Head of Food Island of Ireland

Head of Food – Ireland & Northern Ireland

Elite Talent Hub is a specialist in permanent staffing solutions for clients both nationally and internationally.

Our client is a leading international food and facilities services provider.

They are recruiting a Head of Food to lead their food and coffee programme across Ireland and Northern Ireland.

This is a senior, highly visible leadership role for a genuine food lover.

You will set the food and coffee vision for a diverse portfolio of client sites.

You will inspire culinary teams, shape winning client propositions and turn great ideas into standards that work at scale.

Key Responsibilities:

• Own and deliver the food and beverage strategy for Ireland, with a clear roadmap, standards and measurable outcomes.




• Explore the market, from restaurants and cafés to retail, hospitality and suppliers, and turn the best ideas into practical solutions.




• Lead the development, trial and roll-out of menus, concepts, brands and service formats.




• Champion seasonal, nutritious, inclusive and responsible food choices with nutrition, sustainability and procurement colleagues.




• Own and evolve the coffee programme: quality, blends, equipment, recipes, presentation, speed of service and value.




• Build barista capability through training, accreditation, coaching, quality checks and recognition.




• Use customer insight and sales data to improve participation, average spend, sales, gross profit and labour productivity.




• Set up food and coffee performance dashboards and work with operations to turn insight into action.




• Lead, coach and develop a high-performing culinary and food development community.




• Be highly visible on site: taste the food and coffee, observe service and give clear, constructive feedback.




• Run culinary and coffee forums, and support teams to enter culinary, sustainability and barista competitions.




• Build development pathways for chefs, food leaders and baristas, and support succession planning.




• Ensure exemplary food safety, allergen, hygiene and health and safety standards across every site.




• Work with procurement and suppliers to improve quality, availability, sustainability and value while keeping purchasing compliant.




• Act as the senior food ambassador with existing and prospective clients.




• Shape food and coffee solutions for tenders, presentations, client reviews and innovation sessions.




• Lead the food workstream for new contract mobilisations.

Requirements:

• Substantial senior culinary leadership experience, for example as Executive Chef, Head Chef, Culinary Director or senior food development lead.




• Experience in a complex, multi-site environment such as contract catering, hospitality, retail food or a restaurant group.




• A proven track record of developing and rolling out food strategy, menus, concepts or service offers at scale.




• Strong commercial acumen, with evidence of improving participation, sales, gross profit or productivity through food-led initiatives.




• A strong understanding of coffee and café culture, including barista standards, equipment, product range and commercial performance.




• Experience supporting client retention, bids, presentations and mobilisations.




• Food Safety Level 3 and IOSH, or a commitment to obtain them.




• A recognised culinary qualification, such as City & Guilds or equivalent.




• A clear, confident communicator with excellent presentation, storytelling and coaching skills.




• Comfortable using data, digital tools and customer insight to shape decisions and show impact.




• A full driving licence valid in the UK and Ireland, and flexibility to travel regularly between sites.




• Desirable: formal coffee expertise or barista accreditation.

What's on Offer:

• Senior leadership role with a leading international food and facilities services provider




• Salary of c. £104,000 per annum (sterling equivalent of €125,000)




• Substantial benefits package, including pension, bonus and a company vehicle




• Full-time, permanent position




• A national remit across Ireland and Northern Ireland




• Real scope to shape the food and coffee offer for a large and diverse client portfolio

#INDETH-BE