Senior Food Lead

Compass Group Ireland; Dublin; On-site; EUR 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Compass Ireland is seeking a Senior Food Lead to oversee food service operations across four catering units in a busy client location. The role follows a Monday to Friday schedule with no weekend work, with flexibility to work bank holidays.

You’ll lead frontline teams and coordinate day-to-day catering operations to deliver high-quality services across multiple outlets. The ideal candidate will have strong leadership, HACCP knowledge, and a track record in food service management within

Responsibilities

• Leading the daily operation of four catering units within one building
• Coordinating food regeneration, presentation and service standards Breakfast and lunch for Monday to Friday
• Supporting and motivating onsite catering teams
• Managing stock control, ordering and waste management
• Monitoring labour and food costs
• Completing administration, audits and operational reporting
• Maintaining food safety and health & safety compliance
• Building positive relationships with clients, customers and colleagues
• Identifying opportunities to improve service delivery and customer satisfaction
• Supporting the General Manager with the overall operation

Job description

We're currently recruiting an organised, energetic and passionate Senior Food Lead to oversee food service operations across four catering units within a busy client location. This position offers a Monday to Friday schedule with no weekend work required, although flexibility to work bank holidays is essential. This is an exciting opportunity for someone who thrives in a fast-paced environment and enjoys leading teams to deliver outstanding catering services. You will oversee the full food service operation, from kitchen through to the delivery of catering services across four catering units within a busy client location. Responsible for ensuring a seamless customer experience, you'll maintain the highest standards of food quality, safety and operational excellence across all units. Working closely with the General Manager, you'll play a key role in coordinating day-to-day catering operations, leading frontline teams, driving service standards and ensuring the efficient delivery of food services across multiple outlets. This role is focused on operational leadership, customer experience, team development and the consistent execution of high-quality catering services.

Your Key Responsibilities Will Include

• Leading the daily operation of four catering units within one building
• Coordinating food regeneration, presentation and service standards Breakfast and lunch for Monday to Friday
• Supporting and motivating onsite catering teams
• Managing stock control, ordering and waste management
• Monitoring labour and food costs
• Completing administration, audits and operational reporting
• Maintaining food safety and health & safety compliance
• Building positive relationships with clients, customers and colleagues
• Identifying opportunities to improve service delivery and customer satisfaction
• Supporting the General Manager with the overall operation

Our Ideal Senior Food Lead Will

• Be highly organised and able to effectively manage multiple priorities across a busy multi-unit operation.
• Bring energy, enthusiasm and a hands‑on approach to leadership.
• Have previous Head Chef, Senior Sous Chef, Catering Manager or similar food service leadership experience.
• Demonstrate experience leading and developing teams within a food service, catering, hospitality or retail environment.
• Possess strong administrative, planning and organisational skills.
• Be passionate about food quality and delivering exceptional customer experiences.
• Have a strong understanding of HACCP principles, food safety legislation and operational compliance requirements.
• Have excellent knowledge of allergen management, food labelling requirements and dietary needs, ensuring safe and compliant food service delivery.
• Communicate confidently and professionally with a range of stakeholders.
• Take ownership, accountability and pride in delivering results.
• Thrive in a fast-paced, high-volume environment.
• Demonstrate excellent attention to detail and consistently high standards.

At Compass Ireland, our people are our business. When you join the Compass Group you will be joining a supportive network of incredible individuals, each united by their passion for going the extra mile for the organisations we partner with. We are building a team who care about providing a great customer experience and want to grow and develop as we do. We are dedicated to investing in every colleague joining us and pride ourselves on being an equal opportunity employer; we celebrate diversity and are committed to building an inclusive environment for all our colleagues. We consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. Please review our Privacy Notice for details on how we maintain, protect and why your personal data is collected when you apply for a job with Compass Group. We will not retain any CV's or job applications for longer than necessary. Job Reference: com/1510/43284001/52823473/R/ROI #Republic of Ireland Compass Group UK&I is committed to fostering an environment where every individual can truly be themselves at work and has equal opportunities to advance in their careers. We strive to build a culture that respects and celebrates the unique talents, beliefs, backgrounds, and abilities of all our team members. We want our colleagues to feel valued, empowered to reach their full potential, and to thrive - because diversity is our strength!