Catering Manager

About the Role

Saudi Gold Refinery Co. (SGR) is seeking a Catering Manager to oversee all food service operations for its corporate and site-based facilities in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. This full-time role is critical for maintaining workforce morale through reliable and high-quality food services, ensuring compliance with Saudi health regulations, and delivering consistent meal quality for site workers across 24/7 operations.

Key Responsibilities

The Catering Manager will report directly to the VP of HR and will be responsible for the following:

• Managing the end-to-end tendering and contracting process for catering services, ensuring vendors meet SGR’s quality, cost, and compliance standards.
• Conducting regular performance reviews and enforcing service level agreements to maintain consistent service delivery.
• Ensuring all catering operations strictly adhere to SFDA regulations and HACCP standards through regular audits and inspections.
• Coordinating with health authorities and implementing corrective actions for any hygiene or safety violations immediately.
• Developing and monitoring the annual catering budget, analyzing cost-per-meal metrics to identify savings opportunities.
• Verifying vendor invoices against actual service delivery to prevent overbilling and ensure financial discipline.
• Coordinating catering planning and logistics to ensure nutritious meals are available for all shift rotations, including night shifts.
• Working closely with operations supervisors to align dining schedules with production breaks and minimize downtime.
• Designing and monitoring rotating menus that cater to diverse cultural and dietary needs of the workforce.
• Conducting regular tasting sessions and quality checks to ensure food temperature, portion size, and presentation meet established standards.
• Implementing structured feedback mechanisms to capture employee opinions on food quality and service efficiency.
• Analyzing survey data and taking actionable steps to address common complaints or suggestions for improvement.
• Monitoring food waste generation and implementing strategies to reduce waste in line with SGR’s sustainability goals.
• Overseeing proper disposal methods and collaborating with waste management vendors to ensure environmental compliance.

Required Qualifications and Experience

Candidates for this position should meet the following criteria:

• Over 10 years of experience in catering management, preferably within a corporate or industrial setting.
• Demonstrated ability to manage catering budgets and optimize vendor performance.
• Strong understanding of Saudi health regulations, SFDA regulations, and HACCP standards.
• Experience in managing food service operations for 24/7 sites.

Performance Metrics

Success in this role will be measured by:

• Maintaining employee satisfaction scores for catering services above 85% in quarterly surveys.
• Achieving a 5% reduction in catering costs per meal through efficient waste management and negotiation.
• Ensuring zero major non-conformities during external SFDA or municipal health inspections.
• Successful renegotiation of primary catering contracts to include fixed pricing and enhanced service levels.
• Implementation of a digital feedback system to provide real-time data on service quality.
• Testing and proving effective contingency plans for catering disruptions with zero service interruptions.
• Completion of quarterly vendor performance reviews with documented corrective actions for any identified gaps.

Work Environment

This is a full-time position based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, requiring oversight of food service operations across various corporate and site-based facilities.