Northamptonshire Healthcare Foundation Trust

Catering Operations Manager

The closing date is 21 July 2025

Job summary

Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (NHFT) require a catering Operations Manager who is experienced in a high-volume catering service who has both the management skill, and practical skills needed in running a seven day, all year-round service.

Our catering service operates a patient meal service across eight hospital sites throughout Northamptonshire, each having its own production kitchen. Six of these hospitals also have staff and visitor caf outlets. Both these services are within this positions management portfolio.

A hospital patient meal service is a service that must happen without fail, so good contingency planning and quick thinking, problem solving is an essential skill that's needed.

Our caf services are also an essential service to keep our staff nutritionally fuelled, and a service available for hospital visitors.

The Catering Operations Manager position is within the NHFT Hotel Service Department working alongside operation managers for the domestic, portering, and reception, administration departments reporting to the deputy and general manager.

The position is 37.5 hours per week, predominately Monday to Friday 09:00-17:00 although flexibility for shifts and days worked is vital to meet business demands.

Car owner/driver and current driving license essential or access to a car as you will be required to travel to multiple locations across the county (unless you have a disability as defined by the Equality Act 2010)

Main duties of the job

The Catering Operations Manager will be ultimately responsible for the food service operation for Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (NHFT), both inpatient meal service and staff and visitor caf services countywide.

Manage the service whilst maintaining statutory requirements, including registration with external bodies as legally required.

Trust lead expert for the food services, representing the food services to the Trust and with external bodies.

Ensure NHS food standard requirements are embedded into the service, manage the reporting process to NHSE and to the Trust as and when required.

Ensure required systems, process and policies are managed, monitored and updated as needed. i.e. Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP), Food Safety Policy.

Manage countywide cafe food service, ensuring its performance remains financially viable within allocated budget.

Engage, liaise and represent the Trust with external bodies for the food operations countywide - Environmental Health.

Engage and be a member of recognised NHS food service bodies - Hospital Caterers Association (HCA)

About us

NHFT is an integrated primary care and mental health Trust, providing physical, mental health and specialty services in both hospital settings and out in the community. Because we put the person at the centre of all we do, we focus on delivering care that is as easy to access as possible. This means many of our services can be provided at home, work or in schools.We also provide health services to various prisons and detention centres in Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire.

Details

Date posted

30 June 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 6

Salary

£37,338 to £44,962 a year per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

270-TG513-CORP

Job locations

St. Mary’s Hospital

77 London Road

Kettering

NN15 7PW


Job description

Job responsibilities

For further information on the advertised role, please refer to the job description located under the Supporting Documents heading. The full person specification can be accessed under the About You Section of the document.

Job description

Job responsibilities

For further information on the advertised role, please refer to the job description located under the Supporting Documents heading. The full person specification can be accessed under the About You Section of the document.

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

  • Knowledge / experience of working in a Catering industry environment and able to demonstrate practical cleaning skills
  • Experience and knowledge of computer technologies and software packages
  • Leadership skills across multiple teams
  • Allergen Training & awareness
  • Degree level qualification
  • Food Hygiene, Advanced level 4

Desirable

  • Managing multiple budgets
  • knowledge of Nutrition & Dietry Requirements

Knowledge

Essential

  • General education including literacy and numeracy
  • An understanding of the importance of health and safety
  • An understanding of the importance of hygiene
Person Specification

Experience

Essential

  • Knowledge / experience of working in a Catering industry environment and able to demonstrate practical cleaning skills
  • Experience and knowledge of computer technologies and software packages
  • Leadership skills across multiple teams
  • Allergen Training & awareness
  • Degree level qualification
  • Food Hygiene, Advanced level 4

Desirable

  • Managing multiple budgets
  • knowledge of Nutrition & Dietry Requirements

Knowledge

Essential

  • General education including literacy and numeracy
  • An understanding of the importance of health and safety
  • An understanding of the importance of hygiene

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Employer details

Employer name

Northamptonshire Healthcare Foundation Trust

Address

St. Mary’s Hospital

77 London Road

Kettering

NN15 7PW


Employer's website

https://www.nhft.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer details

Employer name

Northamptonshire Healthcare Foundation Trust

Address

St. Mary’s Hospital

77 London Road

Kettering

NN15 7PW


Employer's website

https://www.nhft.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

General Manager Hotel Services

Kevin Westrip

kevin.westrip@nhft.nhs.uk

Details

Date posted

30 June 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 6

Salary

£37,338 to £44,962 a year per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

270-TG513-CORP

Job locations

St. Mary’s Hospital

77 London Road

Kettering

NN15 7PW


Supporting documents

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