Mobile Catering Manager, GORSE Kitchen

The Gorse Academies Trust; Leeds; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 52,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Teacher pension

Local government pension

Employee Assistance Programme

Cycle to work scheme

Job summary

GORSE Kitchen is entering an exciting new phase of development, and we are looking for an ambitious and experienced Mobile Catering Manager to help shape its future. This is a unique opportunity to lead an in-house catering service across our primary academies, delivering nutritious, high‑quality meals and a positive food culture for every child.

As Mobile Catering Manager, you will support and develop catering teams across multiple academies, provide hands-on leadership during absences or

Responsibilities

• Support and develop catering teams across multiple primary academies.
• Lead improvements in food quality, customer experience and operational performance.
• Provide hands-on leadership and service continuity during periods of absence, vacancy or increased demand.
• Help shape the future direction of GORSE Kitchen as it continues to grow and develop.
• Champion healthy eating and create a positive food culture for children.
• Work collaboratively with academy leaders to deliver an outstanding catering service.

Job description

Start date to be agreed with the successful candidate.

Join us at an exciting stage in our journey

GORSE Kitchen is entering an exciting new phase of development, and we are looking for an ambitious and experienced Mobile Catering Manager to help shape its future.

This is a unique opportunity to play a key role in developing a growing in-house catering service across our primary academies. We are building something special: a service that delivers exceptional food, outstanding customer experiences, and a positive food culture for every child we serve.

As a Mobile Catering Manager, no two days will be the same. You may spend several months supporting and leading a particular academy kitchen, work alongside teams to improve standards and develop practice, or step in to provide leadership and stability during periods of absence, change, or growth.

This is far more than a traditional operational management role. We are looking for someone who is excited by the opportunity to influence, develop and shape a service that is still evolving. You will work closely with senior leaders and academy teams to establish excellent practices, develop talented catering staff, and ensure our kitchens become places where children enjoy nutritious, high-quality meals every day.

If you thrive in a dynamic environment, enjoy building strong teams, and want to be part of a service with genuine ambition, we would love to hear from you.

The successful candidate will:

• Support and develop catering teams across multiple primary academies.
• Lead improvements in food quality, customer experience and operational performance.
• Provide hands‑on leadership and service continuity during periods of absence, vacancy or increased demand.
• Help shape the future direction of GORSE Kitchen as it continues to grow and develop.
• Champion healthy eating and create a positive food culture for children.
• Work collaboratively with academy leaders to deliver an outstanding catering service.

What we offer you:

• Membership of a teacher or local government pension scheme, depending on the role.
• A commitment to continued investment in our professionals, supporting every member of staff throughout their career in the trust.
• Access to an Employee Assistance Programme which provides confidential professional advice and support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
• £2k Cycle to work scheme.

About us:

Led by Sir John Townsley, GORSE has a well‑known reputation for changing the deal for children and young adults who come from some of the most impoverished parts of the country. Our central mission is to ensure that we play a significant role in removing the stubborn link between poverty and academic underperformance. Consequently, our students and our professionals are in the vanguard of the national drive which seeks to prove that where teaching is excellent, leadership inspiring and behaviour standards exemplary all children excel regardless of background.

Our 15 academies, our central team, our Teaching School Hub and GORSE SCITT work in a tightknit manner which sees our students prospering as a result of great partnership. Our professionals recognise the enormous advantage that comes from belonging to a network of excellence and we as a trust recognise that there is much to be gained when great organisations work with integrity, moral purpose and determination.

If you would like to know more about our Trust, please visit our website at www.tgat.org.uk.

We are committed to creating an inclusive and accessible recruitment process, and we welcome applications from people with disabilities as defined by the Equality Act.

We are committed to safeguarding the welfare of children and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. The successful candidate will be subject to full employment checks, including an enhanced DBS disclosure and barring service check. We promote diversity and aim to establish a workforce that reflects the population of Leeds.

GORSE Policy statement on the recruitment of ex‑offenders

The GORSE Academies Trust use 'OnlineSCR' for the processing of safeguarding checks - their privacy notice can be seen at: https://onlinescr.co.uk/policies/privacy-policy/.

Employment is conditional on confirmation of the right to work in the UK - either as a UK or Irish citizen, under the EU Settlement scheme or having secured any other relevant work visa.

Please note that, as a sponsor licence holder, we only provide sponsorship for teacher vacancies.