Area Support Manager - Staffordshire

Our client is a market leading contract catering company specialising in school food. By combining their understanding of the education sector and their knowledge of what’s on trend in the food world, they encourage creativity and excitement in their kitchens, allowing the teams to do what they do best and provide fantastic food experiences for the children.

The Role:

The Area Support Manager will oversee and optimise catering operations across a portfolio of Primary and Secondary school contracts. Reporting to the Operations Manager, you will be a strategic, results-driven leader responsible for operational excellence, team development, and ensuring superior client and customer satisfaction. This role plays an important part in protecting our client’s brand reputation through strong compliance and excellent service, while also helping to drive business growth.

Your responsibilities will include:

This position requires a balance of leadership, operational oversight, and commercial acumen:

• Operational Leadership & Compliance: Drive the highest standards of Health, Safety, Food Safety, and Hygiene. Conduct regular audits, analyse performance reports, and report key findings and KPIs on a monthly basis to ensure compliance exceeds company benchmarks.

• Talent Development & Retention: Provide support, guidance, and targeted training to on-site teams. Build strong, positive internal relationships to maximise team engagement, retention, and professional development.

• Client & Customer Experience: Establish and maintain an environment of consistently fantastic customer service, ensuring an unforgettable experience for all students and visitors, and fostering strong relationships with key school stakeholders.

• Commercial Growth: Actively participate in the creation and delivery of sales presentations to prospective clients. Provide essential support to the Area Manager during the mobilisation of new contract wins.

About you

Our client is looking for a highly driven, adaptable, and emotionally intelligent professional with a strong background in the hospitality or catering industry. You must possess the ability to motivate and lead teams while simultaneously managing data and operational complexity.

• A proven track record of experience in the hospitality or catering industry (experience within education or large-scale contract catering).

• Expert knowledge of relevant food and safety legislation and compliance protocols.

• Exceptional customer service and interpersonal skills, coupled with strong emotional intelligence.

• Demonstrated ability to support, train, and mentor staff, driving career progression and maintaining high standards.

• An analytical mindset, capable of interpreting data and results, coupled with a genuine desire for direct interaction with people.

• Experience in, or capacity to quickly assume responsibility for, managing and assisting in new business mobilisation.

Why join?

Firstly, fantastic hours. You’ll work Monday to Friday during school term time meaning more time with friends and family and no working at Christmas!

This role is:

• Monday to Friday working - no more weekends!

• 40 hours per week

• 52 weeks per year

• Car Allowance

You’ll also benefit from:

• Working for a fast growing, ambitious company. There is no ceiling here in terms of where you can take your career
• A dedicated L&D team to support you in developing your skills including apprenticeships and training courses that are available for everyone.

Please note, we do expect all staff to share their commitment of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children/young people and an enhanced DBS disclosure will be sought by the company.

Contact us about this vacancy
Kat Kantorova
07548 963 089
kat.kantorova@pineapple-recruitment.co.uk

Pineapple Recruitment are recruiting for this role on behalf of our client and are acting as a Recruitment Agency.