Area Manager

Area Manager

Contract: Education
Location: Wakefield, WF7 7DT
Hours of work: 37.5
Contract Type: Permanent

Our client, a leading provider of facilities services in the UK, is seeking an experienced Area Manager to lead and support multiple education catering sites.

Job Overview

This role is responsible for leading and supporting education catering operations across a diverse portfolio including primary, secondary and SEN schools, as well as colleges and universities. The post holder will ensure the delivery of high‑quality, safe and compliant food services, while maintaining excellent standards of customer satisfaction and operational performance.

The Area Manager will play a central role in driving continuous improvement across sites, working closely with school stakeholders and internal teams. You will support teams delivering around 90,000 meals per day across accredited UK sites, while upholding recognised catering standards and implementing positive, sustainable change.

Key Responsibilities

• Ensure full compliance with Health & Safety, food safety standards, audits, risk assessments and Special Diet policies
• Maintain consistently high standards of food quality, service delivery, presentation and menu compliance
• Build and maintain strong relationships with schools and key stakeholders through regular site visits and engagement
• Ensure safeguarding requirements are fully understood, implemented and monitored across all sites
• Lead, recruit, train and develop teams in line with company people and HR policies
• Deliver financial performance targets, including meal uptake, labour management, stock control and budgets
• Monitor customer satisfaction and implement initiatives to drive engagement and increase uptake
• Lead and embed change, sharing best practice and supporting continuous improvement across sites

Person Specification

• Proven experience managing catering or service sites, ideally within an education or regulated environment
• Strong knowledge of Health & Safety, food safety, audits, risk assessments and special diet compliance
• Demonstrated ability to maintain high standards of food quality, service and menu compliance
• Confident people manager with experience in recruitment, training, performance management and payroll oversight
• Strong financial awareness, with experience managing budgets, labour, stock control and meal uptake targets
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to build effective client relationships
• Clear understanding of safeguarding requirements and the importance of compliance within school environments
• Ability to lead and embed change, promoting continuous improvement and best practice