Catering Unit Manager - School Tuckshop

About the role

The Catering Unit Manager manages the day-to-day running of a catering and tuckshop facility within a school. The role covers kitchen operations, food preparation, stock control, cost management, hygiene standards and team performance, and acts as the main contact for students, parents and school staff. Standard hours are Monday to Friday, 07:00 to 16:00/17:00, with flexibility for early mornings, evenings, weekends (2-3 per month) and school holidays.

Key responsibilities

• Manage kitchen team performance, daily utilisation, leave scheduling, discipline and morale
• Oversee stock levels, including freshly prepared items, across varying school demand schedules
• Monitor weekly and monthly income and expenditure to achieve a 50% operational cost ratio
• Implement and monitor food safety practices and sanitation compliance
• Maintain consistent food quality and a clean, organised kitchen
• Minimise waste of ingredients, prepared food and consumables
• Manage product listings, descriptions and pricing in the Allxs point-of-sale system
• Build positive relationships with the school community and resolve complaints and queries

Required profile

• 3+ years of leadership or supervisory experience in a kitchen, preferably fast-paced
• Solid knowledge of culinary principles and food preparation techniques
• Familiarity with food safety, health and sanitation regulations
• Strong leadership, communication and decision-making under pressure
• Availability for standard hours plus weekends, holidays and early mornings

Required skills

• Working proficiency in Microsoft Excel
• Desirable: Allxs POS system, menu planning, recipe development, inventory management, PR and marketing basics

What we offer

• Permanent position, on-site
• 15 days annual leave and school closure leave where possible
• Balanced scheduling to offset weekend and holiday event coverage