Account Manager (Catering & Hospitality)

Job Introduction

We currently have an excellent opportunity to progress your career. As Account Manager, you will be responsible for leading the delivery of catering, hospitality and housekeeping services to a cluster of sites within the South West region for our Independent Schools business. With self motivation and strong people leadership skills, you will ensure outstanding service delivery that exceeds our client and customer expectations.

This is a fantastic opportunity and will allow someone to utilise their skills and develop within a quality focussed business.

Role Responsibility

• Oversee approx. 12-15 independent school contracts in the South West region, covering the Exeter, Cheltenham, Winchester and Abingdon areas.
• Effectively manage complex client and customer relationships and seek to evolve new business opportunities, sell services and support bids/mobilisations
• Lead and inspire site based direct reports and a large workforce of predominantly catering/hospitality professionals
• Deploy and advocate the ‘Fresh Food From Scratch’ offering
• Evaluate financial performance to develop action plans to improve financial performance
• Management, reporting and monitoring of performance and accounts to ensure control of spending and budgets
• Forecasting and budgeting and preparing month end reports for clients and Sodexo
• Manage compliance including standard operating procedures, purchasing, statutory requirements (health and safety) and DBS
• Ensure that H&S procedures and standards and central H&S directives are being complied to, including ensuring that contractors comply with necessary standards

The Ideal Candidate

• Previous experience in a similar senior management role, ideally within a regional capacity
• Experience of managing outsourced soft services, ideally catering, hospitality and housekeeping
• A strong interest in food trends, innovation and the food services industry
• Demonstrable track record of developing successful operational strategies and relationships across a portfolio of contracts - An entrepreneurial flair is desirable.
• A collaborative working style and proactive approach to challenges 
• Knowledge of risk and compliance processes, protocols, escalations and resolution methods
• Proven financial acumen essential with demonstrable commercial experience and business acumen
• Proven track record of leading and managing experienced operators and large numbers of employees
• Excellent communication, influencing and facilitation skills
• Self motivated;  able to define and articulate a vision for their business and recruit, lead, and motivate a talented team to deliver this vision

Package Description

Plus bonus, benefits and car

About the Company

In the UK and Ireland, Sodexo employs some 35,000 employees to deliver integrated facilities management services to clients at over 2,000 locations in the corporate, healthcare, education, leisure, defence and justice sectors. With an annual turnover of over £1bn, we provide everything from catering, cleaning and reception to security, laboratory and grounds maintenance services, enabling our clients to focus on their core business.

Sodexo and our clients are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and adults within a regulated activity. Certain roles will require applicants to undergo screening appropriate to the post, including checks with past employers and the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and/ or Disclosure Scotland.