School Kitchen Manager: Lead Catering Team & Student Meals

Chartwells Independent; Hyde; On-site; GBP 28,000 - 36,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Career pathways

MyLearning programmes

Digital GP

Healthcare benefits

Travel discounts

Food shopping discounts

Cinema discounts

Cash rewards

Wellness classes

Share discounts with family

Job summary

Chartwells Independent, part of Compass Group UK&I, is seeking a Kitchen Manager to lead a vibrant catering team in our education division. You’ll drive daily activity, monitor performance and guide staff to deliver high‑quality meals and outstanding customer service across the site.

The role requires proven catering experience (minimum 2 years), good people management, financial acumen, and IT literacy, plus a Basic Food Hygiene certificate.

Qualifications

• Good knowledge and experience of working with food.
• Strong people management abilities.
• Clear communication across teams and stakeholders.
• Results-oriented with delivery focus.
• Holding others accountable for performance.
• Understanding customers and their needs.
• Proven experience managing successful teams in catering.
• Basic Food Hygiene certificate.
• Experience leading a small team in a similar environment.
• Minimum 2 years catering experience.
• Excellent financial acumen and budgeting awareness.
• IT literate and able to use standard office software.

Responsibilities

• As the Kitchen Manager, you’ll drive the team, lead daily activity and monitor performance to deliver high-quality meals and service.
• You’ll look after daily departmental needs and work with other leaders across the business to ensure success.

Skills

Food knowledge

People Management

Communication

Results Orientation

Holding others accountable

Understanding Customers

Team leadership

Basic Food Hygiene certificate

Catering experience

Financial acumen

IT literate

Team supervision

Job description

Chartwells Independent, part of Compass Group UK&I, is seeking a Kitchen Manager to lead a vibrant catering team in our education division. You’ll drive daily activity, monitor performance and guide staff to deliver high‑quality meals and outstanding customer service across the site.

The role requires proven catering experience (minimum 2 years), good people management, financial acumen, and IT literacy, plus a Basic Food Hygiene certificate.