Regional Chef FTC - no fixed location

Sodexo; Manchester; On-site; GBP 46,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading global service provider is seeking a Regional Support Executive Chef for a 6-month contract to enhance culinary standards across high-profile venues in North England. You'll lead culinary operations, ensure high-quality food delivery, and innovate menu development while supervising teams. The ideal candidate has a strong fine dining background and experience in high-volume environments. This role offers a competitive salary up to £55,000 per annum plus bonuses, along with flexible benefits and a dynamic work environment.

Benefits

Mental health and wellbeing support

Employee Assistance Programme

Health and wellbeing app access

Sodexo Discounts Scheme

Salary Finance Platform benefits

Retirement Plan membership

Death-in-Service benefit

Learning and development opportunities

Cycle to Work Scheme

Volunteering Opportunities

Qualifications

• Proven success in managing high-volume culinary operations.
• Strong fine dining background required.
• Ability to effectively communicate with clients and teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead culinary operations across multiple venues.
• Ensure high-quality food delivery and safety standards.
• Develop innovative menu concepts for events.

Skills

High-volume events expertise

Creativity in food preparation

Strong communication skills

Food cost control knowledge

Leadership experience

MS Office proficiency

Education

Basic Food Hygiene qualification

Job description

We are now seeking a Regional Support Executive Chef, initially for 6 months, to enhance culinary standards across several high-profile venues and contribute to the continued growth of our vibrant events business, primarily across the North of England. In this role, you will lead and support high-quality culinary operations, ensuring consistent menu delivery, outstanding food safety performance, creative menu development, strong team leadership, efficient labour and stock control, sound financial management, and confident execution of client tastings and project work. As a senior member of our Culinary team, you will help shape exceptional food experiences across multiple sites by driving innovation, operational excellence and consistent standards at every event. This is an exciting opportunity for a dynamic chef who thrives in high-volume environments, enjoys developing others and is passionate about creating modern, trend‑led dishes. At Sodexo Live! you'll join a team that delivers memorable culinary moments long after the final whistle, show or exhibition. We champion creativity, encourage innovation and support your growth as part of a collaborative national culinary community.

What You’ll Do:

• Provide hands‑on culinary support across multiple venues to ensure the smooth delivery of events of all scales.
• Maintain consistent, high-quality food delivery by ensuring all menu specifications are followed, trained, and accurately executed.
• Uphold exceptional Food Safety, Health & Safety and COSHH standards, achieving strong audit performance across all sites.
• Bring creativity and current food trends into event menus, contributing to innovation and the wider Sodexo Live! culinary strategy.
• Support the development and delivery of new menu concepts, client projects and culinary initiatives within agreed timeframes.
• Lead, motivate and develop culinary teams, including casual staff, ensuring effective performance and engagement.
• Support efficient workforce planning, rota management and labour cost control across venues.
• Manage ordering, waste control and stock processes to ensure availability, minimise waste and meet budget targets.
• Deliver engaging client tastings and represent the culinary team confidently during client interactions.

Qualifications:

• Proven success in high-volume events or large-scale banqueting.
• Strong fine dining background with creativity and passion for food.
• Confident presenter and communicator, comfortable with clients and senior colleagues.
• Solid understanding of food P&L, food cost control, and margin delivery.
• Exceptional organisation and planning ability.
• Basic Food Hygiene qualification.
• Skilled in MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Email).
• Demonstrable leadership experience across multi-outlet operations.
• Flexibility to travel across the region as required.

Desirable:

• Level 3 Supervising Food Safety or similar.
• IOSH Managing Safely.
• Retail food operation or production kitchen experience.
• Experience in contract catering and client-facing roles.
• Training experience or a training qualification.

About Sodexo

Sodexo Live! delivers world-class food experiences across many of the United Kingdom's most iconic sports, leisure and entertainment venues; our culinary teams power everything from large-scale live events to premium hospitality. Sodexo reserves the right to close this advertisement early if we are in receipt of a high volume of applications. About Sodexo At Sodexo, our purpose is to create a better every day 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. We are a forces friendly employer. We welcome and encourage applications from people with a diverse variety of experiences, backgrounds, and identities. We encourage our employees to get involved with our Employee Networks such as Pride, Sodexo Parents & Carers, Sodexo Disability, Ability network, So Together, Generations and Origins. Sodexo Disability, Ability network, So Together, Generations and Origins. We’re a Disability Confident Leader employer. We’re committed to changing attitudes towards disability, and making sure disabled people have the chance to fulfil their aspirations.

Job Details

• 6 month contract (initially)
• Stadia Locations across the North of England to include ACC Liverpool, Emirates Old Trafford, Preston, Blackburn, Headingley, Nottingham Forest and other regional venues as needed
• to 55,000pa + excellent bonus and benefits
• 40hrs pw 5/7 occasional weekend and evenings
• Flexible Benefits fund of 1,300 to utilise across an array of benefits
• Fine Dining background gained in hotels, restaurants or contract catering and Food Hygiene qualification essential

Benefits

• Unlimited access to an online platform offering mental health and wellbeing support.
• Employee Assistance Programme to help with everyday issues or larger problems where you may need additional support, including legal and financial advice, support with work related issues or personal issues such as bereavement.
• Access to a free health and wellbeing app that provides rewards for maintaining a healthy lifestyle and includes access to a 24hr virtual GP and various other services.
• The Sodexo Discounts Scheme, offering great deals 24/7 (also open to friends and family) and/or the prepayment cashback card.
• Money Insights and financial benefits via the Salary Finance Platform.
• Save for your future by becoming a member of the Sodexo Retirement Plan
• A Death-in-Service benefit for colleagues who pass away whilst employed by Sodexo
• Opportunities to enable colleagues to grow and succeed throughout their career at Sodexo, including a variety of learning and development tools.
• Cycle to Work Scheme to help colleagues to do their bit for the environment whilst keeping fit.
• Volunteering Opportunities to enable all colleagues to help support worthwhile causes in our communities.
• Flexible and dynamic work environment