Salary: £31,000 – 34,000 per annum depending on experience
Hours: Full time (35 hrs per week). 2 Year Fixed-Term with a view to extend.
Flexible working is available can be considered.
Mission and values
The Good Shepherd has a long history of supporting the most disadvantaged people in Wolverhampton.
Our mission is to end homelessness, support recovery, and create pathways out of poverty.
Our core values are hospitality, compassion, and respect.
We recognise each person’s dignity and potential for growth and deliver services in a person-centred way.
Role Purpose
The project contributes to Wolverhampton’s wider economic, skills, and wellbeing goals, creating pathways into work for people who have been underserved by traditional learning or employment settings, with profits reinvested back in the charitable operations of Good.
The Catering Manager is responsible for leading and developing Good Shepherds social enterprise catering offer and free food services, delivering high-quality, compliant service.
The role focuses on income generation, partnership working and the delivery of catering projects, including a new catering contract which will expand the social enterprise model from 2027 onwards.
Main Duties and Responsibilities
* Ensure services are delivered to a high standard and align with The Good Shepherd’s mission, values, and person-centred approach.
* Work closely with the Service Manager to coordinate and improve service delivery managing a set of Key Performance Indicators for your services.
* Lead the daily operations and staff working in the food and catering services across multiple sites.
* Develop menu’s suitable for off-site and contract catering alongside our head cook.
* Coordinate food preparation, transport and service.
* Create methods and procedures to incorporate the use of surplus foods in all Food Services, contributing to less food waste in Wolverhampton.
* Work with Local Authority around composting and eco-friendly solutions for food waste and food that cannot be used.
* Build relationships with partners and statutory bodies.
* Support with a training and employability programme.
* Collaborate with the leadership team to develop and implement new services and ways of working.
* Monitor and evaluate project outcomes to ensure effective service delivery and identify areas for improvement.
* Develop and maintain relationships with stakeholders, including people we support, staff, volunteers, and partner organisations.
* Manage and support a team of staff and volunteers, ensuring they are well‑trained, motivated, and aligned with organisational values.
* Provide regular staff supervision and team meetings.
* Support the Service Manager to prepare and manage project budgets, ensuring financial sustainability and accountability.
* Ensure compliance with relevant legislation, regulations, and organisational policies including food safety regulations, health and safety, and safeguarding.
* Advocate for the needs and rights of people we support within the community and with relevant authorities.
* Involve people that use our services in the development and improvement of projects.
* Provide regular reports to the Service Manager and other senior management on project progress and performance.
* Any other duties which reasonably fall within the range and responsibilities of this post, as requested by a member of the management team.
Person Specification
Qualifications and Experience
* Level 3 qualification in food service, catering, or a related field is desirable.
* Experience with menu development for contract and off‑site catering.
* Proven track record in income generation and partnership development within a food service or social enterprise environment.
* Experience coordinating food preparation, transport, and service across multiple venues.
* Experience managing, training, and supporting staff and volunteers.
* Demonstrated ability to monitor and report on KPIs, including income, costs, and (incomplete).
* Driving licence is desirable. The ability to travel to multiple sites is essential.
Knowledge and Skills
* Strong understanding of food safety, allergen compliance, and risk management.
* Ability to develop menus suitable for diverse external catering contexts.
* Excellent organisational and operational management skills.
* Ability to build and maintain positive relationships with partners and statutory.
* Confident in community engagement and representing the food service at events.
* Effective communicator with strong customer service orientation.
* Confident with Microsoft package (Outlook, word, excel, etc).
* Competent in managing budgets and financial targets for catering operations.
Personal Attributes
* Leadership: Capable of leading and motivating teams to deliver high‑quality, compliant catering services.
* Initiative: Proactive in identifying and pursuing new opportunities and partnerships, partner venues, including statutory settings like police stations.
* Attention to Detail: Ensures compliance with food safety and allergen standards at all times.
* Resilience: Able to manage the demands of a growing social enterprise and respond effectively to challenges.
* Commitment to social enterprise values and community engagement.
* Willingness to undertake regular offsite work across partner venues, including statutory settings.
* Flexibility to adapt working hours as required by the role.
* Commitment to maintaining zero compliance breaches or food safety incidents.
This post is subject to an enhanced DBS check. The Good Shepherd values lived experience and a copy of our policy on recruiting people with convictions is
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