Operational optimisation & Development Chef

We are seeking an Operational optimisation & Development Chef to join our team

This role sits within our Hospitals division, catering for visitors and NHS teams. Taking care of some of the most renowned hospitals in the country, we know that healthy, nutritional food is critical to patient recovery. Distinguished by our warmth of service, our focus is always customer first, which is why nutrition is at the heart of everything we do.

This is a national role with a company car provided 

As the Operational optimisation & Development Chef you will drive kitchen efficiency and effectiveness in our retail hospitals through process, menu, and resource optimisation

Key Accountabilities:

• Creating and implementing standard operating model for our hospital kitchens including to support a move to in house production of some key categories
• Delivering sales growth and improved profitability through kitchen optimisation and menu engineering
• Supporting the consistent implementation of concept launches and menu changes and taking accountability for the successful implementation of approved commercial activities
• Coordinating and optimising seasonal pop ups and concepts
• To work with the central team to support in the production of menus and concepts to ensure our offer is market leading
• To support our teams with kitchen and skills training
• To understand the market in terms of equipment innovations, commercialise these opportunities and launch and scale them across the estate
• Spend time in operational units to observe and support implementation, developing strong relationships with senior operations teams

In this role:  

• Experience managing a food team across multi-site brands
• Ability to be a visionary - develop innovative ideas to drive top and bottom line, testing, learning, refining, and operationalising them. Ability to find new ways of doing things, challenge the status quo, and take an entrepreneurial approach (measured risk, high reward)
• Exceptional attention to detail
• A creative problem-solving mindset
• Excellent investigative and diagnostic skills
• Excellent organisational skills
• In-depth understanding of the culinary landscape
• Mentor or manager of wider chef team
• Experience managing and influencing senior stakeholders and client relationships and the ability to confidently deliver presentations to senior clients and stakeholders
• Good understanding of the market including competition
• Ability to focus effort on the most profitable outcomes
• Ability to work at pace
• Understanding of operational reality in units, including waste management, equipment, space, and macro store layout

At Elior, we strive to ensure that our colleagues feel appreciated & rewarded, which is why we offer generous rewards & benefits in exchange for your dedicated efforts.

We offer a salary of £43,000 plus a company car and 15% KPI performance-related bonus

FREE On-Site Lunches: Enjoy complimentary lunches, saving you time & money while ensuring you stay nourished & energised throughout the day.

Support Your Way of Life:

• Flexible Working: We offer full-time & part-time roles, with varying shift patterns across the business. Allowing colleagues the flexibility to balance their personal & professional commitments
• Hybrid Working Model: Collaborate & innovate in the office three days a week while enjoying focused work-from-home days
• Holiday Allowance: Relax & recharge with 33 days of holiday (including bank holidays)
• Additional Holiday Purchase Option: Customise your time off by purchasing extra holidays
• Family Leave: Prioritise family commitments with flexible leave options
• Paid Charity Leave: Make a positive impact with two additional paid days for charity work

Big Enough for Growth, Small Enough to Connect:

• Opportunities for career progression while developing a close-knit community

Supporting You Through Life’s Ups & Downs:

• Access mental health support & comprehensive wellbeing benefits

Keeping Finances & Wellbeing in Mind:

• Life assurance, workplace pension schemes, discounts, cashback, entertainment, leisure discounts, & a cycle to work scheme

Elior is a multi-award-winning people business and one of the UK’s leading contract caterers, with over 10,000 colleagues operating across a diverse range of sectors including:

• Workplaces & Office Space
• Sporting Venues & Stadiums
• Attraction & Heritage Sites
• Public Sector & Defence
• Health, Care & Hospitals
• Schools, Colleges & Universities

Along with our purpose of enriching lives everywhere, every day, we’re committed to an inclusive culture and want our people to feel appreciated, supported, and fulfilled.

That’s why 85% of colleagues tell us how proud they are to work for us!