Area Support Manager - North East

We're looking for an experienced and inspiring Area Support Manager to help drive culinary excellence across our portfolio of workplace dining operations throughout the Northeast. This is a fantastic opportunity for a food-led leader who thrives on coaching teams, improving standards and bringing food concepts to life. Working closely with our Unit Managers, Chef Managers and Regional Managers, you'll play a key role in ensuring every site delivers exceptional food, outstanding customer experiences and consistently high brand standards. Personality behind every plate. Food first. Always. At Dine, food isn't an add-on. It's the centre of everything we do. Founded in the Northwest in 1997 and still proudly based in Warrington, Dine Contract Catering was built by chefs and food lovers who believed workplace dining could be something more. Today, that chef-led, food-first mindset still defines us. We're a business where chefs are empowered to create, bringing together seasonal ingredients, local suppliers and bold ideas to deliver food experiences with real personality, purpose and pride. Every offer is tailored. Every menu has intent. What You'll Be Doing As an Area Support Manager, you'll be the driving force behind our food culture, supporting sites to deliver innovative, fresh and high-quality food experiences that delight our customers every day. You'll:

• Champion Dine's food vision, culinary standards and customer experience across multiple sites
• Support the successful implementation of menus, food concepts, promotions and seasonal initiatives
• Coach and develop Catering Managers, Chef Managers and operational teams to build capability and confidence
• Provide hands-on support in operations, helping teams achieve excellence in food quality, presentation and service delivery
• Identify opportunities to enhance customer satisfaction, innovation and commercial performance
• Conduct site reviews to ensure consistency, compliance and operational excellence
• Share best practice across the region and embed a culture of continuous improvement
• Support mobilisation projects, business initiatives and new contract launches
• Act as a visible ambassador for food innovation, hospitality and operational excellence throughout Dine
• Occasionally provide operational cover at sites within the portfolio
  
  You'll be a passionate food professional with the ability to inspire others and raise standards through coaching, mentoring and leading by example.
Essential
• A strong culinary background within contract catering, hospitality or foodservice
• Multi-site operational experience
• A genuine passion for delivering exceptional food and hospitality experiences
• Experience coaching, developing and influencing managers and operational teams
• Strong knowledge of food safety, compliance and operational best practice
• Commercial awareness and the ability to identify opportunities for improvement
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills
• A full UK driving licence and willingness to travel across the region
Desirable
• Previous experience as an Area Manager, Support Manager or similar multi-site leadership role
• Level 3 Food Safety qualification (or above)
• IOSH Managing Safely qualification
• Experience supporting mobilisations, change programmes or operational improvement projects