Location: HSE Buxton – Derbyshire
Contract: Full-time
Hours: Monday – Friday, 8:00am – 4:00pm (No weekends or Bank Holidays)
At Mitie, our people are our greatest strength. We are committed to creating an environment where everyone can thrive, reach their full potential, and be their best every day.
We are looking for an experienced Head Chef to lead the delivery of catering services for staff, guests, and visitors. This is an excellent opportunity for a passionate and customer-focused catering professional who enjoys leading teams, maintaining high standards, and delivering exceptional food and service.
About the Role
As Head Chef, you will be responsible for overseeing all aspects of the catering operation, including food preparation, hospitality services, compliance, stock management, and team leadership. You will play a key role in ensuring the highest standards of food quality, presentation, hygiene, and customer satisfaction while maintaining effective control of budgets and resources.
Key Responsibilities
- Prepare, cook, and present high-quality meals and hospitality offerings, ensuring exceptional food standards and customer satisfaction.
- Maintain compliance with food hygiene, health & safety, HACCP, allergen management, and company policies, ensuring accurate records and audit readiness.
- Manage stock control, ordering, deliveries, storage, stock takes, waste reduction, and budget performance to maximise efficiency and control costs.
- Lead, develop, and support catering and cleaning teams through effective supervision, training, scheduling, and performance management.
- Drive continuous improvement through menu development, customer engagement, service enhancements, reporting, and operational best practice.
What You'll Bring
Essential
- Relevant catering or hospitality qualification.
- Level 3 Food Hygiene qualification.
- Allergen Awareness certification.
- Previous experience within a catering operation in a large organisation.
- Experience leading, motivating, and developing teams.
- Strong IT skills, including Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
- Experience managing budgets, forecasting expenditure, and monitoring financial performance.
- Excellent organisational and problem-solving skills with the ability to work independently and meet deadlines.
Desirable
- IOSH Managing Safely or equivalent qualification.
- Level 2 HACCP qualification.
- COSHH knowledge and experience.
- Good understanding of Health & Safety legislation, risk assessments, and safe systems of work.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Full UK driving licence due to location requirements.
What We're Looking For
We're looking for someone who is:
- Passionate about delivering high-quality catering and customer service.
- A strong leader with the ability to inspire and develop a high-performing team.
- Calm, professional, and able to work effectively under pressure.
- Highly organised, proactive, and focused on continuous improvement.
- Flexible, reliable, and committed to maintaining the highest standards.
What's in It for You?
- The opportunity to lead a well-established catering operation.
- A great work-life balance with no weekends or Bank Holidays.
- A supportive environment focused on development and continuous improvement.
- The chance to make a real impact within a leading Facilities Management organisation