CESSAC Manager; Hospitality & Catering

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Part-time: (minimum 3 days pw, approx. 22.5 hrs)
Hybrid role: home-based with regular travel (including occasional overnight stays)
Reports to: Director of Operations
Closing date: 13 March 2026

Are you an experienced hospitality manager looking for a genuinely rewarding role where your work has a tangible impact on the lived experience of the serving military community? CESSAC is seeking a UK Area Manager to lead and support six cafés on military sites, helping to create welcoming, well-run spaces that directly support morale, welfare and everyday life.

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The Church of England Soldiers’, Sailors’ and Airmen’s Clubs (CESSAC) is a long-established tri-service charity dedicated to supporting serving personnel, veterans and their families. Through our cafés on military sites, we provide affordable, friendly places to eat, meet and connect, playing a quiet but important role in morale, welfare and everyday life.

We are now seeking a UK Area Manager (Hospitality & Catering) to provide hands-on leadership, guidance and practical support across six cafés located broadly along the M3 / M25 / A34 / A14 corridors. Working closely with the Director of Operations, you will:

• lead, coach and support Café Managers and their teams;
• ensure each location operates safely, compliantly and to its full potential;
• balance commercial awareness with a strong sense of charitable purpose; and
• build trusted relationships with military stakeholders at each site.

This is a varied, people-focused and highly rewarding role, combining operational leadership, staff development and stakeholder engagement. The post is part-time (minimum three days per week), hybrid in nature, and involves regular travel with occasional overnight stays.

You will bring experience in hospitality, catering or retail operations (ideally across multiple sites), along with strong people-management and communication skills. Experience of the Armed Forces or the charity sector would be welcomed, but is not essential.

Salary: £35,000 – £42,000 per annum (FTE), pro-rata, dependent on experience and qualifications

Other benefits: Defined Contribution Pension Scheme, Employee Assistance Programme, generous Annual Leave Allowance.

How to apply

Please submit a CV and a short covering statement outlining your suitability to: (for the attention of Mrs Sarah Gittins)

Appointments are subject to references, security vetting and background checks. Applicants must have the right to work in the UK and hold a full driving licence.