Senior Commercial Manager

gategroup; Greater London; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

West Drayton (near Heathrow) is home to gategroup, seeking a Senior Commercial Manager to own a flagship airline account from pitch to sign-off, managing contracts, budgets, profitability and SLAs. You’ll lead monthly performance reviews with senior client and internal teams, present menus and pricing, and collaborate with chefs, operations, procurement and finance to turn ideas into trays that fly.

The role requires senior account management experience in catering or aviation, a sharp

Qualifications

• Senior account management experience in catering, hospitality or aviation.
• Strong commercial mindset with ability to protect margins.
• Confidence in a boardroom and a kitchen.
• Excellent data-driven decision making using Excel.

Responsibilities

• Running the account end to end: the contract, budgets, profitability, SLAs and CPI.
• Leading monthly performance reviews and business reviews with senior people on both sides of the table.
• Fronting menu presentations and pricing submissions, from the first pitch to the final sign-off.
• Working with chefs, operations, procurement and finance to turn ideas into trays that fly.
• Taking the lead on contract renewals and tenders with the Commercial Director.
• Keeping the numbers honest: forecasts, invoicing, revenue outlook against budget.
• Asking why we do it this way and then fixing it.

Skills

Commercial acumen

Boardroom presence

Data-driven decision making

Senior relationship management

Travel flexibility

Tools

Excel

Job description

West Drayton (near Heathrow)

We’re gategroup, the people behind the food on board.

We’re looking for a Senior Commercial Manager to own our relationship with one of the most prestigious carriers in the sky. It’s a flagship account, and you’d be the name they ask for when they need us!

What you’ll be doing

• Running the account end to end: the contract, budgets, profitability, SLAs and CPI
• Leading monthly performance reviews and business reviews with senior people on both sides of the table
• Fronting menu presentations and pricing submissions, from the first pitch to the final sign-off
• Working with our chefs, operations, procurement and finance teams to turn ideas into trays that fly
• Taking the lead on contract renewals and tenders alongside the Commercial Director
• Keeping the numbers honest: forecasts, invoicing, revenue outlook against budget
• Asking “why do we do it this way?” and then fixing it

What you’ll bring

• Account management experience at a senior level, ideally in catering, hospitality or aviation
• A commercial head. You can see a margin from across the room and you know how to protect it
• Confidence in a boardroom and a kitchen
• Strong Excel skills and a habit of letting the data make the decision
• Basic Food Hygiene (or happy to get it)
• Flexibility to travel around the UK and Ireland, roughly half your time

Airline catering runs on a clock that doesn’t stop. It’s fast, it’s detailed and it’s never dull. You’ll be close to the action at Heathrow, trusted with a client most people only see from the departure lounge, and backed by a global business that feeds millions of passengers every year.

If you want a role where your work actually takes off, we’d love to hear from you.