Senior Operations Manager

Location: Field-based across the region (Head Office: Mundells, Welwyn Garden City)

Salary Range: £43,591 - £49,014 per Annum (DOE)

Salary Grade: M1

Car allowance: £2,000 per Annum

Hours: Full-time, 37 hours per week

Contract: Permanent

Reports to: Regional Operations Manager

Lead High-Quality Operational Delivery Across a Multi-Site Catering Portfolio

Are you an experienced multi-site operations leader who thrives on delivering exceptional food, service and safety standards? HCL is seeking a Senior Operations Manager to oversee a portfolio of primary and secondary school contracts, leading Operations Managers and ensuring schools receive high-quality, nutritious and engaging food experiences.

What You’ll Lead

• Operational performance across a large multi-site portfolio, ensuring consistent food, service and safety standards.
• A team of Operations Managers and mobile workforce, providing coaching, development and performance oversight.
• Strategic relationships with clients, acting as a senior escalation point for service reviews and queries.
• Commercial performance, including food and labour cost control and contract retention.
• Mobilisation of new contracts, ensuring full operational readiness and compliance.
• Digital adoption across sites, ensuring accurate reporting and effective use of company systems.

What You’ll Bring

• Experience leading multi-site operations in education or contract catering.
• Strong commercial acumen including pricing, contract variations and budgeting.
• Ability to build senior client relationships and deliver solutions that balance value and sustainability.
• Proven people leadership with experience developing managers and chefs.
• Knowledge of Food Safety, Health & Safety, safeguarding and compliance requirements.
• A proactive, organised and resilient approach in a fast-paced environment.
• Full UK driving licence and willingness to travel widely across the region.

Why Join HCL?

• Competitive salary
• Generous holiday entitlement
• Good pension scheme
• Life assurance & Employee Assistance Programme
• A values-driven organisation committed to quality, innovation and community
• Strong focus on personal development and leadership growth

Apply Now

If you’re a forward-thinking operational leader who enjoys driving performance, inspiring teams and delivering outstanding customer outcomes, we’d love to hear from you.

Closing Date: 16/03/2026