Trust Catering Manager in Leeds

Are you ready to shape and lead an exceptional catering service across a high performing multi academy trust? The GORSE Academies Trust is seeking an experienced, forward thinking Trust Catering Manager to provide strategic leadership and operational excellence across all our academies. For many of our pupils, the meal they receive at school is the most important meal of the day. This is a unique opportunity to take ownership of a trust wide service where your impact will be seen, felt, and appreciated by thousands of pupils, staff, and visitors every day.

The postholder will have the opportunity to shape and recruit their own central catering support team, enabling a trust-wide model that delivers consistency, quality and continuous improvement.

This role is perfect for someone who:

• Is passionate about delivering high quality, nutritious and appealing food to children and young people.
• Has the leadership presence and confidence to inspire catering teams across multiple settings.
• Is commercially aware, financially astute and driven to secure outstanding value for money.
• Thrives in a varied, fast paced environment where strategic oversight and hands on guidance go hand in hand.
• Wants to play a crucial part in enhancing the daily experience of pupils, staff and visitors across the trust.

The successful candidate will lead catering operations across the trust, developing a cohesive catering strategy and ensuring high-quality, nutritious and inclusive menus. You’ll maintain consistent standards across all academies, support and manage catering managers, and oversee budgets, procurement and cost control. You will also ensure full compliance with food safety and health and safety regulations, including HACCP, while building strong relationships with trust and academy leaders, staff, suppliers and external partners. Experience in education or the public sector is desirable but not essential.

What We’re Looking For

We are seeking an individual who can demonstrate:

• Strong leadership skills with the ability to motivate and develop diverse teams.
• Excellent knowledge of food safety legislation, hygiene standards and allergen management.
• Strong organisational, communication and problem‑solving skills.
• Financial management experience, including budgeting and procurement.
• A commitment to promoting healthy eating and a positive food culture.
• A willingness to travel across multiple sites and engage regularly with kitchen teams.

What We Offer

As a trust, we are committed to ensuring that professionals at every stage in their career have access to high-quality support, training and development. As part of our team, you will benefit from:

• Membership of a Local Government Pension Scheme.
• Ongoing investment in your professional development and career progression.
• Access to a 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme offering confidential advice and wellbeing support.
• £2,000 Cycle to Work scheme.

About Us

GORSE has a well-known reputation for changing the deal for children and young adults who come from some of the most impoverished parts of the country. Our central mission is to ensure that we play a significant role in removing the stubborn link between poverty and academic underperformance. Consequently, our students and our professionals are in the vanguard of the national drive which seeks to prove that where teaching is excellent, leadership inspiring and behaviour standards exemplary all children excel regardless of background.

Our 15 trust establishments – which include primary, secondary, and post‑16 settings – work together with our central team, LTSH (Leeds Teaching School Hub) and GORSE SCITT (School-Centred Initial Teacher Training), to form a connected network of excellence. This tight‑knit collaboration enables our students to prosper through strong partnership, where shared expertise, consistent standards and collective ambition ensure exceptional opportunities for all.