Overview
Salary: Up To £80000.00 depending on experience
Shift hours: Full Time
Christ’s Hospital is a school like no other. Founded in 1552, this historic independent boarding school provides a first-class education to pupils from a wide variety of backgrounds. Its charitable mission to offer life-changing opportunities through bursaries is at the heart of everything the school does. Set in 1,200 acres of beautiful Sussex countryside with some of the most recognisable architecture in the UK independent sector, Christ’s Hospital blends centuries of tradition with a forward-thinking educational ethos.
Food and hospitality play a central role in daily life at Christ’s Hospital from nourishing over 900 pupils and staff within our exceptional kitchen and dining room to delivering hospitality events that reflect the school’s stature and ambition. We are now seeking an exceptional Contract Director to lead this prestigious contract, driving operational excellence, culinary innovation, and a service experience that mirrors the school’s distinctive identity.
Why Join Us
We believe in recognising and rewarding your contribution. Our comprehensive benefits package includes (but is not limited to):
- Contributory pension scheme
- Career development through our Career Pathways and MyLearning programmes
- Digital GP access and healthcare support for you and your immediate family
- Exclusive travel discounts with TUI, Expedia, Booking.com and more
- Grocery discounts with major retailers including Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons
- Up to 44% off cinema tickets
- Cashback rewards on a wide range of brands
- Free wellness, mindfulness and exercise classes
- Share your discounts with family and friends
- 27 Days Annual Leave + Bank Holidays
The Role
This is a high-profile leadership role, responsible for shaping and delivering the catering and hospitality vision at one of the most unique schools in the country. You’ll lead a large, diverse team of over 70 to provide exceptional daily service across breakfast, lunch and supper, as well as a café, match teas, packed meals, and a rich hospitality calendar that includes formal dinners, parent events, and celebrations.
Key responsibilities include:
- Strategic Leadership: Inspire and develop a team of managers to deliver an exceptional food and service experience aligned to Christ’s Hospital’s values and culture.
- Client Partnership: Build a strong strategic relationship with the school, acting as a trusted partner in enhancing the food and hospitality offer for over 900 pupils and staff.
- Commercial Excellence: Deliver financial targets, identify opportunities for innovation and efficiency, and ensure the contract achieves both operational and commercial success.
- Innovation & Engagement: Work with marketing and culinary teams to design age-appropriate, seasonal, and sustainable food concepts. Drive pupil engagement through tasting tables, feedback forums, and student committees to ensure the offer evolves with their needs.
- People Development: Recruit, train, and inspire talented individuals, creating a strong succession pipeline and embedding a culture of pride, professionalism, and continuous improvement.
- Operational Excellence: Uphold the highest standards of health & safety, compliance, food quality and service, ensuring every meal reflects the high standards expected in this prestigious environment.
About You
You’ll bring proven experience of leading large, complex teams across multiple sites or a high-profile single site, ideally within education, hospitality, or a similar sector. Commercially astute and operationally excellent, you’ll have:
- A strategic mindset with the ability to deliver day-to-day excellence while shaping long-term vision
- Strong financial acumen and experience managing significant budgets
- A genuine passion for food and service, with the ability to elevate the everyday into something special
- Exceptional leadership and stakeholder management skills
- Flexibility, resilience, and the ability to thrive in a dynamic, community-focused environment
A Rare Opportunity
This is the chance to lead a landmark contract in one of the UK’s most inspiring school settings. By combining your commercial expertise with a deep respect for Christ’s Hospital’s mission and history, you’ll help shape an experience that nourishes young people and reflects the school’s values every single day.
About Us
As part of Compass you’ll help to feed people, fuel progress and forge connections in around 6,000 venues. Join us to grow your career with the industry leader, and get competitive pay, great perks and unrivalled opportunities for learning and development, at one of the UK’s biggest businesses.
Compass Group UK&I is committed to fostering an environment where every individual can truly be themselves at work and has equal opportunities to advance in their careers. We strive to build a culture that respects and celebrates the unique talents, beliefs, backgrounds, and abilities of all our team members. We want our colleagues to feel valued, empowered to reach their full potential, and to thrive – because diversity is our strength!
Reference: compass/TP/1539176/199968
Location: Horsham
IMPORTANT: Before applying for this role, please make sure you have the right to work in the country where the role is based. Unless it clearly stipulates within in the job advert above that the hiring company is looking to or able to sponsor applicants it is deemed that the hiring employer will only consider applications from those able to comply with and work in the country where the role is based.
