Trust Catering Manager
St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Multi Academy Trust, Cossington, LE7 4UZ10 days remaining to apply
Start date details
To be confirmed
Closing date
27 February 2026 at 9am
Date listed
11 February 2026
Job details
Job role
- Administration, HR, data and finance
Visa sponsorship
- Visas cannot be sponsored
Working pattern
- Full time
Contract type
- Permanent
Full-time equivalent salary
- £51,356.00 - £55,541.00 Annually (Actual)
Trust Catering Manager job summary
Trust Catering Manager
Employer: St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Multi Academy Trust
Location: St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Multi Academy Trust
Hours: 37 hours per week
Position: Permanent
Grade: Band S3 (Points 40` - 44)
Start Date: To be Confirmed
Closing date: 09:00 am 27th February 2026
Interview Date: To Be confirmed
As we launch a new in-house catering service across all schools, St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Multi Academy Trust is seeking an experienced and ambitious Trust Catering Manager to lead this trust-wide transformation.
For many pupils, a school meal is the most important meal of the day. This is an opportunity to lead a high-profile service that has a direct impact on the health, wellbeing and daily experience of thousands of pupils, staff and visitors.
You will build and lead a high-performing team, creating a consistent, high-quality catering model that delivers excellent food, strong standards and continuous improvement across every school.
The Role
Reporting to the Director of Business Services, you will lead the strategic and operational delivery of catering across the trust, ensuring services are safe, compliant, financially sustainable and focused on nutritious, appealing food for pupils.
Key responsibilities include:
Leading catering provision across all schools and shaping long-term strategy
Developing nutritious, inclusive menus in line with School Food Standards
Driving consistency, quality and strong operational performance across all sites
Leading, supporting and developing catering teams
Managing budgets, forecasting, procurement and cost control to secure value for money
Ensuring compliance with food safety, health and safety, and HACCP requirements
Monitoring service standards, food quality, uptake and customer satisfaction
Building effective relationships with school leaders, suppliers and partners
Who We’re Looking For
You will be:
Passionate about delivering nutritious, high-quality food for children and young people
A confident, visible leader who can motivate teams across multiple locations
Commercially aware and financially confident
Comfortable balancing strategic leadership with hands-on operational support
Committed to improving the daily experience of pupils and staff
You will be able to demonstrate:
Experience leading multi-site or large-scale catering operations
Strong leadership and people development skills
Excellent knowledge of food safety, hygiene and allergen management
Strong organisational and problem-solving skills
Financial and budget management experience
A commitment to promoting healthy eating and a positive food culture
How to apply
To apply for this role please submit your application no later than the closing date stated above. You will receive an automated response from our vacancies inbox to confirm your application has been received. . Please contact the Director of Business Services for more information about the role on 01162968162.
Why work for the St Thomas Aquinas Multi Academy Trust?
Genuine opportunities for career progression - with 23 academies in our family, and 84 academies across the Diocese, opportunities for career progression are a reality.
Pension - automatic enrolment into the Teachers’ Pension Scheme with 28.68% employer contributions, or to the Local Government Pension Scheme for support staff, one of the most competitive on the market, with employer contributions of above 20% in most cases.
Terms and Conditions - we have committed to following nationally agreed terms and conditions for pay for both teachers and support staff.
Childcare - If you have children that attend before/after school at one of the 23 schools in our Trust, that provide their own provision, as an employee you will be able to access this resource for free.
About St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Multi Academy Trust
Our school is part of the St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Multi-Academy Trust which brings together the 23 Catholic Primary and Secondary schools in Leicester City, Rutland and Leicestershire. Our priority is to ensure the very best Catholic Education for all young people in our community, whatever their circumstances. We will achieve this together, through a strategic approach to sharing best practice, effective challenge and support from a central standards and performance team and opportunities for high quality Continuing Professional Development.
The Trust and all our schools within our Trust committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and we expect all staff to share this commitment. An enhanced DBS check, online check and other pre-employment checks are required for successful applicants. The Trust will endeavour to make any necessary reasonable adjustments to the job and the working environment to enable access to employment opportunities for disabled job applicants or continued employment for any employee who develops a disabling condition.
Our Trust strives to be a supportive, inclusive, caring and positive community where every staff member has a sense of belonging. We are committed to cultivating an equitable working environment where staff treat one another with dignity and respect and where every individual can fulfil their potential. We warmly welcome those of different cultures, ethnicities and beliefs. This includes those of all faiths, the Catholic faith and those without a faith who are supportive of the Trust’s Catholic character and Christian ethos. This diversity is fundamental to our values and enriches the lives of the students within our schools.
We are a Disability Confident Committed employer and welcome applications from people with a disability or long-term health condition.
Learn more about us on our socials:
Instagram: @StThomasAquinasCMAT
Facebook: @StThomasAquinasCMAT
LinkedIn: @st-thomas-aquinas-catholic-multi-academy-trust
Further information about the job
Commitment to safeguarding
Our organisation is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. We expect all staff, volunteers and trustees to share this commitment.
Our recruitment process follows the keeping children safe in education guidance.
Offers of employment may be subject to the following checks (where relevant):
childcare disqualification
Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS)
medical
online and social media
prohibition from teaching
right to work
satisfactory references
suitability to work with children
You must tell us about any unspent conviction, cautions, reprimands or warnings under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975.
Applying for the job
This school accepts applications through their own website, where you may also find more information about this job.
CVs will not be accepted for this application.
View advert on external website (opens in new tab)About St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Multi Academy Trust
- Type
- Multi-academy trust
Head office location
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