Regional Operations Manager Location: Field-based, covering East region (Stevenage, Hatfield, Welwyn, Cambridge, North East London, Enfield, Surrey, Hampshire, Reading) with regular regional travel (Head Office: Mundells, Welwyn Garden City) Salary Range: £57,094 - £60,746 per Annum (DOE) Salary Grade: M4 + Car Allowance Hours: Full-time, 37 hours per week Contract: Permanent Reports to: Head of Operations Lead Operational and People Excellence Across Our Catering Portfolio Are you a driven, people-centred leader passionate about delivering outstanding food and service in education? Join HCL as a Regional Operations Manager , taking ownership of people, performance, safety, service quality and commercial outcomes across a diverse regional portfolio of approximately 220 sites panning multiple counties including London, Essex, Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Cambridgeshire. What Youll Lead Inspire and develop a team of Senior Operations Managers , ensuring consistent service, food quality, presentation and safety. Workforce planning and leadership development for operational teams. Regional performance reviews, incident management and continuous improvement plans. A strong QHSE culture, ensuring audit action closure across all sites. Commercial growth through client retention, upsell opportunities and strategic engagement. Executive-level relationships with MATs/Trusts, shaping long-term account value. Full regional P&L ownership, including budgeting, forecasting and margin improvement. What Youll Bring Being an ambassador for HCL with a fresh enthusiastic vision that will inspire your teams, by being purpose lead and reflecting our values Proven leadership in multi-site operations within contract catering (education desirable). Strong commercial and financial acumen, with full P&L accountability. QHSE expertise and compliance governance whilst delivering continuous improvement. Authentic engagement of senior stakeholders including Trust executives. Experience leading change (digital systems, pricing, innovation). A calm, resilient leadership style with strong service and safety focus. Why Join HCL? Competitive salary + car allowance Generous holiday entitlement Good pension scheme Life assurance & Employee Assistance Programme Excellent development and career progression opportunities A values-driven organisation dedicated to improving food experiences in schools Apply Now If youre ready to lead a region and shape the future of school food services, wed love to hear from you. Closing Date:17 /05/2026

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