Catering Operations Manager

Job Description

Role Profile: Catering Operations Manager

Salary Grade: From £36,000 (dependant on experience)

Contract Type: Permanent

Contracted Hours: Full Time (37.5 hours) to work a 5/7 shift pattern. Includes some evening, weekend, and Bank Holiday working to support our core operation and delivery of events.

Department: Commercial

Report to: Head of Commercial

Closing Date: Friday 11th April 2025

Interviews: W/C 14th April 2025

Compton Verney: connecting people with art, nature, and creativity

Compton Verney is Britain's leading art space and parkland. We're home to six world-class art collections, a programme of exciting exhibitions, a sculpture park and a café with acres of gardens and meadows to explore and enjoy. And all of this in a Robert Adam house, set in a Capability Brown landscape. We're a space where all sorts of things can happen.

We're a charity that connects people with art, nature and creativity. And we do this in our own special way: collaborative, sustainable, bold, inclusive and fun. With so much going on here, and with such a warm welcome, we offer our visitors a day-full of joy.

Our ambition is to move beyond sustainability to regeneration. Through art, we aim to help the world to renew, restore and grow culturally, emotionally, and environmentally. We want to become a model place of regeneration through art. Our current strategy prioritises expanding our market, enriching our offer, and strengthening our own organisation.

The Role

The Catering Operations Manager oversees the in-house retail and events catering operation at Compton Verney, ensuring outstanding levels of customer service, high quality food, and world class standards. Our popular café is a part of Compton Verney's core offer and provides fresh, seasonal, and locally sourced food 6 days a week, 10am - 4:30pm. The catering team also supports our thriving hires and events business by providing working breakfasts, buffets, lunches, and banqueting to a wide range of clients.

Reporting directly to the Head of Commercial, you will be responsible for developing our overall food strategy and aligning it with the organisations goals and business plan. You will administer and evaluate all catering practices, leading the team to ensure the service is safe, financially sustainable, and environmentally friendly.

The successful candidate will have strong catering management experience and leadership skills, an entrepreneurial attitude, excellent customer service skills and experience of working within a busy commercial environment. They will also have a strong value base that promotes training and development and have the capability to manage time and resources effectively.

Responsibilities

1. People Management
2. Lead and manage the performance of the Catering team, fostering a positive and collaborative work environment.
3. Ensure the team are fully briefed and prepared for any additional activity taking place.
4. Ensure that ad-hoc and daily staffing rotas are planned well in advance to meet the visitor demand.
5. Plan and deliver training required of the team.
6. Set clear expectations with the team so that deadlines are met, and time is managed effectively.
7. Work to the Compton Verney values and behaviours.
8. Demonstrate clear effective communication skills that support the team to achieve results and generate feedback.

1. Operations
2. Adhere to financial policies and procedures.
3. Plan and deliver against profit and loss accounts, and monitor performance to make improvements.
4. Ensure that the team are aware of, and motivated by, sales targets.
5. Ensure the kitchen team are monitoring waste and margins across the food offer.
6. Source and meet with suppliers to ensure the best prices are negotiated.
7. Meet with internal and external stakeholders.
8. Ensure high standards across the catering offers are maintained.
9. Ensure all health and safety compliance checks are completed.
10. Spend time in all areas of the business e.g. kitchen/FOH/events.
11. Design and cost menus and the catering offer, alongside the kitchen team.

1. Planning
2. Meet with clients and internal teams to plan and discuss upcoming events and their requirements; provide them with costed quotations in a timely fashion.
3. Attend weekly operations meetings and feed back to the team.
4. Attend fortnightly managers meetings, as part of the organisations management team.
5. Attend networking events as an advocate of Compton Verney.
6. May be required to deputise for the Head of Commercial in their absence.
7. At times, the post holder may be required to undertake other duties as required.

Person Specification

Essential

1. Level 3 Food Hygiene Certificate and understanding of food safety regulations.
2. Experience in working in a fast-paced kitchen.
3. Must have chef experience and knowledge of current food and drink trends.
4. Strong customer service focus.
5. Excellent written and verbal communication skills and good, active listener.
6. Proven leadership skills and ability to motivate and manage all levels of staff.
7. Driven and pro-active individual.
8. Competent in use of IT with experience in database management, financial systems and record keeping, with a willingness to upskill in specific software.
9. Ability to work regular weekends and evenings.

We value diversity in background, experience and learning style and welcome a broad range of people to help build the future of Compton Verney. We are working on a long-term commitment to ensuring equity of opportunity at Compton Verney alongside being an Equal Opportunity Employer. We want to ensure all our employees thrive in every part of our organisation and believe that is everyone's responsibility.

What we offer

At Compton Verney we connect people with Art, Nature and Creativity. We are the leading visual arts destination in the heart of the country. We trigger positive change for artists, audiences and communities by encouraging play, inspiring debate and bringing people and ideas together. We're working hard to create an inclusive culture, where everyone feels they belong and a warm, welcoming and respectful culture for staff, volunteers and visitors so it's important that our people reflect and represent the communities and audiences we serve. We welcome and value difference.

We offer:

• Pension scheme of up to 6% basic salary
• Staff Membership and Discount
• Charity workers discounts i.e. gym memberships, shopping discount codes, insurance discounts
• Holiday allowance up to 28 days relating to length of service
• Flexible working whenever possible
• Access to a wellbeing portal, App and Employee assistance programme (EAP)
• Free parking
• Eyecare Vouchers
• Life Assurance
• Signed up to More than a Moment Pledge
• Training and Development opportunities

How to apply

Please complete a covering letter expressing why you are suitable for the role, referencing the job description and person specification to us via:

https://recruitment.evalu-8.com/public/recruitment_post?id=QWFRRWoyZmdJUnBPODlrUUZIRWhZQT09&org_id=T0VZYUsyNDhaak41cnM4UjYxa3prdz09

If you have any questions about the role, hours, or need any additional support with your application, please contact us.

Our Mission, Vision, Purpose and Values

Mission

We connect people with art, nature and creativity.

Vision

Compton Verney is the leading visual arts destination in the heart of the country. We trigger positive change for artists, audiences and communities by encouraging play, inspiring debate and bringing people and ideas together.

Purpose

Compton Verney is an extraordinary, eclectic, creative experience. A place for the curious that inspires, delights, challenges and rejuvenates.

Values

We are COLLABORATIVE working with artists, audiences and communities; exploring the historic and the contemporary, the indoor and outdoor.

We harness opportunities to be environmentally responsible and SUSTAINABLE.

We are BOLD, purposeful and confident and think, make and learn.

We are INCLUSIVE, creating a warm, welcoming and respectful culture.

We are FUN and want everyone to have a great experience of Compton Verney.

Compton Verney is working hard to create an inclusive culture, where everyone feels they belong and a warm, welcoming and respectful culture for staff, volunteers and visitors so it's important that our people reflect and represent the communities and audiences we serve. We welcome and value difference.