Food Operations Manager - 12 mth FTC

Salary up to: Competitive

Nando’s is on a journey to Create Lasting Happiness, making a difference to the lives of our people, our customers, and the communities we work in.     Originally started in Johannesburg, South Africa, we pride ourselves on creating memorable experiences for everyone involved in Nando’s: from our employees, communities, founders, and suppliers, but most importantly, our customers.  The number one reason our customers come to Nando’s is to experience our flame grilled PERi-PERi chicken.

The food team will support the development, implementation and continual enhancement of our food and menu strategy and our overall food purpose “to create lasting happiness for Nandocas and Customers”. It is addictive, we are generous, and our customers trust us so we will ensure that our people have the food knowledge, skills and learning to support the business to consistently deliver our unique product, freshly cooked and served within 15 minutes.

Overall Purpose:

The Food Operations Manager supports and deputises for the Head of Food Operations who is accountable for the complete offering of our Nando’s food delivery, processes and standards.

The Food Operations Manager will have a team of Food Quality Specialists and Trial and Launch Specialists to execute and maintain the overall strategy and delivery of food standards, trials and launches across food, equipment and processes into restaurants with the relevant engagement, education and expertise to sustain future growth.

A day in the life...

• To lead and manage a team of food quality and trial and launch specialists ensuring their knowledge is world class and food skills are constantly refined and perfected for current menu and new menu items, new processes and all equipment related to food
• Responsible for representing Food Operations in the category teams being the SME, informing on outputs, agreeing and deciding on inputs for, trials and national roll outs across all food and equipment areas
• Responsible for the inputs and outputs of stage gate
• Responsible to produce, thorough analysis of all data from trials for new products, continuous improvement, equipment and processes to inform and recommend any changes prior to launch
• To produce full analysis at 4/12 week intervals on products and performance to inform future menu decisions
• To execute the trial and launch programme within the 18-month development calendar ensuring that restaurants have all the knowledge and resources required to implement efficiently
• Responsible for the execution through the team of all food education and knowledge, upskilling, inductions and openings
• Partner with and influence Regional Directors to drive the short and long-term plans with realistic and commercial solutions in relation to food standards and quality, food and equipment trials and how this will cascade through their regions, supporting the outcomes and food plans which will deliver the Nando’s experience to all our customers
• Partner and work with L&D Managers to
  - Agree all training tools and materials for food skills training
  - Ensure all L&D team are up to date with relevant skills and knowledge             to support food modules within operational skills training for both back of    house and front of house across all restaurants, new openings, inductions    now and in the future
  - Work on the continuous development of our learning online and via                    technology i.e., videos, online resources etc    
• Partner and work with Operations and Implementation teams to influence a consistent approach and message around food education and knowledge within capacity sprints, continuous flow projects, openings etc to deliver across multi-channel platforms and concepts
• Manage set budgets and negotiate with suppliers to ensure a cost-effective approach for all materials and tools required for ongoing upskilling and education, trial and launch materials and new equipment
• Ensure delivery of all new menu launches and continuous improvement into the business with supporting tools – recipe cards, operational cards, videos, online materials etc

Hot skills required... 

• 5 years+ proven experience in Project Management, Process Management and People Management in a relevant industry ie retail, food operations
• Excellent operational knowledge and credibility to make recommendations and influence realistic and commercial solutions with the ability to build rapport at all levels of the organisation
• Able to influence at a variety of levels and a confident and passionate presenter capable of engaging and training different audiences
• People Manager and leader who can lead and manage a remote and geographically dispersed team with natural coaching and mentoring skills
• Understands the day-to-day operation of restaurants and how to deliver amazing food alongside operational and commercial challenges
• Is analytical and can solve problems and make sound judgements taking responsibility for decisions and communicating these in a timely and structured way
• Excellent organisational skills, able to manage multiple tasks and deliver projects and programmes
• Confident, with the ability to work well under pressure, positive and fun individual with interpersonal sensitivity and warmth

Extra Hot Benefits

• Company bonus
• 25 days holiday + bank holidays
• Free Nando’s when you're working (and 40% discount when you're not)
• Annual team trips, AKA a free holiday
• Reward membership scheme and access to great discounts
• Four-week sabbatical every five years you’ve been with us
• Private healthcare

This is a national role and will require extensive travel across our restaurants and regions in the UK & Ireland.