We ensure you're rewarded for all your hard work, which is why we offer a comprehensive benefits package which includes but is not limited to:
Exclusive travel discounts with TUI, Expedia, (url removed) and many more
Monday to Friday
Car or Car Allowance
Save money on your food shop with discounts on Tesco, Sainsbury's, Morrisons and many more
Quick access for you and your immediate family to a Digital GP, and wider healthcare benefits
Up to 44% off cinema tickets to enjoy your favourite blockbuster
Regular emails filled with the best discounts and savings available
Receive Wow Points every time you spend and use them on a wide range of brands
Un-wind with us with free wellness, mindfulness and exercise classes
You can share all discounts and offers with your friends and families
Contributory pension scheme
Grow your career with our Career Pathways and MyLearning programmes
About the role
We have an exciting opportunity for an experienced Regional Manager to lead, support and develop a portfolio of education catering contracts. This is a senior operational role with full accountability for health & safety, food quality, people leadership, financial performance and client relationships across multiple sites.
You will play a key role in driving standards, ensuring compliance, improving customer experience and delivering sustainable commercial growth, while inspiring teams to deliver great food and service every day.
Key responsibilities
Health, Safety & Compliance
Ensure full compliance with HSE and food safety policies across all units
Conduct regular safety walks, hazard spotting and risk assessments
Ensure effective implementation of food safety procedures and hazard analysis
Oversee responses to food safety audits and ensure timely follow-up actions
Complete new unit and temporary catering facility assessments prior to opening
Operational Excellence
Lead and support site teams to deliver efficient, safe and high-quality food services
Regularly visit sites, reviewing customer journeys and operational productivity
Ensure compliance with standards, training records and operational documentation
Manage mobilisations for new and retained contracts
Resolve food buying, stock control and waste issues
Nutrition & Food Quality
Support compliance with School Food Standards and Chartwells food strategies
Ensure menus meet FIR guidelines and allergen requirements
Coach and develop teams to deliver consistent food quality
Drive engagement with students, parents and schools to maximise uptake
Attend and contribute to SNAG meetings and similar forums
People Leadership
Lead, coach and develop Unit Managers and wider teams
Ensure 100% compliance with DBS checks and mandatory training
Support recruitment, staffing levels and workforce planning
Manage performance, wellbeing, employee relations and development plans
Champion career pathways and continuous improvement
Financial & Commercial Management
Manage budgets, forecasts and financial performance cycles
Control labour, overheads and spend against benchmarks
Identify and propose investment and growth opportunities
Negotiate and deliver additional services
Ensure robust cash handling and sales compliance
Client & Stakeholder Relationships
Build strong, proactive relationships with clients and key stakeholders
Deliver client retention plans and support tender and ITT processes
Work closely with senior leadership to plan contract renewals
Capture and share success stories, case studies and references
Consumer & Marketing
Deliver pricing strategies and identify opportunities for growth
Support theme days, food education and cultural events within schools
Collaborate with central marketing and support functions
Champion innovation, customer insight and brand standards
About you
Essential:
Proven experience managing multiple sites or contracts within catering, hospitality, facilities, retail or a similar environment
Strong commercial acumen with a track record of delivering results
Excellent stakeholder management, communication and negotiation skills
Confident leader who can engage, develop and motivate teams
About Us
Part of Compass Group UK&I, Chartwells is the leading provider of catering and support services to the education sector. For over a quarter of a century, Chartwells has been focusing on helping those in education to build strong bodies, sharp minds and lead long healthy lives. Every week, Chartwells serves millions of nutritious and delicious meals to pupils and students in primary and secondary schools, academies, independent schools, colleges, and universities across the UK. Chartwells is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expect all employees to share this commitment. Any offer of employment will be subject to successfully completing pre-employment checks, including an enhanced DBS disclosure and a Children's Barred List check. This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and we ask applicants to declare all previous convictions and cautions in order to assess their suitability to work with children.
Compass Group UK&I is committed to fostering an environment where every individual can truly be themselves at work and has equal opportunities to advance in their careers. We strive to build a culture that respects and celebrates the unique talents, beliefs, backgrounds, and abilities of all our team members. We want our colleagues to feel valued, empowered to reach their full potential, and to thrive - because diversity is our strength