About us
The Coventry Building Society Arena has solidified its status as a UK venue, drawing over 1.3 million visitors annually with its diverse array of events. More than just a stadium, the Arena offers cutting-edge facilities, including a state-of-the-art conference centre, exhibition spaces, and onsite hotel accommodations. Whether hosting a corporate event, a major exhibition, a star-studded concert or a major sporting event, the Arena is equipped to deliver every experience with unrivalled style and precision.
As the proud home of Coventry City Football Club, the Arena is deeply woven into the fabric of Coventry’s football culture. With a rich and storied history, within English football, it’s here that unforgettable goals are scored, and legendary matches unfold. The Arena stands as the heart and soul of Coventry City, where fans gather to create memories that will last a lifetime.
· Our vision is to be the UK leading multipurpose venue which offers endless possibilities.
· Our purpose is to deliver the best times for our Business, Entertainment, Sports and People
At Coventry Arena Retail Ltd our mindset is to obsess over the customer, operate with excellence and be the best team. To achieve this, we live by our values:
Own it Be relevant Think without limits
Roles and Responsibilities:
OVERVIEW
· Provide leadership to the chef brigade both in production and presentation of all food across the Stadium including Restaurants, Hotel dining, Hospitality, Retail, Ancillary and Meeting and Event spaces, ensuring the highest consistency of standard in terms of quality, food safety and Health and Safety.
· Produce innovative and price relevant menus for all client groups within the venue.
· Further to oversee the logistical aspect of purchasing, ordering, delivery and storage of all food items.
· To manage the administration and organisation of the kitchen at the Arena.
ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES:
· Liaise with Arena HoD’s, the General Manager and relevant client groups on a regular basis to ensure service standards are consistently exceeding expectations and introduce innovation through food ad food displays.
· Evaluation of current menu data and market research from the basis of the role. Innovation and a passion for contemporary food are essential to create an offer portfolio to meet diverse consumer needs whilst allowing consistency in method and approach.
· To analyse menu item price, cost and popularity to build a truly commercial offer portfolio.
· Adjust to seasonal influences to maximise opportunities for customer uptake and cost savings.
· Ensure full compliance with all statutory and company practises, policies and procedures at all times.
· Ensure that all record keeping requirements as set out in the company manuals are adhered to at all times.
· Ensure that all employees and event day staff within your ultimate responsibility are fully trained, to the appropriate level for the role they perform and that all training is formally recorded.
· Ensure that any employees and event day staff who are required to keep records for statutory or company compliance purposes are fully trained in how to do so and that these records are kept and reviewed on a regular basis, with action taken as necessary.
· Creation of production specification and schedules for all food products to ensure consistency of offer to the customer whilst protecting the margin in terms of portion control.
· Responsible for fresh food orders and production.
· Take the lead on all menu planning and design for all operations, including all Restaurants, Hotel dining, Hospitality, Retail, Ancillary and Meeting and Event operations which meet and are within the company food GP budget.
· To set par stock holding levels for product ranges (inclusive of minimum and maximum stock levels and with a view of centralising core items).
· To set processes in place for accurate recording of holding stocks, to align with company period end timelines.
· To ensure that accurate ordering processes are in place and that stock holding levels are managed effectively.
· Tightly control wastage and ensure that all wastage is recorded, and action plans are formulated to improve on wastage levels.
· Effectively leading and delivering new product and concept projects within set timeframes and budgets to ensure that the venue food offer is continually evolving.
· To encourage menus a service style that reflects the event audience demographic and needs.
· To review labour spends against planned targets, to provide improvement plans if required.
· To adopt long-term, innovative thinking, collaboration and networking to stimulate new opportunities and solutions, identify potential risks and challenges to create a future focused approach to service delivery.
· To lead the team in ‘thinking differently’ by leveraging ‘on trend’ ideas and concepts internally and externally working in conjunction with global and local central support resources.
· Identify appropriate leers to drive sales and profitability across the business to meet plan.
· To continuously develop knowledge of concepts, trends, brand and products to advise and support margin maximisation.
· To create and manage capital projects for all hospitality areas required.
· To oversee and lead a team of culinary team at the venue in order to delivery quality food and service across the entire operation.
· To lead manage and motivate a full hospitality team as well as undertake all performance management and feedback communication.
· To partner with the recruitment team in all hiring processes to ensure we attract and recruit the best talent.
· To underpin the onboarding, training and development of all members of the hospitality team, employed and casual, to drive a culture of high performance where guest service is the number one priority in all activities.
· To plan the casual workforce scheduling for each event in a timely manner, to ensure that the core requirements and additional benefits of the time and attendance system are capitalised on to deliver labour spends that are in line with forecasts and plan figures.
· To have a strong relationship with senior business leaders and provide administrative assistance when needed.
· Ensure regular communication to foster clear and concise transfer of information to build an honest and open working relationship.
· To ensure all legal requirements are met and records are up to date for audit purposes. To ensure that the operation is operated in accordance with current knowledge and practice, management and measurement of all areas of responsibility including company regulations relating to the following areas:
- Health & Safety
- Food Hygiene
- Fire Regulations
- Licensing Laws
- Sales of Goods / Trading Standards
· To specifically adhere to lead on and support all ‘Post COVID-19 Working Safely’ practices.
· As part of the fulltime team responsible for successful day to day management of the venue.
· To ensure that the business continues to be delivered in a safe manner at all times.
· Developing localised collateral for training, implementing processors, conducting self-assessments, and reporting to the team.
· As part of the Management Team be an ambassador for CBS Arena values and mission statement.
· Ensure that the principles of the CBS Arena guest path program are followed at all times. Conduct regular self-audits to ensure that we maintain and continuously improve on a high standard of the guest experience.
· To deliver on any other reasonable request of Senior Management from CBS Arena.
PERFORMANCE MEASURES:
· Multitasking is key to this role as there is planning, operating and managing of a large team and culinary operation. A high level of attentions to detail is required in the planning and execution of the event.
· To lead and direct the day-to-day culinary operation and service delivery to the clients and guest with the venue ensuring that world class standards are always achieved.
· To ensure all commercial commitments and opportunities are met and capitalised on to aid business decision making.
· To optimise the commercial knowledge within the business, by supporting and challenging the organisation to drive further commercial adding value analysis.
JOB CONTRIBUTION & PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCIES:
General Scope
· Provides leadership and direction through professional associates and/or managers.
· Is accountable for the performance and results of related departments.
· Executes functional business plans and contributes to the development of functional strategy.
· Decisions are guided by divisional strategy and priorities.
Functional Knowledge
· Requires comprehensive understanding of internal and industry standards, as well as of the changing business environment.
Business Expertise
· Applied industry expertise and commercial awareness to drive financial and operational performance within a function.
Leadership
· Leads through subordinate managers or professionals; executes functional/unit strategy.
Problem Solving
· Directs the resolution of highly complex or unusual business problems applying advanced analytical thought and judgement.
Impact
· Impacts results of part of a function or region by providing support to impact the company.
· Guided by functional strategy.
Interpersonal Skills
· Negotiates with and influences others internally and externally, including senior leaders withing the company vendors, clients and regulators.
Talent Development
· Reviews talent regularly to understand the landscape of capability in the organisation.
· Delegates opportunities to build capabilities.
Collaboration & Teamwork
· Keeps staff and colleagues focused on the power of partnership; continually evaluates and enhances team engagement in the business.
Championing Guest Needs
· Develops professional connections with associates, guests, partnerships and effectively and appropriately uses the relations to expand business network or achieve work related goals.
Innovation
· Develops, sponsors or supports which innovative ideas and suggestions ay work the plans successfully executes the innovative ideas.
Action Management
· Persists to keep self and others leaning forward and doing whatever it takes to achieve challenging business goals.
Business Alignment
· Creates aligned goals for self, associate ad department and achieves results that clearly drive the business and continually reimagine what’s next.
DESIRED EXPERIENCE & REQUIRED FUNCTIONAL EXPERTISE:
Education Requirement: Degree
AND/OR
Total years’ experience: 9+
Years of Management experience: 3 – 5
Essential Experience:
· Previous experience in a high volume logistically challenging environment.
· Evident of strong people management skills and leadership qualities.
· Strong communication and written skills.
· NVQ Level 1 & 2.
· Basic IT skills.
· Extensive knowledge of the F&B industry within 5* star environments.
Desirable Experience:
· Full financial accountability for remit of 3 years or more for one large single site or several smaller.
Employee Welfare
Employee Assistance Program (EAP)* –Our EAP is provided by the Zurich Group Life and includes a 24-hour wellbeing helpline, wellness hub, counselling and financial/legal support. Our support doesn’t just focus on physical health but mental wellbeing also.
24 Hour GP* – ZGP24 is a remote GP and second medical opinion service that provides you and your household members with timely access to medical advice, available 24/7, 365 days a year.
* Welfare support services are reviewed annually and may change from time to time.