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- Tasks: Lead and inspire teams to drive growth and excellence in catering contracts.
- Company: Join a people-first business with over 10,000 colleagues across the UK.
- Benefits: Enjoy free meals, flexible working, generous holidays, and a company car.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in a dynamic role that values your ideas and leadership.
- Qualifications: Extensive experience in contract catering and strong leadership skills required.
- Other info: Diversity and inclusion are at our core; we welcome all applicants!
The predicted salary is between 43200 - 72000 £ per year.
We're looking for an inspiring leader to drive growth and excellence across our catering contracts. In this pivotal role, you'll shape and deliver a forward-thinking catering strategy in partnership with the Director of Concessions. You'll lead operational performance, financial growth, and client satisfaction across multiple sites. If you're a strategic thinker with a passion for food, people, and performance, we'd love to hear from you. This is a field-based role with national travel.
To drive profitable growth in existing contracts in line with budgeted targets and lead on the growth of our contract base. Working in conjunction with the Director of Concessions you will create an overarching catering strategy, linking into the sales, marketing and menu development teams to include the creation and development of new service initiatives and food offers.
What you'll be doing...
- Lead the strategic development of the division.
- Successfully manage all aspects of operational excellence and contract delivery.
- Drive financial growth, including accurate forecasting and management.
- Build and proactively maintain external relationships with senior clients to exceed expectations and deliver a value-added service that sustains a competitive industry advantage.
- Support the sales team with site visits, sales presentations, and ensuring bids are operationally sound with deliverable labour structures and commercial models.
- Ensure compliance with company policies, industry regulations, and best practices.
- Implement and monitor performance metrics to enhance operational efficiency and effectiveness.
- Foster a culture of high performance, continuous improvement, and employee engagement.
- Manage a high performing GM (and divisional chef where required) team, including forecasting and weekly results review and mitigation planning.
Due to the nature of this field-based role, you will be expected to travel to sites across the business area (company car provided).
What can you bring?
- Extensive experience in contract catering within a multi-site, senior management role.
- A proven track record of successfully building and maintaining client relationships.
- Demonstrated experience in leading, inspiring, and motivating a large and diverse team.
- Strong influencing and decision-making skills.
- Confidence in financial management, including P&L accountability.
- Excellent communication, leadership, and strategic planning abilities.
Brilliant Work Deserves Brilliant Perks!
- Free, tasty meals – Enjoy tasty, nutritious food on us while you work!
- Flexible working – including part time roles, because life doesn't run on a 9-5 schedule.
- Plenty of Time to Unwind – generous holiday allowance of 33 days, with the option to buy more.
- Leave for life's important moments – whether family, personal or unexpected.
- Give back time – paid volunteering days for the causes you care about.
- Room to grow – career development and learning opportunities for all stages of your career.
- Financial security – pension schemes and life assurance.
- Drive in Style – Enjoy a company car or car allowance.
- 15% Annual Bonus - Earn up to 15% of your salary through our annual bonus scheme.
One small thing— we welcome you to apply using the name you feel most comfortable with! No need for legal names at this stage.
Why You'll Love Working Here
We're a people-first business with over 10,000 colleagues across the UK, serving everything from stadiums to hospitals, schools to workplaces. Our mission? To enrich lives everywhere, every day. And here's the best part - 87% of our team say they're proud to work here! Why? Because we create a place where you're listened to, trusted, supported, and valued.
Not sure you match every single requirement? Apply anyway! Research shows that many people - especially women and those from underrepresented backgrounds - hold back unless they meet 100% of the criteria. But we hire for potential, not just experience. If you're passionate and ready to grow, we want to hear from you!
We Celebrate You!
At Elior, diversity and inclusion aren't just policies, they're who we are. We know that different perspectives make us stronger, and we're dedicated to creating an environment where everyone feels seen, heard, and empowered to succeed.
Need any support or adjustments during the application process? Just let us know - we're happy to help!
Ready to join us? Hit 'Apply Now' and let's chat!
Director of Operations in London employer: Elior
Contact Detail:
Elior Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Director of Operations in London
✨Tip Number 1
Don’t just sit back and wait for the job to come to you! Reach out directly to the job poster on LinkedIn or other platforms. A friendly message expressing your interest can make a huge difference and show that you're proactive.
✨Tip Number 2
Network like a pro! Attend industry events, webinars, or local meetups related to catering and operations. You never know who might be looking for someone just like you, and it’s a great way to get your name out there.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare for interviews by researching the company and its culture. Understand their catering strategy and think about how your experience aligns with their goals. This will help you stand out as a candidate who truly gets what they’re about.
✨Tip Number 4
When you apply through our website, make sure to highlight your leadership skills and experience in managing teams. Tailor your approach to showcase how you can drive growth and operational excellence, just like they’re looking for!
We think you need these skills to ace Director of Operations in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Passion: When writing your application, let your passion for food and people shine through. We want to see how your enthusiasm aligns with our mission to enrich lives everywhere, every day.
Tailor Your Experience: Make sure to highlight your extensive experience in contract catering and senior management roles. We’re looking for someone who can drive growth and operational excellence, so connect your past achievements to what we’re after.
Be Authentic: Feel free to apply using the name you’re most comfortable with. We value authenticity and want you to feel at ease during the application process. Just be yourself!
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you don’t miss out on any important updates from us!
How to prepare for a job interview at Elior
✨Know Your Catering Strategy
Before the interview, dive deep into the company's catering strategy and recent initiatives. Be ready to discuss how you can contribute to their vision and what innovative ideas you might bring to the table.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Style
Prepare examples that highlight your leadership experience, especially in managing diverse teams. Think about specific situations where you inspired your team or improved operational performance, and be ready to share these stories.
✨Understand Financial Management
Brush up on your financial management skills, particularly P&L accountability. Be prepared to discuss how you've successfully driven financial growth in previous roles and how you would approach budgeting and forecasting in this position.
✨Build Client Relationships
Think of ways you've built and maintained strong client relationships in the past. Be ready to discuss your approach to exceeding client expectations and how you would foster these relationships in a multi-site environment.
