Job Description
Hours: 30 hours per week
Shift Pattern: Monday-Thursday 08:30-16:30
Salary: £24,960 + Sodexo rewards and benefits
Assistant Catering Operations Manager
Lowestoft, NR32 1XQ
At Sodexo, we’re passionate about our people. We know that our teams are the key to delivering exceptional service and creating meaningful experiences for our clients, customers and employees.
We are looking for a highly organised and proactive assistant catering operations manager to support the daily operation of a busy factory catering department. The successful candidate will assist in managing kitchen operations, food safety compliance, financial administration, stock control, staff supervision and health & safety procedures while helping deliver high‑quality food service to staff.
This role requires strong organisational skills, leadership ability, attention to detail and confidence using administrative systems and presenting operational data.
Key Responsibilities
* Support the Catering Manager with the day‑to‑day running of the catering operation, ensuring high standards of food quality, customer service and operational efficiency.
* Supervise, support and develop team members, helping to create a positive and productive working environment.
* Manage staffing schedules, holiday requests, attendance records and uniform requirements.
* Ensure food safety and compliance standards are maintained, including accurate completion of HACCP documentation.
* Carry out regular Food Safety and Health & Safety audits and maintain risk assessments.
* Promote a strong health and safety culture by supporting compliance and best practice across the team.
* Support stock control, ordering, supplier management, cash handling and banking processes.
* Maintain accurate operational, financial and administrative records.
* Prepare reports, presentations and business reviews for clients and management.
* Build and maintain positive relationships with colleagues, suppliers and stakeholders to support the ongoing success of the service.
What We’re Looking For
* Previous experience in catering, hospitality, food service or a supervisory role.
* Strong understanding of food safety, HACCP and Health & Safety requirements.
* Experience managing stock control, ordering processes and supplier relationships.
* Administrative and financial record‑keeping experience with strong attention to detail.
* Excellent communication, organisational and time‑management skills.
* Ability to lead, train and motivate team members effectively.
* Confident using Microsoft Office, including Excel and PowerPoint.
* Able to work under pressure, manage multiple priorities and solve problems proactively.
* Professional, reliable and capable of working independently as well as part of a team.
* Confident building positive relationships with colleagues, suppliers and clients.
Desirable
* Level 3 Food Hygiene qualification.
* IOSH or Health & Safety certification.
* Experience within a contract catering environment.
* Experience preparing management reports, presentations or business reviews.
Why Sodexo?
Working with Sodexo is more than a job; it’s a chance to be part of something greater.
Belong in a company and team that values you for you.
Act with purpose and have an impact through your everyday actions.
Thrive in your own way.
We also offer a range of perks, rewards and benefits for our colleagues and their families:
* Unlimited access to an online platform offering wellbeing support
* An extensive Employee Assistance Programme to help with everyday issues or life’s larger problems, including legal and financial advice, support with work or personal issues impacting your wellbeing
* Access to a 24hr virtual GP Service
* Sodexo Discounts Scheme, offering great deals 24/7 across popular high street retailers (also open to friends and family)
* Save for your future by becoming a member of the Pension Plan
* Opportunities to enable colleagues to grow and succeed throughout their career at Sodexo, including a variety of learning and development tools
* Bike to Work Scheme to help colleagues to do their bit for the environment whilst keeping fit
* Sodexo UK and Ireland’s enhanced benefits and leave policies
At Sodexo, our purpose is to create a better everyday for everyone to build a better life for all. As the global leader in services that improve the quality of life, we operate in 55 countries, serving over 100 million consumers each day through our unique combination of on-site food and FM services, benefits & rewards services and personal & home services.
We are committed to being an inclusive employer. We welcome and encourage applications from people with a diverse variety of experiences, backgrounds and identities. We are a disability confident leader employer and encourage our employees to get involved with our employee networks such as Pride, Sodexo Parents & Carers, Sodexo Disability, Ability network, SoTogether, Generations and Origins.
We run a disability confident interview scheme for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria for the job.
Click here to read more about what we do to promote an inclusive culture.
Ready to be part of something greater?
Sodexo reserves the right to close this advert early if we are in receipt of a high number of applications.
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