At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead and elevate the restaurant experience in Manchester's vibrant Medlock Square.
- Company: Join a dynamic hospitality team shaping a diverse food landscape.
- Benefits: Enjoy private medical insurance, generous holiday allowance, and career development opportunities.
- Other info: Collaborative environment with a focus on creativity and operational excellence.
- Why this job: Be at the forefront of culinary innovation and guest experience in a bustling entertainment district.
- Qualifications: Extensive experience in multi-site hospitality leadership and strong people management skills.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 80000 £ per year.
As Head of Restaurants for Manchester City's new Entertainment District - Medlock Square, you will play a pivotal role in shaping and elevating the food and restaurant identity across a diverse portfolio of venues operating 365 days a year. The restaurant estate will comprise a diverse portfolio of food led concepts, including premium destination dining, all day restaurants, café/bar formats and a market hall environment featuring independent food vendors. It will also include the restaurant in The Medlock Hotel, a 401 bedroom hotel. These concepts will range from casual, high quality daytime dining to premium, destination led evening experiences, operating across both event/match days and non event/match days.
You will act as the senior restaurant operations lead, working closely with the Director of Restaurants (MCFC), Director of F&B Operations, Culinary and Front of House teams to define the vision, standards, and performance of each concept from pre opening through to long term operation. Your role will be critical in ensuring that each restaurant delivers a distinct identity, exceptional guest experience, strong commercial performance, and operational consistency, while operating within a coherent estate wide framework for standards, performance and guest experience.
To succeed, you will bring deep experience from multi site, multi concept hospitality operations, combining creativity and trend awareness with operational rigour, people leadership, and commercial discipline.
Key Responsibilities- Strategic Leadership & Concept Development
- Work in close partnership with the Director of Restaurants (MCFC) and Director of F&B Operations to shape and deliver the overall restaurant strategy and vision across Medlock Square.
- Lead the development, evolution, and ongoing refinement of restaurant concepts, ensuring each venue has a clear identity, target guest, and commercial rationale.
- Act as a senior voice in food and restaurant led decision making across the district, balancing creativity, guest experience, and operational reality.
- Restaurant Operations & Standards
- Oversee restaurant operations across all food led venues, ensuring consistently high standards of food quality, service delivery, and guest experience.
- Establish and uphold clear operating standards, policies, and procedures across all restaurants.
- Ensure effective collaboration between Front of House, Kitchen, and central support teams.
- Conduct regular site reviews and performance walk throughs to maintain standards and identify improvement opportunities.
- Pre Opening, Launch & Change Delivery
- Lead restaurant planning and operational readiness for new openings, relaunches, and concept changes.
- Support commissioning, test services, and soft openings in partnership with culinary and operational teams.
- Ensure teams are fully trained, equipped, and confident ahead of launch.
- Drive smooth transitions from opening phase into stable, high performing operations.
- Commercial Performance & Financial Control
- Drive commercial performance across restaurant venues, ensuring alignment with budgets, forecasts, and KPIs.
- Work with Finance, culinary and operational teams to ensure menus are correctly costed and commercially viable.
- Monitor performance metrics including sales, margins, labour efficiency, guest satisfaction, and consistency.
- Identify and implement opportunities to optimise revenue, improve efficiency, and enhance guest value.
- Leadership, Talent & Capability
- Lead, mentor, and develop senior restaurant leaders, including Restaurant Managers and Head Chefs.
- Support recruitment, succession planning, and talent development across the restaurant estate.
- Promote a strong culture of accountability, collaboration, inclusion, and high performance.
- Act as a visible and trusted leader for restaurant teams across the district.
- Partner & Vendor Management (Market Hall)
- Provide governance, oversight, and support to independent food vendors operating within the market hall.
- Ensure vendor compliance with agreed standards covering food quality, safety, brand alignment, and guest experience.
- Balance creative independence with consistency, safety, and commercial objectives.
- Act as the primary liaison between EVSL, vendors, and internal stakeholders.
- Compliance, Safety & Governance
- Ensure all restaurant operations comply with food safety, health & safety, allergen, and hygiene regulations.
- Work closely with Head Chefs and People teams to ensure strong compliance culture and audit readiness.
- Escalate and address operational, safety, or reputational risks swiftly and effectively.
- Collaboration & Stakeholder Engagement
- Work in close partnership with the Head of Bars, ensuring food and beverage offers are complementary and aligned.
- Collaborate with Marketing, Events, Commercial, and People teams to support campaigns, activations, and promotions.
- Represent restaurant operations in internal forums and leadership meetings.
- Support reporting and insight sharing with the wider Medlock Square leadership team.
- Extensive experience in a Head of Restaurants, Operations Director, or Group Hospitality leadership role within high quality, multi site hospitality operations.
- Proven track record of leading multiple restaurant concepts with varying formats and service styles.
- Strong understanding of restaurant operations, food led concepts, and guest experience delivery at scale.
- Commercially astute, with experience managing budgets, KPIs, margins, and performance improvement.
- Experience launching and stabilising new restaurant concepts or hospitality venues.
- Strong people leadership capability, with experience developing senior operational and culinary leaders.
- Collaborative leadership style with the ability to work effectively across partners, vendors and internal teams.
- Experience working within hospitality districts, destination dining environments, or mixed use developments.
- Exposure to market hall or vendor led food concepts, including governance of independent operators.
- Familiarity with Manchester's hospitality scene and evolving consumer expectations.
- Strong network of suppliers, operators, and hospitality partners.
- Experience working alongside premium beverage, nightlife, or entertainment led venues.
- Exposure to international dining trends and the ability to translate them into locally relevant concepts.
- Private Medical Insurance (Vitality) - including Virtual GP access and rewards.
- Group Life Assurance - 4x salary paid to your nominated beneficiary.
- Birthday Day Off - an extra day to celebrate.
- Complimentary Meals on Shift - breakfast, lunch, fruit and hot drinks.
- Access to discounted Tickets at Co-op Live subject to availability.
- Employee Assistance Programme & Wellbeing Platform - including counselling support.
- Employee Discounts Platform (Blackhawk) - cashback and savings across major retailers.
- Company Pension Scheme.
- Generous Holiday Allowance - plus bank holidays.
- Career Development Opportunities - with progression across the campus.
Head of Restaurants employer: Job Search Place Limited
As the Head of Restaurants at Medlock Square, you will join a vibrant and dynamic team dedicated to redefining the culinary landscape in Manchester's new Entertainment District. Our commitment to employee well-being is reflected in our comprehensive benefits package, including private medical insurance, generous holiday allowances, and career development opportunities that foster personal and professional growth. With a culture that values collaboration, creativity, and high performance, you'll have the chance to lead innovative restaurant concepts while enjoying complimentary meals and a supportive work environment.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Head of Restaurants
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Get out there and connect with people in the hospitality scene. Attend industry events, join relevant groups on social media, and don’t be shy to reach out to folks on LinkedIn. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings!
✨Tip Number 2
Show up prepared for interviews! Research the company and its restaurant concepts thoroughly. Be ready to discuss how your experience aligns with their vision and how you can elevate their food identity. Bring your A-game and some creative ideas to the table!
✨Tip Number 3
Follow up after interviews! A quick thank-you email can go a long way. It shows your enthusiasm for the role and keeps you fresh in their minds. Plus, it’s a great chance to reiterate why you’re the perfect fit for their team.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! We’ve got loads of opportunities waiting for you, and applying directly can sometimes give you an edge. Plus, it’s super easy to keep track of your applications that way!
We think you need these skills to ace Head of Restaurants
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Passion for Hospitality:When writing your application, let your love for the hospitality industry shine through! Share your experiences and what excites you about shaping restaurant concepts. We want to see your enthusiasm for creating exceptional guest experiences.
Tailor Your Application:Make sure to customise your application to reflect the specific requirements of the Head of Restaurants role. Highlight your relevant experience in multi-site operations and how you've successfully led diverse restaurant concepts. This will help us see why you're the perfect fit!
Be Clear and Concise:Keep your application straightforward and to the point. Use clear language to describe your achievements and skills. We appreciate a well-structured application that makes it easy for us to understand your qualifications and potential contributions.
Apply Through Our Website:Don’t forget to submit your application through our website! It’s the best way for us to receive your details and ensures you’re considered for the role. Plus, it shows you’re keen on joining our team at StudySmarter!
How to prepare for a job interview at Job Search Place Limited
✨Know Your Concepts
Before the interview, dive deep into the restaurant concepts that will be part of Medlock Square. Understand their unique identities and target audiences. This knowledge will help you articulate how your experience aligns with their vision and how you can elevate their offerings.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Style
Be prepared to discuss your leadership approach and how you've successfully developed teams in previous roles. Share specific examples of how you've mentored senior leaders and fostered a culture of collaboration and high performance, as this is crucial for the Head of Restaurants position.
✨Demonstrate Commercial Acumen
Highlight your experience with managing budgets, KPIs, and performance metrics. Be ready to discuss how you've optimised revenue and improved operational efficiency in past roles. This will show that you understand the financial side of running multiple restaurant concepts.
✨Engage with Current Trends
Stay updated on the latest dining trends and consumer expectations, especially within Manchester's hospitality scene. Bring insights into how these trends can be integrated into the restaurant strategies at Medlock Square, showcasing your ability to balance creativity with operational reality.
