Kitchen Manager / Head Chef in Manchester

Location: Manchester, House of Social Food Hall

Salary: £35,000 plus tronc

Contract: Permanent

Working Pattern: 45 hours per week. Includes evenings and weekend shifts depending on rota.

Dough Religion is a new‑school slice joint with an old‑school obsession for great dough. Serving 18‑inch New York‑style pizzas with premium UK and Italian ingredients, we’re looking for a strong Kitchen Manager / Head Chef to lead the day‑to‑day running of our kitchen at House of Social, Manchester. This is a leadership position for someone who wants responsibility, progression and the opportunity to become a key part of Dough Religion as the brand scales.

Responsibilities:

• Lead the kitchen team in prep and service, set the pace and ensure standards.
• Guarantee food quality and consistency – every pizza, dough, side and menu item follows agreed specs and presentation standards.
• Manage ordering, stock levels and supplier communication while keeping waste under control.
• Complete accurate stock takes and support control of waste, usage, GP and efficiency.
• Maintain recipe specs, prep sheets, labelling, allergen information and kitchen documents.
• Provide weekly reports on stock, waste, team issues, training needs, supplier problems and operational wins.
• Support rota planning by flagging staffing needs, holiday cover, skill gaps and pressure points.
• Coach, train and manage the kitchen team, including performance, conduct and accountability.
• Assist in recruiting, trialing, onboarding and developing new team members as the site and brand grow.
• Maintain food safety, cleaning, date labelling, allergen and hygiene standards at all times.
• Report directly to the Group Chef with clear updates, solutions and accountability.

Qualifications & Experience:

• Experience as a Kitchen Manager, Head Chef, Senior Sous Chef or strong Sous Chef ready to step up.
• Calm, organised and confident leading a team in a busy kitchen.
• True operator who understands ordering, stock control, prep planning, specs and consistency.
• Leader who can hold standards without creating drama and can get the best out of people.
• Comfortable taking ownership, making sensible decisions and communicating early when support is needed.
• Experienced chef who cares about food quality, speed, cleanliness and customer experience in equal measure.

Desirable:

• Pizza, dough, bakery or high‑volume casual dining experience.
• Experience in food halls, delivery‑heavy sites, quick‑service kitchens or fast‑paced branded concepts.
• Confidence using stock, ordering, EPOS or kitchen management systems.
• Previous involvement in recruitment, training, probation reviews or team development.

Personal Characteristics:

• Ambitious individual who wants progression and is excited by the chance to grow with a brand.
• Strong organisational skills and attention to detail with rotas, stock control and kitchen admin.
• Calm, motivated and hands‑on leader who thrives under pressure.
• Flexible to work evenings, weekends, and occasional off‑site events.
• Strong team player with a passion for working with people and customers.
• Excellent communication and problem‑solving skills.
• High personal standards and attention to detail.
• Highly self‑motivated and flexible.

Benefits:

• Training & Development: Full training on Dough Religion dough process, pizza standards, specs and kitchen systems.
• Accountability: Leadership role with autonomy and direct support from the Group Chef.
• Growth: Opportunity to work inside a growing Manchester food brand with strong progression potential.
• Holidays: 28 days paid holiday (including England & Wales bank holidays), pro‑rata based on hours worked.
• Perkbox: Access to a Perkbox account to choose lifestyle perks such as cinema tickets, supermarket savings, discounted days out, daily coffee, or a summer holiday.
• Royal London Pension: Company contributes 3% of salary to pension pot plus 5% employee contribution.
• Parties & Events: Company hosts annual parties and events to reward high standards and celebrate success.
• Recognition Programmes: Employee of the month vouchers, community champion, experience awards, golden buzzer awards, work anniversaries etc.
• Career Development: Structured induction and learning & development programme delivering Bronze, Silver, Gold & Platinum training & recognition schemes.
• 24/7 Employee Assistance: Confidential service offering support and guidance for personal or work‑related issues.

Important:

All offers of employment are subject to satisfactory pre‑employment checks, including Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) checks. Unfortunately, we are unable to offer Right to Work Sponsorship. Therefore, if you require sponsorship, we will not be able to progress your application further.