Head Of Operations

Restaurant Associates UK; Greater London; On-site; GBP 68,000 - 83,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Contributory pension scheme

Career Pathways & MyLearning programs

Digital GP & wider healthcare benefits

Exclusive travel discounts with TUI/Ex

Discounts on groceries

Cinema discounts

Cash rewards on spend

Free wellness and fitness classes

Job summary

Restaurant Associates UK is seeking an ambitious Head of Operations to lead four contract catering sites across London and Sussex. You will oversee site performance, support General Managers, and deliver outstanding service, financial results, and client relationships.

The role requires a confident, proactive leader with strong organisational skills, capable of turning plans into action at pace and delivering measurable improvements across the portfolio.

Qualifications

• Experience within Business & Industry (B&I) contract catering, staff dining or similar foodservice environment.
• Strong operational leadership skills; ability to motivate, develop and challenge teams.
• Excellent project management and organisational skills with multiple projects and deadlines.

Responsibilities

• Take overall responsibility for the operational performance of four contract catering sites across London and Sussex.
• Lead and coordinate major projects, including wider EMEA initiatives.
• Directly manage and support four General Managers, driving accountability and building a high-performing team.

Skills

Contract catering experience

Operational leadership

Project management

Financial awareness

Job description

Head of Operations - £75,000 per annum

We are seeking an ambitious, highly organised and commercially minded Head of Operations to lead a diverse portfolio of four sites across London and the south.

This is an exciting opportunity for an operational leader who thrives in a fast-paced environment, combining multi-site operational management with significant project delivery. You will oversee four sites of varying sizes, supporting General Managers to deliver outstanding service, strong financial performance and excellent client relationships.

What You’ll Be Doing As Head Of Operations

• Take overall responsibility for the operational performance of four contract catering sites across London and Sussex.


• Lead and coordinate major projects, including wider EMEA initiatives, ensuring projects are delivered effectively and to agreed objectives.


• Directly manage and support four General Managers, driving accountability, developing talent and building a high-performing operational team.


• Build strong, trusted relationships with clients, ensuring expectations are understood, challenges are addressed proactively and service delivery remains consistently high.


• Drive standards across food quality, service, compliance, health and safety, and the overall employee dining experience.


• Work collaboratively with finance and site teams to monitor performance, manage budgets and identify opportunities to improve efficiency and profitability.


• Partner with the wider SLT to deliver joined-up operational and strategic objectives.


• Identify opportunities to streamline processes, improve ways of working and deliver measurable improvements across the portfolio.

We are looking for a confident and proactive leader who can balance strategic thinking with hands-on delivery. You will be exceptionally organised, comfortable managing multiple priorities and able to turn plans into action at pace.

As Head Of Operations You’ll Bring

• Experience within Business & Industry (B&I) contract catering, staff dining or a similar foodservice environment.


• Strong operational leadership skills, with the ability to motivate, develop and challenge teams.


• Excellent project management and organisational skills, with the ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines simultaneously.


• Outstanding client-facing skills and the confidence to build relationships at all levels.


• A commercially aware mindset, with an understanding of financial performance, service standards and operational efficiency.


• The ability to influence, communicate and collaborate effectively across multiple functions and locations.


• Experience managing multiple sites would be highly desirable. However, we are also open to an ambitious General Manager ready to take the next step in their career, particularly someone with strong organisational skills, excellent client management capabilities and a proven ability to deliver results.

Benefits

We ensure you’re rewarded for all your hard work, which is why we offer a comprehensive benefits package which includes but is not limited to:

• Contributory pension scheme


• Grow your career with our Career Pathways and MyLearning programmes


• Quick access for you and your immediate family to a Digital GP, and wider healthcare benefits


• Exclusive travel discounts with TUI, Expedia, Booking.com and many more


• Save money on your food shop with discounts on Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons and many more


• Up to 44% off cinema tickets to enjoy your favourite blockbuster


• Receive cash rewards every time you spend and use them on a wide range of brands


• Un-wind with us with free wellness, mindfulness and exercise classes

About Us

Restaurant Associates provides brilliant hospitality through our food, drink and services. We work with our partners and collaborate with our clients to achieve great things together. Every day, our teams of passionate hospitality professionals strive for excellence in delivering employee dining and hospitality to some of the UK's leading workplace as well as inspiring exceptional experiences in iconic cultural and heritage destinations.

Job Reference: com/0910/42659001/52838571/SU #RA Group

Compass Group UK&I is committed to fostering an environment where every individual can truly be themselves at work and has equal opportunities to advance in their careers. We strive to build a culture that respects and celebrates the unique talents, beliefs, backgrounds, and abilities of all our team members. We want our colleagues to feel valued, empowered to reach their full potential, and to thrive – because diversity is our strength!