Trust Catering Service Lead

We are seeking to appoint an enthusiastic, experienced and well-qualified Trust Catering Service Lead to provide strategic and operational leadership for catering services across the trust schools. You will be a key member of the Apex Support Team, leading the Trust's move to a high-quality, nutritious, compliant and financially sustainable in-house catering service across our schools. Job Purpose To provide strategic and operational leadership for catering services across Apex Collaborative Trust and to plan and lead the transition from outsourced provision to a high-quality, nutritious, compliant and financially sustainable in-house service. The postholder will establish consistent standards across all schools, lead and develop catering teams, improve the pupil and staff dining experience, increase meal uptake and ensure strong financial and regulatory performance. This is a management and leadership role. The postholder will not undertake routine cooking duties. Main Responsibilities Strategic leadership Lead the transition from outsourced catering provision to an in-house operating model. Develop, implement and review a trust-wide catering strategy aligned with the trust values and educational priorities. Establish consistent service standards, policies, routines and operating procedures across all schools. Promote a culture of continuous improvement, collaboration and customer focus Provide clear performance, risk and assurance reports to the CFO and other trust leaders. Operational Management Oversee catering operations across all trust schools through regular site visits, service reviews and management meetings. Ensure services are delivered consistently, efficiently and in accordance with agreed standards. Resolve operational issues and complaints promptly and professionally. Conduct regular site visits and operational reviews Develop and maintain business continuity arrangements for catering services, in particular responses to staffing or supply disruption. Work with school leaders to ensure catering provision supports the needs of pupils, staff and the wider school community, including supplying before and after school clubs and hospitality. People Management and workforce resilience Lead, manage and develop school kitchen managers and catering teams across the trust. Undertake regular line management meetings and set clear objectives and performance expectations. Manage attendance, wellbeing, performance, capability, disciplinary and grievance matters in accordance with trust policies. Lead safer recruitment, induction, training, retention and succession planning for catering staff. Develop a flexible team culture, including cross-site working and mutual support where required. Maintain a workforce plan, staffing establishment and skills matrix for all catering sites. Put in place robust contingency and relief staffing arrangements to maintain service delivery during absence, vacancies and other disruption. Monitor absence and workforce risks, reduce avoidable agency use and ensure each school has documented continuity arrangements. Menus, marketing and customer experience Develop and maintain nutritious, appealing and commercially viable trust-wide menu cycles. Ensure menus comply with School Food Standards and meet special dietary and allergen requirements. Use pupil, parent and staff feedback to improve menus and the dining experience. Develop marketing, promotional and themed initiatives to increase meal uptake and promote healthy eating. Work with schools to maximise participation in free school meals and wider catering services. We are seeking an experienced and proactive Trust Catering Service Lead to lead and develop our catering service across multiple schools. The successful candidate will have strong leadership and operational management skills, with experience of managing teams, budgets, food safety compliance and service performance across multiple sites. They will be commercially aware, able to drive continuous improvement, and committed to delivering high-quality, nutritious food for pupils. We are looking for a collaborative, hands-on leader who can build strong relationships, maintain consistent standards and support the ongoing development of the Trust's catering provision. To apply for this role, please apply via the following link; https://mynewterm.com/jobs/17090/EDV-2026-ACT-12894 TPBN1_UKCT