SyndicatedFractional COOCity of London, England, United Kingdom
Full-time COO, Luminary Bakery
FULL-TIME COO JOB · NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS SECTOR · CITY OF LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM
Full-time Managing Director (Operations) for a London-based social enterprise bakery chain, £70k/year, reporting to the Chair. Role combines strategic leadership with hands-on operational oversight across three locations and a new Kings Cross launch, managing retail, production, compliance, finance and people. Explicitly on-site majority of week; no fractional elements.
Full-time COO — the balanced verdict
Why this role stands out
- Clear strategic remit — leading next phase of growth including new site launch and scalable operating model
- Genuine ownership — full P&L responsibility, board reporting, multi-site leadership
- Purpose-driven — social enterprise context attracts mission-led operators seeking impact alongside commercial success
- Defined reporting line and cross-functional scope (retail, production, HR, compliance)
Worth checking before you apply
- Non-profit/social enterprise salary (£70k) may be below market for experienced MD in hospitality; verify budget headroom
- Genuine occupational requirement note signals protected characteristic criterion; ensure alignment with mission if female applicant pool is genuinely wider
- Heavy on-site requirement at multiple locations; no flexibility signalled for remote/flexible work
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Full-time COO — the posting in full
~/original-posting · verbatimsource: fantastic-jobs
NB: Due to the organisational importance, nature and requirements of this role, and the proximity and interaction with Luminary’s beneficiaries, it is a genuine occupational requirement under the Equality Act 2010 that the applicant for this role is female, in line with Luminary Bakery’s mission, objectives and Articles of Association.
Title: Managing Director (Operations)
Reports to: Luminary Bakery Chair, Luminary Bakery Board
Locations: Stoke Newington Café (N16), Hackney Downs Studios Production Kitchen (E8), Kings Cross (NC1) Café & Bakery and future locations as required. *Note, this role will be required on-site at one of these locations the majority of the working week.
Salary: £70,000 per annum
Hours: Full Time, 40 hours per week
Anticipated start date: January 2027
We’re looking for an operational leader to join Luminary Bakery at an exciting time of growth. As we expand our social enterprise, you’ll play a pivotal role in driving both commercial success and social impact, helping shape Luminary Bakery’s future while empowering disadvantaged women through employment and training opportunities.
About Luminary Bakery
Luminary Bakery is an award-winning social enterprise using baking as a tool for social change. Through our cafés, bakery production kitchen and commercial trading activities, we create employment opportunities, work experience placements and apprenticeships for women who have experienced violence, disadvantage and multiple barriers to employment.
We operate a retail café in Stoke Newington, a central production kitchen at Hackney Downs Studios and are preparing to open a new café and bakery concept in Kings Cross. As we enter our next stage of growth, we are seeking an experienced operational leader to strengthen our foundations, embed operational excellence and build a business that is commercially sustainable, socially impactful and recognised for industry-leading standards.
Purpose of the Role
Luminary Bakery are a small but ambitious organisation, and we're looking for someone who wants ownership and influence across the whole business as we enter this exciting phase of growth. The Managing Director is responsible for the overall performance, sustainability and operational success of Luminary Bakery.
This role combines strategic leadership with hands-on operational management. The successful candidate will oversee all retail, production, facilities, compliance, logistics and people functions across the business, ensuring every site operates safely, efficiently and profitably.
They will lead the next phase of Luminary Bakery's development, including the successful launch and operation of Kings Cross, the optimisation of Hackney Downs Studios production capacity, continuous improvement of Stoke Newington Café and the creation of a scalable operating model for future growth.
The Managing Director will champion a culture of accountability, quality, inclusion and continuous improvement and ensure Luminary Bakery remains a market-leading social enterprise.
Key Responsibilities
- Leadership, Finance & Strategy
- Lead the business and deliver the strategic objectives agreed with the Board. - acting as the senior leader and ambassador of Luminary Bakery.
- Develop and execute annual business plans, budgets and operational priorities, translating strategic goals into measurable KPIs across all departments.
- Maintain a high-performing leadership culture focused on accountability, ownership and collaboration.
- Prepare board & shareholder reports, and present operational and commercial performance to directors.
- Deliver agreed profitability, productivity and cash flow targets - work closely with the Finance Lead on budgets, forecasts and financial planning.
- Monitor labour, food costs, waste, overheads and operational KPIs - identify opportunities for automation, efficiency and cost reduction.
- Operations Oversight
Oversee the day-to-day operation of all Luminary Bakery sites, ensuring consistency, capacity management & performance across retail, production and delivery functions.
Drive continuous improvement in productivity, efficiency, quality and customer experience - establishing clear operating procedures and ensuring adherence across all locations.
Develop scalable systems capable of supporting future site openings and growth; identifying operational bottlenecks and implementing sustainable solutions.
Lead the development and implementation of sustainability, ESG and impact practices across the business, including assessing, initiating and managing relevant external accreditation processes such as B Corp certification.
Ensure production resources, labour planning and equipment utilisation are optimised - ensuring effective logistics, and developing data-led capacity planning models to support future growth.
Oversee procurement, supplier management and stock control systems.
- Kings Cross Growth
Operational responsibility for the successful performance of the Kings Cross café and bakery - taking ownership of stabilising and embedding the operating model, maintaining high standards and addressing operational issues quickly.
Ensure staffing, rotas, training and service standards deliver an excellent customer experience while maintaining operational and financial efficiency.
Ensure Kings Cross successfully integrates Luminary's social impact objectives, including work experience, apprenticeships and graduate employment opportunities.
Monitor performance against agreed sales, margin, labour, customer experience and operational targets, taking action where performance is below plan.
Undertake competitor and market analysis and identify opportunities to grow sales, profitability, partnerships and customer engagement.
Capture learning from Kings Cross to improve the wider business and develop a scalable operating model for future sites.
- Compliance, Food Safety & Facilities
- Hold overall responsibility for Health & Safety, Food Safety and operational compliance.
- Ensure compliance with HACCP, SALSA, allergen management and all statutory obligations.
- Lead regular audits and continuous improvement programmes.
Manage facilities, maintenance, contractors and service providers across all sites to ensure safe, welcoming and well-maintained environments for staff and customers.
Develop robust risk management and business continuity plans.
- People & Culture
- Lead, coach and develop managers across retail, production and support functions.
- Line Manage Head Baker, Sales Manager, Cafe Managers, HR Manager and Bookkeepers
Maintain a culture that reflects Luminary's values of Quality, Purpose, Community and Inclusivity - fostering an environment where continuous improvement and innovation are encouraged.
Ensure effective performance management and team development - maintaining high levels of engagement, wellbeing and retention.
Person Specification
Essential Experience
Senior leadership experience within hospitality, food production, retail or multi-site operations.
Experience managing multiple sites and diverse operational teams.
Strong understanding of food manufacturing, food safety and compliance.
Proven experience improving operational performance and profitability.
Experience leading change, growth projects or site openings.
Strong commercial and financial acumen.
Experience building and developing high-performing teams.
Desirable Experience
- Social enterprise, charity or purpose-led business experience.
- Experience opening new hospitality locations.
- SALSA, BRC, HACCP or equivalent food manufacturing experience.
- Experience leading ESG, sustainability or B Corp initiatives.
- Experience scaling businesses through systems, processes and operational infrastructure.
Personal Attributes
- Values-led leader with high integrity.
- Strategic thinker who is equally comfortable rolling up their sleeves operationally.
- Calm under pressure and highly resilient.
- Excellent communicator and relationship builder.
- Data-driven and solutions-focused.
- Passionate about social impact and women's empowerment.
- Committed to continuous improvement and operational excellence.
- Entrepreneurial mindset
How this role fits your repo
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The roleWhat it asksA certificationYears askedSkills the listing names
- Strategic leadership
- Operational management
- Financial acumen
- Food safety compliance
- Team development
- Change management
- Multi-site operations
- Budgeting
- KPI management
- Stakeholder management
- Logistics
- Procurement
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