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- Tasks: Drive kitchen efficiency and optimise menus in our hospital kitchens.
- Company: Elior is a leading UK contract caterer, dedicated to enriching lives through quality food.
- Benefits: Enjoy a £43,000 salary, company car, free lunches, flexible working, and 33 days holiday.
- Why this job: Join a supportive team focused on nutrition and customer care in a rewarding environment.
- Qualifications: Experience in managing food teams, innovative thinking, and strong organisational skills required.
- Other info: Opportunity for career progression in a diverse and inclusive workplace.
The predicted salary is between 38000 - 48000 £ per year.
Location: London, United Kingdom
Job Category: Other - EU work permit required: Yes
Job Reference: 590a5cb06e7b
Job Views: 5
Posted: 25.06.2025
Expiry Date: 09.08.2025
General information
Operational optimisation & Development Chef Ref: 2024-66256
Job Information Division: Elior Support Services
Advert Closing Date: 07/09/2024
Contractual Hours: Full-time
Salary: £43,000
Contract Type: Permanent
Working Pattern: Monday to Friday - 37.5 hours a week
Join our team! We are seeking an Operational optimisation & Development Chef to join our team. This role sits within our Hospitals division, catering for visitors and NHS teams. Taking care of some of the most renowned hospitals in the country, we know that healthy, nutritional food is critical to patient recovery. Distinguished by our warmth of service, our focus is always customer first, which is why nutrition is at the heart of everything we do. This is a national role with a company car provided.
What you’ll be doing...
- As the Operational optimisation & Development Chef you will drive kitchen efficiency and effectiveness in our retail hospitals through process, menu, and resource optimisation.
Key Accountabilities:
- Creating and implementing standard operating model for our hospital kitchens including to support a move to in house production of some key categories.
- Delivering sales growth and improved profitability through kitchen optimisation and menu engineering.
- Supporting the consistent implementation of concept launches and menu changes and taking accountability for the successful implementation of approved commercial activities.
- Coordinating and optimising seasonal pop ups and concepts.
- To work with the central team to support in the production of menus and concepts to ensure our offer is market leading.
- To support our teams with kitchen and skills training.
- To understand the market in terms of equipment innovations, commercialise these opportunities and launch and scale them across the estate.
- Spend time in operational units to observe and support implementation, developing strong relationships with senior operations teams.
What can you bring?
- Experience managing a food team across multi-site brands.
- Ability to be a visionary - develop innovative ideas to drive top and bottom line, testing, learning, refining, and operationalising them.
- Ability to find new ways of doing things, challenge the status quo, and take an entrepreneurial approach (measured risk, high reward).
- Exceptional attention to detail.
- A creative problem-solving mindset.
- Excellent investigative and diagnostic skills.
- Excellent organisational skills.
- In-depth understanding of the culinary landscape.
- Mentor or manager of wider chef team.
- Experience managing and influencing senior stakeholders and client relationships and the ability to confidently deliver presentations to senior clients and stakeholders.
- Good understanding of the market including competition.
- Ability to focus effort on the most profitable outcomes.
- Ability to work at pace.
- Understanding of operational reality in units, including waste management, equipment, space, and macro store layout.
Our way of saying thank you...
At Elior, we strive to ensure that our colleagues feel appreciated & rewarded, which is why we offer generous rewards & benefits in exchange for your dedicated efforts.
- We offer a salary of £43,000 plus a company car and 15% KPI performance-related bonus.
- FREE On-Site Lunches: Enjoy complimentary lunches, saving you time & money while ensuring you stay nourished & energised throughout the day.
- Support Your Way of Life: Flexible Working: We offer full-time & part-time roles, with varying shift patterns across the business. Allowing colleagues the flexibility to balance their personal & professional commitments.
- Hybrid Working Model: Collaborate & innovate in the office three days a week while enjoying focused work-from-home days.
- Holiday Allowance: Relax & recharge with 33 days of holiday (including bank holidays).
- Additional Holiday Purchase Option: Customise your time off by purchasing extra holidays.
- Family Leave: Prioritise family commitments with flexible leave options.
- Paid Charity Leave: Make a positive impact with two additional paid days for charity work.
- Big Enough for Growth, Small Enough to Connect: Opportunities for career progression while developing a close-knit community.
- Supporting You Through Life’s Ups & Downs: Access mental health support & comprehensive wellbeing benefits.
- Keeping Finances & Wellbeing in Mind: Life assurance, workplace pension schemes, discounts, cashback, entertainment, leisure discounts, & a cycle to work scheme.
Why it’s great to work for us...
Elior is a multi-award-winning people business and one of the UK’s leading contract caterers, with over 10,000 colleagues operating across a diverse range of sectors including: Workplaces & Office Space, Sporting Venues & Stadiums, Attraction & Heritage Sites, Public Sector & Defence, Health, Care & Hospitals, Schools, Colleges & Universities. Along with our purpose of enriching lives everywhere, every day, we’re committed to an inclusive culture and want our people to feel appreciated, supported, and fulfilled. That’s why 85% of colleagues tell us how proud they are to work for us!
Elior Celebrates Equality. Our aim is to celebrate a culture of equality, diversity, and inclusion, continuing to make Elior a great place to work! Every colleague has a distinctive set of values, skills, and aspirations. To ensure that we attract, develop, and retain best people from the widest possible talent pool we’re committed to providing an inclusive environment where our colleagues fulfil their potential and have the opportunity to succeed.
Interested? Click the ‘Apply for this role’ button at the top of this advert.
Operational optimisation & Development Chef employer: Elior
Contact Detail:
Elior Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Operational optimisation & Development Chef
✨Tip Number 1
Familiarise yourself with the latest trends in culinary innovation and operational efficiency. Being able to discuss recent advancements or successful case studies during your interview can demonstrate your passion and knowledge in the field.
✨Tip Number 2
Network with professionals in the catering and hospitality industry, especially those who have experience in hospital food services. Attend relevant events or join online forums to build connections that could provide insights or referrals.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare to showcase your problem-solving skills by thinking of specific examples where you've optimised kitchen operations or improved menu offerings. This will help you stand out as a candidate who can bring tangible benefits to the role.
✨Tip Number 4
Research Elior's values and recent projects, particularly in the healthcare sector. Tailoring your conversation to align with their mission of providing nutritious food for patient recovery can show your commitment to their goals.
We think you need these skills to ace Operational optimisation & Development Chef
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV highlights relevant experience in operational optimisation and culinary management. Use specific examples that demonstrate your ability to drive kitchen efficiency and effectiveness.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Write a cover letter that showcases your passion for food service and your understanding of the culinary landscape. Mention how your innovative ideas can contribute to the company's goals and align with their focus on customer-first service.
Highlight Key Skills: Emphasise skills such as problem-solving, organisational abilities, and experience in managing multi-site food teams. Make sure to include any relevant achievements that demonstrate your capability to influence senior stakeholders.
Proofread Your Application: Before submitting, carefully proofread your application for any spelling or grammatical errors. A polished application reflects your attention to detail, which is crucial for the role of Operational Optimisation & Development Chef.
How to prepare for a job interview at Elior
✨Showcase Your Culinary Vision
As an Operational Optimisation & Development Chef, it's crucial to demonstrate your ability to innovate. Prepare examples of how you've developed new ideas that improved kitchen efficiency or menu offerings in previous roles.
✨Understand the Market Landscape
Familiarise yourself with current trends in the culinary world and the competitive landscape. Be ready to discuss how you can leverage this knowledge to enhance the hospital's food service and patient experience.
✨Highlight Your Leadership Skills
This role involves managing a team across multiple sites. Share specific instances where you've successfully led a team, mentored chefs, or influenced senior stakeholders to achieve common goals.
✨Prepare for Scenario-Based Questions
Expect questions that assess your problem-solving abilities and operational understanding. Think of scenarios where you've had to optimise resources or manage waste effectively, and be prepared to discuss your approach.
