Business Manager

Job Introduction

Business Catering Manager

Location: Garnerville, Northern Ireland
Contract: Full-Time, Permanent
Salary: £38,000 - £40,000 per annum

We're looking for a dynamic Business Catering Manager to lead a well-established catering operation, ensuring outstanding service delivery, operational excellence, and exceptional customer experiences.

This is an exciting opportunity for an innovative manager who combines strong commercial awareness with excellent leadership skills and a genuine passion for hospitality.

About the Role

As Business Catering Manager, you will be responsible for leading and developing the catering team while ensuring services are delivered in line with contractual agreements, KPIs, and client expectations.

Working closely with both client stakeholders and internal teams, you will drive continuous improvement, maintain compliance, manage financial performance, and create a positive culture where people and service excellence thrive.

What You'll Be Doing

Operational Leadership

• Lead the day-to-day catering operation, ensuring exceptional food and front-of-house service.
• Deliver services in line with contractual KPIs, SLAs, and company standards.
• Maintain consistently high operational and customer service standards.

People Management

• Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing catering team.
• Drive colleague engagement, performance, and ongoing training.
• Manage recruitment, onboarding, and compliance, including Right to Work documentation.

Client & Commercial Management

• Build strong relationships with clients and key stakeholders.
• Monitor budgets, labour, food margins, and operational costs to deliver financial targets.
• Identify opportunities to improve efficiency, customer satisfaction, and business performance.

Compliance & Continuous Improvement

• Ensure compliance with food safety, health & safety, HR, finance, and company procedures.
• Lead site audits and ensure all locations remain audit-ready.
• Promote a culture of continuous improvement, innovation, and operational excellence.

What We're Looking For

Essential Requirements

• Experience in a senior catering or hospitality management role.
• Proven ability to lead, motivate, and develop high-performing teams.
• Strong financial and commercial management skills.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management abilities.
• Sound knowledge of food safety, health & safety, and compliance.
• Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, including Excel, Outlook, and reporting tools.

Desirable

• Hospitality qualification or equivalent.
• IOSH qualification or equivalent.
• Experience managing client relationships within contract catering or facilities management.
• Train the Trainer or IFM accreditation.

Why Sodexo?:

Working with Sodexo is more than a job; it’s a chance to be part of something greater. 

Belong in a company and team that values you for you.

Act with purpose and have an impact through your everyday actions.

Thrive in your own way.

We also offer a range of perks, rewards and benefits for our colleagues and their families:

• Unlimited access to an online platform offering wellbeing support 
• An extensive Employee Assistance Programme to help with everyday issues or life's larger problems, including legal and financial advice, support with work or personal issues impacting your wellbeing
• Access to a 24hr virtual GP Service
• Sodexo Discounts Scheme, offering great deals 24/7 across popular high street retailers (also open to friends and family)
• Save for your future by becoming a member of the Pension Plan
• Opportunities to enable colleagues to grow and succeed throughout their career at Sodexo, including a variety of learning and development tools
• Bike to Work Scheme to help colleagues to do their bit for the environment whilst keeping fit
• Sodexo UK and Irelands enhanced benefits and leave policies

A little more about Sodexo:

At Sodexo, our purpose is to create a better every day for everyone to build a better life for all. As the global leader in services that improve the Quality of Life, we operate in 55 countries, serving over 100million consumers each day through our unique combination of On-Site Food and FM Services, Benefits & Rewards Services and Personal & Home Services.

We are committed to being an inclusive employer. We are a forces friendly employer. We welcome and encourage applications from people with a diverse variety of experiences, backgrounds and identities. We encourage our employees to get involved with our Employee Networks such as Pride, Sodexo Parents & Carers, Sodexo Disability, Ability network, SoTogether, Generations and Origins.

We’re a Disability Confident Leader employer. We’re committed to changing attitudes towards disability, and making sure disabled people have the chance to fulfil their aspirations. We run a Disability Confident interview scheme for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria for the job.

Click here to read more about what we do to promote an inclusive culture.