Head of Operations

Compass Group is the leading provider of catering and support services.

We believe in the power of food and drink to bring people together, whether in a restaurant, café, workplace, or educational environment, inspiring people to perform at their best every day.

Our food is crafted onsite by passionate teams using the finest ingredients. We know that balanced, plant-focused, natural, fresh, and sustainable menus help create positive experiences for our customers and clients alike.

We provide exceptional food, create welcoming spaces, and develop engaging environments that inspire, motivate, and unite communities.

The Role

We are seeking an experienced and commercially driven Head of Operations to lead a large and diverse foodservice operation across a single, high-profile site with multiple outlets, retail units, hospitality spaces, and catering services.

This is a key leadership role responsible for delivering operational excellence, exceptional customer experiences, strong financial performance, and a culture of continuous improvement. You will provide strategic direction and day-to-day leadership for a significant team, ensuring all outlets operate efficiently, safely, and in line with both client and Compass objectives.

The successful candidate will be a visible and inspiring leader, capable of balancing operational detail with strategic thinking while building strong relationships with clients, customers, and colleagues.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the overall operation of a large, multi-outlet foodservice and hospitality environment, ensuring consistently high standards across all areas.
• Build and maintain a positive and collaborative relationship with the client, acting as a trusted partner and key point of contact.
• Drive a culture focused on customer service excellence, innovation, and continuous improvement.
• Ensure all outlets are appropriately resourced, supported, and managed to deliver outstanding service and operational efficiency.
• Lead, coach, and develop a large management and frontline team, creating clear accountability and opportunities for growth.
• Deliver agreed financial targets, including revenue growth, profitability, labour management, and cost control.
• Analyse performance data and customer insight to identify opportunities to improve participation, customer satisfaction, and commercial performance.
• Ensure retail pricing strategies are implemented effectively and in line with company and client requirements.
• Monitor customer feedback and satisfaction surveys, implementing meaningful action plans to enhance the customer experience.
• Drive innovation across food, retail, hospitality, and service delivery, introducing new concepts and initiatives that add value for customers and clients.
• Oversee the planning and delivery of hospitality and events activity where applicable.
• Ensure full compliance with all Health & Safety, Food Safety, Environmental, HR, and company policies and procedures.
• Promote a positive health, safety, and wellbeing culture across the site. 

About You

You will be an experienced operational leader with a proven track record of managing complex, high-volume catering, hospitality, retail, or foodservice operations.

You will combine strong commercial awareness with exceptional leadership skills and a genuine passion for delivering outstanding customer experiences.

Essential Skills and Experience

• Significant senior operational leadership experience within catering, hospitality, retail, foodservice, or a related environment.
• Proven success managing a large, complex operation with multiple outlets and service offers on a single site.
• Strong people leadership skills with experience managing and developing large teams through direct and indirect reports.
• Excellent client relationship management and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Strong commercial and financial acumen, with responsibility for budget management, revenue generation, and cost control.
• Experience growing retail sales and enhancing customer engagement through innovative food and service concepts.
• Ability to use customer insight, operational data, and technology to drive decision-making and improve performance.
• Excellent communication, influencing, and problem-solving skills.
• Strong understanding of Health & Safety, Food Safety, and operational compliance requirements.
• Passion for food, hospitality, and delivering exceptional customer experiences.

Why Join Us,

This is an exciting opportunity to lead a flagship operation and make a real impact within one of the UK's leading food and support services organisations.

You'll have the opportunity to shape the customer experience, develop talented teams, drive innovation, and deliver outstanding results within a dynamic and fast-paced environment.

In return, we offer a competitive salary, excellent benefits package, and genuine opportunities for career development and progression.