Kitchen Manager

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

Job summary

A progressive airport management company in Southend-on-Sea is seeking a Kitchen Manager. This role involves leading kitchen operations, managing a team, ensuring food quality and safety, and working collaboratively with the Head of Food & Beverage. The ideal candidate will have previous experience in a kitchen manager role and a strong understanding of food safety. The position offers a pay range of £40,000 per year and includes excellent benefits.

Benefits

Apprenticeships fully funded

Medicash healthcare plan

Wellbeing app access

Employee Assistance Programme

'My Gym Discounts'

Cycle to Work Scheme

World Duty Free Discount

Qualifications

• Proven experience as a Kitchen Manager or similar role in a fast-paced kitchen.
• Strong understanding of kitchen operations and food safety standards.
• Inspiring and approachable leadership style.

Responsibilities

• Oversee daily kitchen operations to ensure food quality and safety.
• Lead, train, and inspire the kitchen team.
• Manage inventory and kitchen budgets.
• Collaborate with Head of Food & Beverage on menus.
• Implement improvements within the kitchen team.
• Work flexible shifts as the airport operates 24/7.

Skills

Leadership

Food safety management

Inventory management

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 always 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 as ever to join our airport. As a business, we are constantly growing, resulting in a wealth of roles to choose from, many that you may not have considered before, we’re talking, Air Traffic Control, Fuelling, Car Parking, Rail, Security, Ground Maintenance, Firefighters, Cleaning, Technical Services and so much more. There really isn’t a better time to join team SENsational ✈

About the role

As Kitchen Manager at London Southend Airport, I am the go-to person for all things back‑of‑house. I work closely with the Head of Food & Beverage to bring our vision to life, from shaping the future of our kitchen operations, our food quality all the way through to our team culture, to meet our collaborative goal of delivering an exceptional service to our guests.

We bet you’re thinking “so what is it I will actually be doing day to day?” well….

Key responsibilities

• I will oversee the daily kitchen operations to ensure high standards of food quality, safety, and cleanliness
• I will lead, train and inspire the kitchen team
• I will be responsible for managing inventory and kitchen budgets
• I will work collaboratively with the Head of Food & Beverage to develop and refine menu items
• I will constantly be on the lookout for improvements that can be implemented within the kitchen team
• I will fully embody the Airports ‘One Team’ culture and understand that there may be times when I am required to undertake other activities to support the needs of the business.
• I understand that the Airport is in operation 24/7 so I may be scheduled and expected to work any shift during operating hours, this will include early mornings, late nights, weekends, and bank holidays

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise

Sounds good so far? You’re probably wondering “What skills and experience do I need for this role?” this is a key role to support with the smooth day‑to‑day running of the kitchen, so there are some specific skills and experience we would like the successful candidate to possess, if you can answer yes to the below requirements you have the skills it takes:

• I have proven experience as a Kitchen Manager, or similar leadership role, in a fast paced kitchen environment
• I have a strong understanding of kitchen operations, food safety standards, and inventory management
• I am an inspiring and approachable leader and provide support and guidance to my direct reports when required.

Why Join Us

This is your opportunity to be part of a bold, fresh concept from day one. You’ll have the freedom to make your mark, shape the kitchen culture, and grow with a company.

If you're ready to help build something meaningful and be part of a team that’s all in, we would love to hear from you.

Reasonable Adjustments

If you require any reasonable adjustments regarding these points, please talk to us during the interview process.

Now that you understand the role and possess all the necessary skills, we would like to share more about our outstanding benefits package. We take great pride in these offerings, as they are designed with the wellbeing and job satisfaction of every colleague in mind! Here’s a small insight into some of our amazing benefits.

• Apprenticeships –we are proud to offer our colleagues the opportunity to gain valuable qualifications from level 3 through to level 7 (Master’s Degree Level) all whilst being at work. These courses are fully funded and available in a huge variety of disciplines.
• Medicash - London Southend Airport fund cover for all airport colleagues. Giving colleagues access to virtual GP & Physio appointments, access to the Skin Vision app, several retail discounts, and with our bespoke healthcare cash plan, you can claim back what you spend on your everyday health expenses.
• Access to a Wellbeing app containing amazing features such as a mood tracker, live chat or telephone counselling service.
• Employee Assistance Programme to confidentially support and provide advice and guidance to our colleagues with all health and legal related issues.
• ‘My Gym Discounts’ giving up to 25% off memberships with over 3,800 gyms throughout the UK.
• Mental Health First Aiders - We are extremely proud to have qualified and experienced mental health first aiders working fulltime at London Southend Airport who are on hand to provide colleagues with support.
• Cycle to Work Scheme giving a saving of up to 21-39%RRP on bikes and accessories
• World Duty Free Discount.

Sound good? Hit that apply button, we can’t wait to hear from you!

Pay Range

The pay range for this role is:

1 - 40,000 GBP per year (London Southend Airport)