Posted: 15 June
The role
Job Title: Head of Operations : Catering Reports to: General Manager Location: QEII Centre, Westminster Sector: Conference, Events and Catering Overview
QEII Taste operated by Levy is the in house catering partner at the QEII Centre, delivering exceptional food, drink, and hospitality experiences within one of Londons premier conference and events venues. We are passionate about creating memorable guest experiences through innovative catering, high quality ingredients, and outstanding service. Sustainability, wellbeing, and operational excellence are at the core of everything we do, ensuring we consistently deliver best in class catering across conferences, exhibitions, and banqueting events.
Levy is the vibrant and exciting sector of Compass Group, the worlds largest catering company. We work at some of the greatest venues in the world, delivering legendary experiences in food, drink, and hospitality. In the UK, we are proud to have a wealth of long standing partnerships with venues across sport, entertainment, and events. Our partnerships include venues such as Wimbledon, Twickenham, Edgbaston, Tottenham Hotspur, Scottish Event Campus (SEC) and ExCel London.
We are culinary champions : its what we do and its what we are passionate about. At the core of our work is the belief that sustainably sourced great food and drink, coupled with exceptional service is key to creating legendary experiences. Focused on doing the right thing for our people and the planet, sustainability, wellbeing, diversity, and inclusion are at the heart of what we do.
Role Purpose
The Head of Operations holds a pivotal leadership role, responsible for the strategic delivery and day to day execution of all catering operations at the QEII Centre. This role ensures that all catering services : from large scale conferences to bespoke VIP events are executed to the highest standards. The position combines strategic oversight, financial accountability, and operational excellence, with a focus on delivering outstanding food experiences, driving revenue growth, and leading high performing teams.
Key Responsibilities Strategic Planning and Leadership Work closely with the General Manager to deliver the catering operations strategy in line with venue vision, brand standards, and client expectations Drive innovation and continuous improvement across all catering services Communicate strategic objectives clearly to operational teams and ensure effective execution. Catering Operations Delivery Manage the end to end delivery of all catering operations across all event styles, including but not limited to conferences, exhibitions, and banqueting, enforcing a high standard of service throughout Ensure seamless coordination between kitchen, back of house, and front of house teams Maintain consistently high standards of food quality, presentation, and service Monitor performance across all event formats and onsite catering operations Client and Stakeholder Management Build strong relationships with clients, event organisers, and venue stakeholders Collaborate with sales and events teams to translate client briefs into exceptional catering delivery Proactively manage client expectations and resolve issues to ensure satisfaction and repeat business Represent QEII Taste in client meetings and high profile engagements Financial Management and Commercial Performance Hold financial accountability for the catering operation Manage budgets, forecasts, and financial performance reporting Identify and maximise revenue opportunities through upselling and innovative catering offers in partnership with the sales team Maintain strict control of labour and operational expenses Use data and insights to drive performance improvements and profitability Operational Excellence and Efficiency Continuously evaluate and improve operational processes to enhance efficiency and service delivery Ensure compliance with all food safety, health and safety, and hygiene regulations Implement be
