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For Companies At a Glance
- Tasks: Enhance kitchen efficiency and develop innovative menus for hospital catering.
- Company: Join Elior, a multi-award-winning contract caterer with a diverse workforce.
- Benefits: Enjoy a £43,000 salary, flexible working, free lunches, and 33 days holiday.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on patient recovery while working in a supportive, inclusive culture.
- Qualifications: Experience managing food teams, strong problem-solving skills, and culinary knowledge required.
- Other info: Opportunity for career progression and mentoring chefs in a dynamic environment.
The predicted salary is between 38000 - 48000 £ per year.
General information
Operational optimisation & Development Chef Ref : 2024-66255 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 Location : Leeds, LS7 4SA Join our team!
We are seeking anOperational 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
Working Pattern : Monday to Friday – 37.5 hours a week
What can you bring?
In this role :
- 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.
I nterested? Click the ‘Apply for this role’ button at the top of this advert.
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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 kitchen optimisation. This knowledge will not only help you during interviews but also demonstrate your commitment to staying ahead in the industry.
✨Tip Number 2
Network with professionals in the healthcare catering sector. Attend industry events or join relevant online forums to connect with others who can provide insights or even referrals for the role.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare to discuss specific examples of how you've successfully implemented standard operating procedures or driven sales growth in previous roles. Real-life scenarios will showcase your experience and problem-solving skills effectively.
✨Tip Number 4
Research Elior's current offerings and any recent news about their operations. Being knowledgeable about the company will allow you to tailor your conversation and show genuine interest during the interview process.
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 kitchen management and operational optimisation. Use specific examples that demonstrate your ability to enhance efficiency and drive profitability.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: In your cover letter, express your passion for culinary innovation and detail how your visionary mindset aligns with the role. Mention any experience you have with menu engineering and team training.
Showcase Your Problem-Solving Skills: Provide examples in your application of how you've tackled challenges in previous roles. Highlight your strong problem-solving skills and how they contributed to successful outcomes in kitchen operations.
Research Elior Support Services: Familiarise yourself with Elior's values and recent initiatives. This knowledge will help you tailor your application and demonstrate your genuine interest in contributing to their mission.
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 visionary mindset. Prepare to discuss innovative ideas you've implemented in previous roles and how they challenged the status quo. This will show your potential employer that you can drive change and enhance kitchen efficiency.
✨Highlight Your Leadership Experience
Make sure to emphasise your experience managing food teams across multiple sites. Share specific examples of how you've mentored chefs or led teams to success. This will help illustrate your ability to influence and inspire others, which is key for this role.
✨Prepare for Problem-Solving Scenarios
Expect to face questions that assess your problem-solving and diagnostic skills. Think of past challenges you've encountered in kitchen operations and how you resolved them. Being able to articulate your thought process will demonstrate your capability to handle similar situations in the future.
✨Stay Updated on Culinary Trends
Familiarise yourself with current market trends, especially regarding equipment innovations and menu engineering. Being knowledgeable about what's happening in the culinary landscape will not only impress your interviewers but also show that you're proactive and passionate about your field.
