Operations Associate - Food Inventory Specialist

ABOUT THE ROLE

Are you a methodical professional with a passion for precision who recognises that managing inventory within a food enterprise involves far more than simple stock counting? Dishpatch is currently looking for a detail-oriented Food Inventory Specialist who possesses a significant understanding of the principles of Food Safety. Joining our team means you will act as a vital guardian of compliance systems, cold chain integrity, and food safety standards rather than just tracking materials. If you have an analytical mindset and experience in food safety, you will thrive in our manufacturing environment.

Dishpatch collaborates with the UK's top chefs to deliver their restaurant creations to food enthusiasts nationwide. We work with renowned chefs to produce restaurant-quality meals that customers can easily finish and serve to family and friends at home.

Working with our production chefs, fulfilment team and operations you will be essential to our inventory processes. You will be responsible for managing stock levels, processing deliveries, conducting inventory checks, and ensuring efficient stock control measures. You will need to have experience in a similar role, ideally within a food-related setting and have a strong IT and analytical mindset.

If you have a passion for precision and experience in managing complex inventory within a manufacturing environment, and experience in food safety, we want to hear from you.

This role is known internally as Operations Associate - Inventory Controller.

In addition to your contractual pay, any time worked between 22:00 - 06:00 will attract Night Premium at a rate of £4.25 per hour. This will also apply to existing Partners who have enrolled onto Enhanced Hours Premium arrangements.

Expected salary - Salary up to £32,000 depending on experience. Contract type - This position is a Permanent contract. Working pattern/flexible working - Full time up to 40 Hours per week across 5 days (some weekend work may be required at times and shifts may vary in the future). Location - This role is based at our Dishpatch production site in North Greenwich, London, SE10 0AT.

Key responsibilities

• Uphold Food Safety & Traceability: Take ownership of ensuring correct product labelling is printed and applied strictly in line with food safety and traceability requirements.
• Support HACCP Compliance: Actively support the day-to-day management of Dishpatch’s HACCP and related Food Management systems.
• Critical Intake Inspections: Meticulously inspect all incoming goods, verifying not just quantities and documentation, but also strict quality and temperature controls.
• Cold Chain & Storage Management: Safely manage all storage spaces, ensuring the correct transfer of finished products to appropriate chilled, frozen, or ambient locations.
• Chef Collaboration: Support our production chefs with the hands-on management of ingredients inside fridges and freezers.
• Inventory Accuracy: Maintain total accountability for production inventory, executing accurate stock takes to align inventory value with business budgets.

Essential skills/experience you’ll need

• Food Safety Knowledge: Level 2 Award in Food safety.
• Operations Experience: Strong experience in inventory management principles, stock control, and warehouse operations.
• Uncompromising Accuracy: High attention to detail with strong numerical and analytical skills.
• Problem Solving: An action-oriented approach, capable of tackling complex issues logically and prioritising urgent next steps.

Desirable skills/experience you may have

• Direct experience working within a production kitchen environment.
• Knowledge in food allergens and ingredients is a valuable asset.
• Experience utilizing a Warehouse Management System (WMS), preferably Apicbase.

Closing Date: June 16, 2026. Pay: £29,000.00 - £44,300.00 Annual. Contract Type: Permanent. Hours of Work: 40. Job Level: Partnership Level 9. Where You'll Be Working: Greenwich (Dishpatch), Unit 1 & 2 City Cross Business Park, North Greenwich, SE10 0AT.

ABOUT THE PARTNERSHIP

We’re the largest employee owned business in the UK and home of our cherished brands, John Lewis and Waitrose. We’re not just employees, we’re Partners, driven by our purpose to build a happier world. As we look to our future, there’s never been a more exciting time to join us. We’re ruthlessly focused on being brilliant at retail. We continue to innovate, adapt and diversify. Never Knowingly Undersold on price, quality and service in John Lewis and passionately serving food-lovers in Waitrose. As Partners we all share the responsibility of ownership and in its rewards. We use our voices to contribute to our success, working together through the good and challenging times, holding true to our behaviours and treating everyone with kindness and respect. We all own making the Partnership somewhere we belong. Embracing our differences and creating an environment where we’re free to be ourselves and can THRIVE. Growing ourselves individually, and as a collective. As Partners, we make all the difference. And, we all own it.

Important points to note: It’s important to note that some of our roles are subject to pre-employment vetting (which may include DBS checks for successful candidates). If required, you’ll be informed and provided with information about vetting during the recruitment process and we encourage you to complete any vetting documents quickly to avoid delays. Any DBS checks required will be carried out by a third-party registered body and financial probity checks may also be required for some of our roles. We also recommend that you apply as soon as possible as vacancies can close early if we see a high number of applicants. We want all of our Partners to have a good work-life balance and we support flexible working. This might mean flexible or compressed hours, job sharing or shorter hour contracts, where possible. Please discuss this further with the hiring manager during your interview.