Food Manager

Food Manager

Hampton Full-Time 28000 - 42000 £ / year (est.) No home office possible
Sainsbury's Supermarkets Ltd

At a Glance

  • Tasks: Lead a dynamic food hall team, ensuring top-notch service and compliance.
  • Company: Join Sainsbury’s, a leading retailer committed to inclusivity and growth.
  • Benefits: Enjoy discounts, bonuses, free food, generous holidays, and wellbeing support.
  • Why this job: Make a real impact in a fast-paced environment while developing your leadership skills.
  • Qualifications: Experience in management and delivering exceptional customer service is essential.
  • Other info: Great opportunities for career progression and personal development await you.

The predicted salary is between 28000 - 42000 £ per year.

Leading in our stores

Our management teams don’t just run stores – they’re the driving force behind our business. With bold leadership, a passion for service and an eye for opportunity, they empower teams to raise the bar every single day for our customers. Whether it\’s product availability, safety standards, or delivering seamless daily operations, they’re hands‑rolled up changemakers. And the impact? Work becomes more rewarding for our colleagues, and shopping becomes a next‑level experience for every customer who walks through our doors. This is how we bring our purpose to life, one powerful action at a time.

What you’ll be doing

  • Role modelling and coaching for high standards and efficiency across the whole food hall.
  • Managing compliance to processes whilst bringing the passion and flare for great shop keeping and customer service.
  • Ensure every single one of our customers gets the food they want when they shop with us to help ensure we are the first choice for food.
  • People management is a big part of the role, managing performance and capability, conducting disciplinaries and ensuring scheduling and pay are accurate.
  • At times you will assume overall responsibility for running the store, making sure that all colleagues are given direction and support to deliver for the customer.

What makes a great food manager

  • Previous line management responsibilities in a fast‑paced, operational environment.
  • Provides brilliant customer service and coaches a team to do the same.
  • Delivers KPIs or other performance indicators.
  • Can manage disciplinaries, performance issues or other similar employee relations issues.
  • Leads operations and comfortable doing this alone in the absence of more senior management.
  • A track record of delivering exceptional customer experiences, with evidence of coaching others to consistently raise the bar.
  • Experience leading teams in a dynamic, customer‑facing environment — you’ve inspired others, driven high performance, and created a culture where colleagues thrive.
  • Leadership experience in a high‑volume, fast‑paced operational setting — whether in retail, food service, or hospitality — where you’ve overseen daily operations, solved business problems, and kept teams focused on what matters most: delivering for customers.
  • Proven success in delivering against a wide range of KPIs — from sales and stock availability to customer satisfaction and colleague engagement, you’ve made a measurable difference.
  • Experience managing complex people matters, including performance, absence, and formal employee relations cases, with confidence and fairness.

Working for us has great rewards

Salary will be dependent upon your experience as well as the store size, complexity and location. Alongside this, we also offer a great range of benefits for our managers, including:

  • Discount card – 10% discount off on your shopping at Sainsbury’s, Argos, Tu and Habitat after four weeks. This increases to 15% discount off at Sainsbury’s every Friday and Saturday and 15% off at Argos every pay day.
  • An annual bonus scheme based on our, and your, performance.
  • Free food and hot drinks provided for Colleagues in all our stores.
  • Generous holiday entitlement, maternity and paternity leave.
  • Pension – we’ll match 4-7.5% of your pension contributions.
  • Sainsbury’s share scheme – build up an investment at discounted rates.
  • Wellbeing support – access to emotional support, counselling, legal and financial advice.
  • Colleague networks – link with like‑minded people to help fulfil your potential.
  • Our Cycle to Work scheme gives you the opportunity to hire a new bike and cycling equipment, whilst saving on tax and NI.
  • Special offers on gym memberships, restaurants, holidays, retail vouchers and more.

An inclusive place to work and shop

We are dedicated to being a truly inclusive retailer, where every colleague can achieve their full potential and every customer feels welcome when they shop with us. To support this commitment, our colleagues may be entitled to a range of enhanced discretionary leave for families, as well as support for carers. We provide our colleagues resources to help them understand and support their role and their team effectively. Our internal colleague networks seek to ensure true representation for everyone, helping us identify and remove barriers that our colleagues may face. We are proud to offer a range of development opportunities, including mentorship, training, and career progression pathways, to help our colleagues grow and succeed. We also celebrate diversity through various initiatives and events, fostering a culture of inclusion and respect.

Should you require any reasonable adjustments during the application or interview stages, please let us know, and we will endeavour to support you.

Salary and details

Salary: From £36,450

Location: St. Clares Store, Hampton, TW12 1AW

Contract type: Permanent

Business area: Retail

Closing date: 31 March 2026

Requisition ID: 400054967

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Food Manager employer: Sainsbury's Supermarkets Ltd

At Sainsbury's, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer, offering a vibrant work culture that champions inclusivity and personal growth. As a Food Manager at our St. Clares Store in Hampton, you'll enjoy competitive benefits, including generous discounts, an annual bonus scheme, and comprehensive wellbeing support, all while leading a passionate team dedicated to delivering outstanding customer experiences. Join us to not only advance your career but also to make a meaningful impact in the community we serve.
Sainsbury's Supermarkets Ltd

Contact Detail:

Sainsbury's Supermarkets Ltd Recruiting Team

StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫

We think this is how you could land Food Manager

✨Tip Number 1

Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the retail and food service sectors. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings or can put in a good word for you.

✨Tip Number 2

Prepare for those interviews! Research the company, understand their values, and think about how your experience aligns with their needs. Practice common interview questions and be ready to showcase your leadership skills.

✨Tip Number 3

Show off your passion for customer service! During interviews, share specific examples of how you've gone above and beyond for customers in the past. This will demonstrate that you’re the right fit for a role focused on delivering exceptional experiences.

✨Tip Number 4

Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets noticed. Plus, we love seeing candidates who are proactive about their job search!

We think you need these skills to ace Food Manager

Leadership Skills
Customer Service Excellence
Performance Management
KPI Delivery
Team Coaching
Operational Management
Employee Relations
Problem-Solving Skills
Dynamic Team Leadership
Compliance Management
Scheduling Accuracy
High-Volume Environment Experience
Communication Skills
Adaptability

Some tips for your application 🫡

Show Your Passion for Food Management: When writing your application, let your enthusiasm for food management shine through! Share specific examples of how you've led teams in a fast-paced environment and delivered exceptional customer experiences. We want to see that you’re not just looking for a job, but that you genuinely care about making a difference in our stores.

Highlight Your Leadership Skills: Make sure to emphasise your previous line management experience. Talk about how you've coached teams to achieve high standards and how you've handled performance issues. We love seeing candidates who can inspire others and create a thriving team culture!

Be Specific About Your Achievements: Use numbers and specific examples to back up your claims. Whether it’s KPIs you’ve met or improvements you’ve made in customer satisfaction, we want to know the impact you’ve had in your previous roles. This helps us see how you could bring that same success to our team!

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 gives you a chance to explore more about what we do and our values before you apply!

How to prepare for a job interview at Sainsbury's Supermarkets Ltd

✨Know Your Stuff

Before the interview, make sure you understand the role of a Food Manager inside out. Familiarise yourself with the key responsibilities like managing compliance, coaching your team, and ensuring top-notch customer service. This will help you answer questions confidently and show that you're genuinely interested in the position.

✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills

Be ready to share specific examples of how you've led teams in fast-paced environments. Talk about times when you've inspired others, tackled performance issues, or delivered exceptional customer experiences. This is your chance to demonstrate that you can be the driving force behind the store's success.

✨Prepare for People Management Questions

Since people management is a big part of the role, think about your experiences handling disciplinaries, performance issues, and scheduling. Prepare to discuss how you've managed complex situations fairly and effectively, as this will highlight your capability to lead a diverse team.

✨Ask Insightful Questions

At the end of the interview, don’t forget to ask questions! Inquire about the store's culture, how they measure success, or what challenges the team currently faces. This shows that you're not just interested in the job, but also in contributing positively to the team and the overall customer experience.

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