Operations & Growth Manager, London, UK

Heycater; Greater London; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

Heycater is seeking a founding team member in London to manage operations and client relationships for our new market. You will oversee both catering partners and B2B clients, ensuring seamless operations.

This role requires 2-3 years of relevant experience and a strong network in the London food and events industry. You will work closely with the Head of UK to establish and grow our presence.

Qualifications

• 2-3 years of experience in the food, catering, or events industry in London.
• Strong operational instincts to manage complexity and maintain delivery quality.
• Highly autonomous, comfortable working in a new market.

Responsibilities

• Onboard and manage relationships with catering partners.
• Ensure smooth execution of every order.
• Own B2B client relationships and support retention.

Skills

Experience in food or catering industry

Network in London catering events

Strong operational instincts

Commercial awareness

Excellent communication

Fluent in English

Job description

heycater! is the leading B2B catering marketplace in the DACH region, connecting companies with the best catering and event food providers for every occasion. After establishing market leadership in Germany and Austria, we are now launching in the UK.

This is a founding team hire in a new market one of the most impactful roles we will make this year.

How we work

• High Trust, High Conflict,we trust each other and debate openly
• Obsessively High Standards, quality is not a nice-to-have
• Emotionally Intense, we are engaged, honest, and present
• Ridiculously Clear, expectations, feedback, and goals are transparent

Job Description

You will be the operational and commercial backbone of our London market, working directly with the Head of UK to build, run, and grow our business from the ground up.

You manage both sides of our marketplace: the catering partners we work with, and the B2B clients we serve. You ensure orders run seamlessly, partners are well-managed, and clients feel taken care of. You also identify opportunities and support growth actively.

This role is right for someone who already knows the London food and events world, thrives with ownership, and does not need a full support structure to get things done.

What You'll Do

Partner & Supply Operations

• Onboard, manage, and develop relationships with London-based catering and event food partners
• Ensure quality, reliability, and smooth execution of every order end-to-end
• Be the first point of contact when issues need solving fast

Client & Account Management

• Own B2B client relationships from onboarding through to day-to-day account care
• Proactively support retention, upselling, and re-engagement of existing accounts
• Translate client needs into operational reality, working closely with our partner network
• Support the Head of UK in identifying and approaching new B2B prospects
• Represent heycater! through your network, at industry events, and in outreach
• Help build the London market presence

Operations & Process

• Manage and document operational workflows as we scale
• Flag issues early, solve problems pragmatically, and continuously improve how we operate

Qualifications

Required

• 2-3 years of experience in the food, catering, or events industry in London
• A real network in the London catering and corporate events space
• Strong operational instincts: manage complexity, own delivery quality, keep multiple workstreams moving
• Commercial awareness: understand clients, support sales conversations, care about revenue
• Highly autonomous: comfortable being one of two people in a new market
• Excellent communicator in writing, on calls, and in person
• Based in London or willing to be on-site regularly
• Native or fluent English

Nice to Have

• Experience on a marketplace or platform (two-sided business model)
• Previous B2B account management or sales experience
• Familiarity with CRM tools in a startup or scale-up environment

Additional Information

Why This Role? Why us?

Real impact from day one. You are hire #1 in a new market. What you build here is visible, measurable, and yours.

Direct line to leadership. You report directly to the Head of UK, with close ties to our founding team in Berlin.

Build, not maintain. This is a founding role. You shape processes, partnerships, and how we operate not just execute them.

Path to grow with us. As the UK team scales, so does your role. Strong performers will have the opportunity to lead.

Our Hiring Process

• Second conversation with the Hiring Manager
• Third conversation with the team
• Trial task (a few hours, on-site or remote)

We are an equal opportunity employer. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, regardless of gender, religion, origin, or personal identity.