Catering Area Manager

Catering Area Manager Employer: St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Multi Academy Trust Location: St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Multi Academy Trust Hours: 37 hours per week Position: Permanent / 41 weeks per year Salary: £33,265 - £36,466 Grade: Band 6 (Points 25 - 29) Start Date: 24th August 2026 Closing date: 09:00 am 5th May 2026 Interview Date: To Be confirmed For many pupils, a school meal is the most important meal of the day. This is an opportunity to play a key operational role in a high-profile service that directly impacts the health, wellbeing and daily experience of thousands of pupils, staff and visitors. Working closely with the Trust Catering Manager, you will help ensure a consistent, high-quality catering service across multiple schools, supporting teams to deliver excellent food, strong standards and continuous improvement. The Role: Reporting to the Trust Catering Manager, you will provide hands-on operational leadership across a group of schools, ensuring catering services are safe, compliant, efficient and focused on delivering nutritious, appealing food for pupils. Key Responsibilities: Supporting the day-to-day delivery of catering services across multiple schools Ensuring kitchens are effectively staffed, organised and operating efficiently Providing practical support, including covering absences and assisting with food preparation where required Line managing and developing Catering Supervisors and teams Ensuring compliance with food safety, health & safety and environmental health requirements Monitoring service standards, performance and customer experience across all sites Supporting the delivery of Trust KPIs and continuous service improvement Managing staff rotas, training, induction and ongoing development Acting as a key link between school sites and the Trust Catering Manager You will be: Passionate about delivering high-quality, nutritious food for children and young people A proactive and hands-on team leader who thrives in a fast-paced environment Organised, adaptable and able to manage multiple priorities across different sites A strong communicator who can build positive relationships with staff and stakeholders Committed to high standards, compliance, and continuous improvement You will be able to demonstrate: Experience working within a catering or hospitality environment Knowledge of food safety, hygiene and health & safety legislation Experience supporting or supervising teams Strong organisational and problem-solving skills Ability to analyse performance information and respond effectively Confidence working independently and making operational decisions How to apply To apply for this role please submit your application no later than the closing date stated above. You will receive an automated response from our vacancies inbox to confirm your application has been received. We warmly encourage applicants to visit our schools. Please contact the offices to arrang