Contract Director

A prestigious independent school in Southwest London is seeking a high-performing Account Director to oversee a £2M+ annual catering and hospitality contract. This senior leadership role involves managing complex operations, including daily dining, residential catering, and commercial events. The successful candidate will lead a team of department heads, ensure service excellence, and optimise commercial potential while maintaining strong relationships with clients. Ideal candidates should possess senior-level experience in contract catering or high-end hospitality, alongside a strong commercial mindset, financial acumen, and effective leadership skills. This position offers a competitive salary and excellent benefits.

Catering Contract Director
Education Sector & Commercial venue
Southwest London
Salary: £65,000 + excellent benefits package
We’re looking for a high-performing Account Director to take full ownership of a prestigious, multi-site catering and hospitality contract at a prominent independent school in Southwest London.
This is a senior leadership role overseeing a £2M+ annual operation that spans daily dining, residential catering, and a dynamic commercial events portfolio.
You’ll need proven experience managing complex venue-based operations, leading senior teams, and driving both service excellence & commercial return.
The Account Director will be responsible for end-to-end delivery of all food services, high-end internal hospitality, and a robust external events and revenue-generating venue hires—working closely with senior school stakeholders and external clients.
Key Responsibilities

• Lead and manage a team of department heads across catering, events, and front-of-house functions.
• Deliver consistently high standards across daily dining, boarding provision, staff meals, and event catering.
• Maximise the commercial potential of the site through strategic use of facilities and hospitality services.
• Manage and report on a £2M+ annual budget with full P&L accountability.
• Identify growth opportunities across internal services and external hires.
• Develop and maintain senior-level relationships with clients and partners.
• Champion innovation, efficiency, and continual improvement across all areas of the operation.

Ideal Candidate Profile

• Senior-level experience in contract catering, high-end hospitality, or venue/event operations.
• Strong commercial mindset with a history of driving profitability in multi-million-pound environments.
• Track record of managing departmental heads and large, multi-disciplinary teams.
• Excellent understanding of large-scale catering logistics and event operations.
• Strong financial acumen, confident in budgeting, forecasting, and strategic planning.
• Able to lead at both strategic and operational levels.
• Confident communicator, client-focused, and outcomes-driven.

This role is ideal for a commercially focused, strategically minded hospitality leader ready to own and evolve a complex, high-profile operation.

AMRT1_UKCT