At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead multi-site operations and ensure exceptional food and service standards.
- Company: Grazing, a fast-growing London contract caterer with big ambitions.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, pension scheme, healthcare benefits, and exclusive discounts.
- Why this job: Join a dynamic team and shape the future of hospitality with your leadership.
- Qualifications: 3+ years in senior leadership within hospitality or food service.
- Other info: Embrace a culture of diversity and growth opportunities.
The predicted salary is between 80000 - 90000 £ per year.
This isn’t your average leadership role and we’re definitely not your average caterer. We’re Grazing, a bold, fast-growing London contract caterer with serious food credentials, brilliant clients and big ambitions. We specialise in delivered-in workplace and event catering, bringing creative food, high standards and seamless service directly to our clients.
As we continue to grow, we’re looking for an Operations Director who’s ready to lead from the front, take real ownership and help shape the next stage of our journey. You’ll take the lead across our B&I and event catering operations, ensuring our delivered-in model runs brilliantly day in, day out.
You won’t be doing it alone. Our senior operational leaders will report directly to you, and you’ll play a key role in developing those teams, creating clarity, and building a culture where people can perform at their best. We’re looking for a people-first leader with a strong commercial mindset. Someone who understands how to run high-performing hospitality operations, who enjoys being close to the action and who knows how to turn opportunities into results.
If you’re hands-on, commercially sharp and passionate about food and hospitality, we’d love to hear from you.
Main Responsibilities- Responsible for driving operational performance, maintaining exceptional food and service standards, building strong client relationships.
- Lead and develop multi-site B&I and event catering operations, ensuring exceptional food and service standards across all locations.
- Maintain a strong on-site presence, ensuring teams remain customer focused and responsive to client needs.
- Hold full P&L accountability across multiple contracts and revenue streams.
- Monitor performance against KPIs and provide regular operational and financial reports to the senior team.
- Create a culture of accountability, engagement and continuous improvement.
- Ensure the highest standards of food safety, health and safety and compliance across all operations.
- 3+ years of senior leadership experience within contract catering, hospitality or food service.
- Able to take independent ownership of workload and priorities, operating with high levels of accountability and initiative.
- Strong people leader with the ability to inspire and develop high-performing teams.
- Entrepreneurial mindset with a track record of driving growth and operational improvements.
- Commercially astute with experience managing P&L and delivering financial targets.
- Passion for food, hospitality and delivering exceptional client experiences.
We ensure you’re rewarded for all your hard work, which is why we offer a comprehensive benefits package which includes but is not limited to:
- Contributory pension scheme.
- Grow your career with our Career Pathways and MyLearning programmes.
- Quick access for you and your immediate family to a Digital GP, and wider healthcare benefits.
- Exclusive travel discounts with TUI, Expedia, Booking.com and many more.
- Save money on your food shop with discounts on Tesco, Sainsbury's, Morrisons and many more.
- Up to 44% off cinema tickets to enjoy your favourite blockbuster.
- Receive cash rewards every time you spend and use them on a wide range of brands.
- Un-wind with us with free wellness, mindfulness and exercise classes.
- You can share all discounts and offers with your friends and families.
As part of Compass you’ll help to feed people, fuel progress and forge connections in around 6,000 venues. Join us to grow your career with the industry leader, and get competitive pay, great perks and unrivalled opportunities for learning and development, at one of the UK’s biggest businesses.
Operations Director - Multi-Site Hospitality & Growth employer: ESS
Contact Detail:
ESS Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Operations Director - Multi-Site Hospitality & Growth
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Get out there and connect with people in the hospitality industry. Attend events, join relevant groups on social media, and don’t be shy about reaching out to potential colleagues or mentors. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings!
✨Tip Number 2
Show your passion for food and hospitality during interviews. Share your experiences and how they’ve shaped your leadership style. Remember, we want to see that you’re not just about the numbers; you genuinely care about creating exceptional client experiences.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare for those tricky interview questions! Think about how you’d handle operational challenges or improve team performance. We love candidates who can think on their feet and come up with creative solutions, so practice makes perfect!
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets noticed. Plus, it shows you’re serious about joining our team at Grazing. Let’s make this happen together!
We think you need these skills to ace Operations Director - Multi-Site Hospitality & Growth
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Passion for Hospitality: When you're writing your application, let your love for food and hospitality shine through. We want to see how your passion aligns with our mission at Grazing, so share your experiences that highlight this enthusiasm!
Be Specific About Your Achievements: Don’t just list your responsibilities; tell us about your successes! Use numbers and examples to illustrate how you've driven growth or improved operations in your previous roles. This helps us see the impact you can bring to our team.
Tailor Your Application: Make sure to customise your application for the Operations Director role. Highlight your leadership experience and how it relates to managing multi-site operations. We’re looking for someone who can lead from the front, so show us you’re that person!
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. Plus, it shows you’re keen to join our team!
How to prepare for a job interview at ESS
✨Know Your Numbers
As an Operations Director, you'll need to demonstrate your commercial acumen. Brush up on your P&L management skills and be ready to discuss how you've driven growth and improved operational performance in previous roles. Bring specific examples that highlight your financial achievements.
✨Showcase Your People Skills
This role is all about leading teams and building a strong culture. Prepare to share stories about how you've inspired and developed high-performing teams. Think about times when you’ve turned challenges into opportunities for your staff and how you’ve maintained a customer-focused approach.
✨Be Hands-On
Grazing values leaders who are close to the action. Be prepared to discuss your hands-on experience in hospitality operations. Share examples of how you've maintained exceptional food and service standards while being actively involved on-site.
✨Align with Their Vision
Familiarise yourself with Grazing's mission and values. During the interview, express your passion for food and hospitality, and how your vision aligns with theirs. Show that you understand their ambitions and are excited about contributing to their growth journey.