Regional Business Operations Manager

Sodexo Ltd; City of Edinburgh; Hybrid; GBP 37,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading services provider seeks a Regional Business Operations Manager to oversee independent school sites across central Scotland. This role involves supporting the Senior Account Manager, driving operational excellence, and fostering client relationships. Ideal candidates will possess strong catering experience, leadership skills, and a commitment to service standards. The position offers a competitive salary, hybrid working options, and various employee benefits, including training and development opportunities.

Benefits

Highly competitive salary

28 days holiday

Hybrid working options

Free lunch on site

Company pension scheme

Qualifications

• Must have catering/food services experience.
• Confident in leading and motivating teams across multiple sites.
• Strong client relationship skills are essential.

Responsibilities

• Support the Senior Account Manager in operational excellence.
• Drive continuous improvement across processes and service standards.
• Build trusted relationships with clients while representing Sodexo.

Skills

Catering/food services experience

Client relationship management

Organizational skills

Attention to detail

IT proficiency

Tools

Teams

eProfit

Power BI

Job description

Regional Business Operations Manager – Independents by Sodexo (Scotland)

Salary: Circa £36,500 per annum

Location: Multi-site role across central Scotland (regular travel) – ideally based around Edinburgh, Dunfermline, Midlothian, West Lothian

Benefits

• Highly competitive salary
• 28 days holiday (including bank holidays)
• Site closures on Christmas day & New Year day
• Hybrid working
• Day shifts with very occasional evenings/weekends as required
• Mileage paid for business travel
• Company pension scheme
• Free lunch on site
• Company laptop & mobile
• Free on‑site parking and/or good public transport links
• Wellbeing support (Employee Assistance Programme + Occupational Health)
• Training & development (including apprenticeships for all levels)
• Access to Sodexo’s internal career pathways
• Paid PVG/DBS check
• Retail, leisure and lifestyle discounts (high street, holidays, cinema + cashback)
• Discounted gym/health club memberships
• Recognition programmes to celebrate great work
• 3 paid volunteering days
• Refer a Friend bonus up to £500 (for Sodexo employees)
• Cycle to Work scheme

About the role

This is a brand‑new opportunity to join Independents by Sodexo – Scotland in a key support role that helps our school sites consistently deliver outstanding food, service and client experience. You’ll work closely with the Senior Account Manager, providing hands‑on operational support across a portfolio of independent schools and stepping in to cover and keep things running smoothly when needed.

You’ll be the kind of person who loves variety: relationship‑building one minute, troubleshooting the next, then rolling your sleeves up on site to support teams, service standards, workforce planning and reporting.

Where you’ll be based

This is a multi‑site Scotland role with regular travel, primarily supporting sites in and around Edinburgh, Perth, St Andrews and Ayrshire (with occasional additional locations and limited UK travel around once per year).

• You’ll typically spend one day per week at Strathallan School, Perth
• The rest of the week will flex depending on business needs and site priorities
• Hybrid working is possible (typically 1 day per week from home, with more flexibility during the summer months)

What you’ll be doing

• Supporting the Senior Account Manager to deliver operational excellence and strong, long‑term client relationships
• Driving continuous improvement across people, systems, processes and service standards
• Building trusted relationships with clients and stakeholders, representing Sodexo professionally at all times
• Supporting managers with HR processes including recruitment, performance, absence and engagement, in line with Sodexo policy
• Coordinating and communicating best practice and initiatives across the district (e.g. marketing activity, projects, WFM)
• Championing Health & Safety, compliance and safeguarding requirements in schools (including PVG and food safety/allergen standards)
• Supporting service delivery with strong admin and reporting—accurate, on time, and to a high standard
• Providing on‑site operational cover when required (e.g. absence cover)
• Supporting stock/equipment controls and ensuring services are delivered within budget
• Deputising for the Senior Account Manager when needed

What you’ll bring

• Catering/food services experience is essential
• Confident leading, supporting and motivating teams across multiple sites
• Strong client relationship skills—credible, calm and solutions‑focused
• Organised and able to prioritise in a fast‑paced, changing environment
• Excellent attention to detail (especially with admin, compliance and reporting)
• Comfortable presenting, training and engaging teams
• IT confident and happy working across multiple systems (e.g. Teams, eProfit, Power BI, workforce management tools)
• Happy to travel regularly and provide on‑site support when required (full driving licence preferred; mileage paid)

Why join us?

You’ll be joining a supportive, high‑performing team in a role with real variety, visibility and impact—helping shape consistent standards across some fantastic independent school environments. If you enjoy developing people, improving operations and delivering a fresh‑food, high‑quality service, you’ll feel right at home.

Our food ethos

You’ll help champion our Fresh Food From Scratch philosophy across the region.

About Sodexo

At Sodexo, our purpose is to create a better everyday for everyone to build a better life for all. As the global leader in services that improve the quality of life, we operate in 55 countries, serving over 100 million consumers each day through our unique combination of On‑Site Food and FM Services, Benefits & Rewards Services and Personal & Home Services.

We are committed to being an inclusive employer and welcome applicants from people with a diverse background and identity. Our employee network programmes support Pride, Sodexo Parents & Carers, Sodexo Disability, Ability Network, SoTogether, Generations and Origins. We are a Disability Confident Leader employer and run a Disability Confident interview scheme for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

Ready to be part of something greater?

Sodexo reserves the right to close this advert early if we are in receipt of a high number of applications.