Operations Manager - Contract Catering

Operations Manager

Location: London – Central Production Unit (NW10) and client sites

Contract: Full-time

Reporting to: Founders

Salary: £60,000 + an attractive performance-related bonus + benefits

About Pow Food

Pow Food is a founder-led, nutrition-led contract catering business delivering exceptional workplace hospitality across London. We partner with forward-thinking organisations to create food experiences that improve wellbeing, support productivity and bring people together. We are a certified B Corp, and food quality, nutrition and sustainable sourcing sit at the heart of everything we do.

Alongside our contract catering business, we have launched NUUDA, our direct-to-consumer frozen food brand, extending our passion for nutritious, chef-prepared food beyond the workplace.

We're growing quickly, with significant new contracts in our pipeline. We're looking for an experienced contract catering Operations Manager to take ownership of our operation and help build the next chapter of the business with us.

The Role

This is a hands-on, multi-site role. You will run our operations across our Central Production Unit and client sites, leading teams, building systems, processes, controlling budgets and making sure every order, service and event is delivered brilliantly. The role is the link between the kitchen, logistics, the founders and our clients.

A big part of this role is helping us scale. You'll build the systems, processes and team capability that support our next phase of growth, working directly with the founders with real autonomy and decisions that make a visible impact every day.

Key Responsibilities

Contracts & Operations

Oversee day-to-day operations across multiple B&I client contracts, from CPU production through logistics to on-site service.

Strengthen and scale our operating systems as we grow, simplifying workflows, reducing manual admin and introducing practical technology and automation where it adds value.

Establish and maintain Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), handovers and escalation routes.

Identify capacity constraints and operational risks before they affect service.

Communicate changes quickly and accurately across teams.

Be ready to get stuck in. On busy days that means picking, packing, loading vans and supporting service.

Food Safety & Compliance

Maintain high standards of food safety, HACCP, allergen control and training records.

Make sure dietary and allergen information flows accurately from the client brief through to labels and client documents.

Financial & Commercial Performance

Take ownership of contract budgets, food costs, labour costs, waste and GP.

Drive purchasing discipline, stock control and efficient deployment of staff.

Provide accurate operational inputs to costing and pricing.

Pursue savings without compromising food quality, safety, service or team welfare.

People Leadership

Lead, coach and develop teams across the kitchen, logistics and front of house.

Set clear expectations, plan rotas within budget and build a high-performance culture.

Coach managers and team members, and address performance promptly and fairly.

Manage HR processes and people issues with our Head of HR.

Build cover and management capability so the operation doesn't depend on you for every issue.

New Business & Mobilisation

Advise on staffing, logistics, production and delivery for prospective clients.

Contribute operational input to proposals and tenders, and check assumptions before they are submitted.

Lead operational preparation for new contracts and turn agreed proposals into mobilisation plans.

Continuous Improvement

Improve systems and workflows, starting by simplifying before adding technology.

Identify practical opportunities to use AI and automation for administration, never for judgement or food safety.

Reduce manual work, improve accuracy and document key processes clearly.

You May Currently Be

A General Manager running a B&I site, ready to step up into multi-site operations.

An Operations Manager or Area Manager in contract catering looking for more ownership and influence.

A contract catering leader from a larger operator who wants to work closer to the food and the decision-making in a founder-led business.

What You'll Bring

Essential

• At least three years' experience in operations or senior site management within contract catering, ideally in B&I.
• Experience managing client relationships and contract budgets, including food and labour costs.
• A strong people leader who understands both the operational and commercial sides of catering.
• Solid food safety, allergen and HACCP knowledge.
• A hands-on, flexible approach, calm under pressure and focused on solutions.
• A genuine passion for food and hospitality.

Desirable

• Multi-site experience.
• Experience with CPU and delivered catering models.
• Experience with Kafoodle or similar recipe and allergen systems.
• Experience mobilising new contracts.
• Level 3 Food Safety.
• An interest in nutrition, sustainability and B Corp values.
• We care more about drive, attitude and the right experience than ticking every box.

How We Work

Understand the problem first, and test changes before rolling them out.

Automate the administration, not the craft. Nutrition expertise, personalisation and human oversight always stay in place.

Protect the food, the philosophy, the team and the client experience through every change.

Why Pow Food?

Work directly with the founders and have a real voice in how the business grows.

A clear development pathway towards Operations Director and the Senior Leadership Team.

Food you can be proud of: nutrition-led, high quality and sustainably sourced.

Variety, with no two days the same across contracts, events and new business.

Benefits: pension, daily breakfast and lunch, private health, wellbeing allowance, discounted nutritionist appointments, NUUDA discount, training

If you're a hands-on contract catering leader who wants real ownership in a growing, purpose-led business, we'd love to hear from you.