General Manager

General Manager - HMP Birmingham Lead a Critical Service Within One of the UK's Largest Prisons Lead with Purpose. Deliver Excellence. Make a Difference.

Are you an experienced operational leader with a background in contract catering, facilities management or large-scale service delivery?

Aramark UK is seeking an exceptional General Manager to lead our catering operation at HMP Birmingham, one of the UK's largest Category B prisons. This is a highly visible leadership role with overall responsibility for the safe, compliant, and effective delivery of prisoner feeding, staff catering, retail and visitor catering services across a complex custodial environment.

Reporting to the Regional Manager, you will act as the senior Aramark representative on site, leading a team of approximately 16 colleagues and working in close partnership with HMPPS, Ministry of Justice stakeholders and prison leadership teams.

This is a unique opportunity for a commercially minded leader who is passionate about operational excellence, people development, client engagement and creating meaningful social impact through rehabilitation and vocational training opportunities.

• Competitive salary of £45,000 - £50,000 DOE
• Generous annual leave allowance increasing with service
• Opportunity to purchase additional annual leave
• Company pension scheme
• Life assurance
• Blue Light Card membership
• Employee Benefits Platform including:
  • Retail discounts
  • Health cash plans
  • Employee Assistance Programme
  • Online GP service
  • Cycle to Work scheme
  • Financial wellbeing support
• Career development opportunities within Aramark UK's Justice & Immigration sector

As General Manager, you will have full accountability for the day-to-day and strategic management of the HMP Birmingham catering contract. You will lead a high-performing team responsible for delivering services to a large prisoner population alongside staff, contractors, and visitors within a challenging and rewarding operational environment.

You will be responsible for:

• Overall contract performance and service delivery.
• Financial management, budget control, and P&L accountability.
• Food safety, health & safety, and statutory compliance.
• Client relationship management and stakeholder engagement.
• People management, succession planning, and team development.
• Delivery of contractual KPIs and service standards.
• Continuous improvement initiatives and operational efficiencies.
• Supporting rehabilitation through prisoner training and employment opportunities within the catering operation.

• Leading the overall catering operation across HMP Birmingham.
• Ensuring all prisoner feeding, staff catering and retail services operate safely, efficiently and in accordance with contractual requirements.
• Working closely with the Kitchen Manager and Head Chef to manage production planning, stock control, waste reduction, and menu compliance.
• Driving service improvements and innovation across all catering operations.
  
  Maintaining operational resilience and contingency planning within a live custodial environment.

• Acting as the primary point of contact for HMP Birmingham and Ministry of Justice stakeholders.
• Building strong partnerships with prison management teams and key decision-makers.
• Leading quarterly business reviews and client engagement meetings.
• Managing customer expectations whilst ensuring contractual compliance and service excellence.

• Managing site budgets and financial performance.
• Monitoring labour costs, food costs, and operational expenditure.
• Producing forecasts, financial reports, and business plans.
• Identifying opportunities to improve efficiencies whilst maintaining service quality.

• Leading, coaching and developing a team of managers, supervisors, and catering colleagues.
• Creating a positive, inclusive, and high-performance culture.
• Managing recruitment, succession planning, and employee development.
• Supporting investigations, grievance processes and performance management when required.
• Ensuring all colleagues receive appropriate training and development opportunities.

Ensuring full compliance with:

• HACCP and Food Safety legislation
• Health & Safety legislation
• HMPPS and Ministry of Justice requirements
• Aramark policies and procedures
• Contract specifications and service level agreements
• Leading audits and compliance reviews.
• Maintaining exceptional standards of governance and record keeping.

We are looking for an experienced operational leader who can confidently manage a large, complex contract and build trusted relationships at all levels.

• Significant experience managing large catering, hospitality, facilities management, or service contracts.
• Strong financial and commercial acumen with budget management experience.
• Proven leadership experience managing multi-disciplinary teams.
• Experience working within a highly regulated environment.
• Excellent stakeholder…