Commercial Manager – Education Contract Caterers
Hiring Manager Note
We are building a more structured, more commercially effective Education business, and this role matters.
Green Gourmet has a clear ambition to double its Education business by June 2028. To achieve that, we need to grow with greater intent, build deeper customer partnerships and be more disciplined about where we focus, how we plan and how we convert opportunity into revenue.
This role is not about simply maintaining existing accounts. It is about building trusted relationships with education contract caterers, understanding where the pressure points and opportunities sit, and turning that insight into commercial action.
We are looking for someone who is commercially sharp, organised, credible with customers and genuinely motivated by growth.
Location: England, field-based / hybrid
Office requirement: Minimum two days per month in Stroud
Reports to: Senior Commercial Manager – Education
Package: Up to £55k DOE + company car, Tesla Model 3 + bonus structure + Green Gourmet benefits
Travel: Regular national travel across England to customer sites, meetings and industry events, fully expensed
About Green Gourmet
Green Gourmet is an ambitious, privately led food business with a clear growth agenda.
Our Education Business Unit supplies food solutions into the UK education sector, working with customers across contract catering, foodservice and school meal provision.
We are also a certified B Corp business, focused on combining strong commercial performance with responsible food production and a positive impact on people and communities.
We expect high standards, support one another and take pride in delivering results together. Our culture is built around accountability, resilience and continuous improvement, while recognising that long-term performance depends on the wellbeing and energy of our people.
The Opportunity
This is a commercially important role with real autonomy, visibility and growth potential.
You will own and grow a portfolio of education contract caterer accounts, build relationships across multiple stakeholder groups and help shape a more proactive commercial model within the Education Business Unit.
You will not be here simply to manage an inherited customer base. You will be here to grow it. This is a strong opportunity for someone who wants to make a measurable commercial impact, build momentum and play a visible part in the next phase of Green Gourmet’s growth.
What You Will Do
You will:
· Own and grow a portfolio of complex education contract caterer accounts through structured account development.
· Deliver revenue growth through menu cycles, regional tenders, innovation opportunities and in-year activity.
· Build trusted, multi-level relationships across customer commercial, operational, culinary and procurement teams.
· Identify and convert new commercial opportunities within existing and prospective contract caterer customers.
· Manage forecasting, pipeline and account performance using a structured, data-led approach.
· Use Excel and commercial analysis to support account plans, forecasts, pricing decisions and opportunity prioritisation.
· Navigate complex customer environments and work cross-functionally internally to unlock growth.
· Feed customer insight back into the business with clear, solution-led recommendations.
How Success Will Be Measured
Success in this role will be measured by:
· Revenue growth across the education contract caterer portfolio within 12–18 months.
· New contract wins through menu cycles, tenders and innovation briefs.
· Retention and renewal of key accounts.
· Expansion of menu, regional or category share where commercially viable.
· A healthy, forward-looking pipeline with enough quality and value to support growth targets.
· Improved quality of revenue through disciplined ranging, pricing and commercial decision-making.
· Strong senior-level customer relationships across the portfolio.
· Clear account plans and disciplined forecasting.
· Contribution to wider Education Business Unit growth objectives.
What We Are Looking For
You are likely to have experience in account management, commercial management, national accounts or customer-facing commercial roles within foodservice.
You will need to bring:
· A proven track record of growing customer accounts, with clear examples of revenue wins.
· Experience managing complex, high-value customers with multiple stakeholders.
· Foodservice experience, ideally with exposure to contract caterers, education catering or public-sector foodservice.
· Understanding of structured buying processes, menu cycles, tenders or equivalent customer decision routes.
· Strong commercial judgement and negotiation capability.
· The ability to operate in a fast-moving environment without needing perfect information.
· Confidence turning unclear commercial issues into defined, solvable problems.
· Strong analytical capability, especially in Excel.
· Credibility when presenting to senior customers.
· Openness to challenge, feedback and continuous improvement.
You Will Probably Suit This Role If You Are
· Highly personable and relationship-driven.
· Commercially curious and growth-minded.
· Proactive, autonomous and self-motivated.
· Organised, structured and strong on follow-through.
· Resilient, adaptable and comfortable with change.
· Energised by building something stronger, rather than simply maintaining what already exists.
Non-Negotiables
You must have:
· Proven experience owning and growing revenue within complex customer accounts.
· Foodservice industry experience.
· Exposure to structured buying processes, formal menu cycles, tenders or similar commercial decision routes.
Nice to Have
It would be helpful, but not essential, if you have:
· Direct experience within education catering or public-sector foodservice.
· Existing relationships with UK education contract caterers or procurement houses.
· Experience influencing menus, innovation or range decisions with customers.
· Experience in a high-growth or commercially transforming business.
Why Join Now?
Green Gourmet’s Education Business Unit is moving from reactive selling towards a more structured, account-led commercial model.
This role is part of that shift.
It is an opportunity to help shape how we grow, how we show up with customers and how we win.
Next Steps
If this sounds like the right challenge, we would like to hear from you.
Initial conversations will be confidential and exploratory.
