, ensuring consistently high standards of food quality, presentation and service.
• Lead, motivate and develop the kitchen brigade, creating a positive culture; coach chefs at all levels, support their progression and career development, and contribute to recruitment, onboarding and training of new team members.
• Deliver exceptional food across exhibitions, conferences, banqueting, hospitality and live events.
• Work closely with the Executive Chef and wider culinary team to bring Levy menus and concepts to life, and support menu development with creativity and new ideas.
• Plan and organise food production to meet the demands of high-volume event days, ensuring the kitchen is fully prepared, resourced and operationally ready for each event.
• Work collaboratively with Operations, Events and Front of House teams to deliver seamless service.
• Maintain excellent standards of food safety, hygiene, cleanliness and HACCP compliance.
• Take ownership of food cost, waste management, stock control and labour within the kitchen, and identify opportunities to improve quality, efficiency and the overall guest experience.
• Adapt quickly to changing event requirements and last-minute requests, leading by example during busy services and remaining calm, organised and solutions-focused under pressure.
• Champion Levy's commitment to sustainability and responsible sourcing.

Required Experience & Qualifications

• Proven experience as a Head Chef, Sous Chef or senior culinary leader within hospitality, events, exhibitions, hotels, stadia or contract catering.
• Experience working in a high-volume, fast-paced kitchen environment.
• Experience delivering food for exhibitions, conferences, banqueting, hospitality or large-scale events.
• Strong leadership skills with the ability to motivate, coach and develop a diverse kitchen team.
• Excellent culinary skills and a genuine passion for great food.
• Strong understanding of food cost, waste management, stock control and labour planning.
• Excellent organisation and planning skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities.
• Calm, resilient and adaptable, with the ability to thrive in a busy event environment.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills.
• Passion for guest experience, food quality and service excellence.
• Creative and solutions-focused, with a desire to continuously improve.
• Level 3 Food Safety qualification, or willingness to obtain.
• Flexibility to work evenings, weekends and event-specific schedules.
• Full eligibility to work in the UK.

Workplace

• Based at NEC Birmingham, one of the UK's largest and busiest exhibition and live events venues.

Salary

• Competitive salary with bonus.

Benefits & Perks

• 23 days' annual leave plus bank holidays, a day off for your birthday and a holiday purchase scheme.
• Healthcare and wellbeing support including Aviva Digicare and Medicash for dental, optical and therapy treatments.
• 24/7 mental health support through an Employee Assistance Programme.
• Family benefits including enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption leave, two days' additional leave after returning from maternity leave, a day off for your baby's first birthday and enhanced family leave.
• Perks and discounts including shopping, entertainment and travel discounts, 20% off Nuffield Health and 10% off PureGym memberships.
• Financial wellbeing benefits including a pension scheme, life assurance and preferred rates on salary finance products.
• Development opportunities including professional subscriptions, ongoing training and structured career pathways.
• Meals on duty included.

About the Company

We are Levy, a visionary venue partner that designs and delivers bespoke guest experiences prioritising people and the planet.

We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer and believe in celebrating individuality and building inclusive teams where everyone belongs.