Food Hygiene Operative, Dishpatch

We are looking for a dedicated and proactive Food Hygiene Operative to join our Dishpatch team in North Greenwich. In this critical role, you will be the driving force behind ensuring a clean, safe, and highly compliant site environment.

Working across all production areas our Food Hygiene Operatives ensure that deep cleaning of production and fulfilment areas, equipment, and facilities and post cleaning checks consistently meet strict hygiene and food safety standards.

By executing thorough cleaning schedules, supporting chemical management, assisting with building management, and upholding the highest health, safety, and food standards, you will directly support our operational priorities and ensure our fulfilment and production areas operate flawlessly.

In addition to your contractual pay, any time worked between 22:00 - 06:00 will attract Night Premium at a rate of £3.75 per hour. This will also apply to existing Partners who have enrolled onto Enhanced Hours Premium arrangements.

About the Role

• Salary - £12.71 - £14.80 Hourly
• Contract type  - Permanent contract.
• Full time - 37.5 hours per week

Key responsibilities

• Maintain high cleanliness and hygiene standards across all areas, including warehouses, fulfilment and production areas, and external spaces.
• Complete daily cleaning and safety records to maintain audit-ready standards.
• Carry out periodic deep cleaning of critical areas in line with the site schedule.
• Uphold strict adherence to food, health, and safety protocols across all site services.
• Support the safe and compliant usage, handling, and inventory tracking of cleaning chemicals in line with company and regulatory guidelines.
• Proactively identify, report, and coordinate the prompt resolution of site defects and maintenance issues.
• Perform regular checks and safety audits to ensure consistent compliance.
• Provide timely, actionable reports on cleanliness, chemical inventory, and inspection outcomes to management.
• Collaborate effectively with the Hygiene & Cleaning Team Leader and the wider team to achieve consistently high audit scores and positive stakeholder feedback.

Essential skills/experience you’ll need

• Food Hygiene and Safety Level 2
• Proven understanding of cleaning processes, safe chemical handling (COSHH), and health and safety regulations. 
• Strong working knowledge of site compliance and audit processes. 
• Excellent time-management and organisational abilities, allowing you to seamlessly work to processes and schedules. 
• Effective communication and reporting skills to actively collaborate with your team and site management. 

Desirable skills/experience you may have

• COSHH Certification
• First Aid at Work Certification
• Food Industry Cleaning Experience: Prior experience in commercial kitchens, food manufacturing, or high-risk food production environments.
• Deep Cleaning of Kitchen Equipment: Hands-on experience with periodic deep cleaning and sanitation of food production machinery and catering equipment.

We’re the largest employee owned business in the UK and home of our cherished brands, John Lewis and Waitrose. We’re not just employees, we’re Partners, driven by our purpose to build a happier world. As we look to our future, there’s never been a more exciting time to join us.  

We’re ruthlessly focused on being brilliant at retail. We continue to innovate, adapt and diversify. Never Knowingly Undersold on price, quality and service in John Lewis and passionately serving food-lovers in Waitrose.   

As Partners we all share the responsibility of ownership and in its rewards. We use our voices to contribute to our success, working together through the good and challenging times, holding true to our behaviours and treating everyone with kindness and respect. 

We all own making the Partnership somewhere we belong. Embracing our differences and creating an environment where we’re free to be ourselves and can THRIVE. Growing ourselves individually, and as a collective. 

As Partners, we make all the difference. And, we all own it.  

Important points to note:  

It’s important to note that some of our roles are subject to pre-employment vetting (which may include DBS checks for successful candidates). If required, you’ll be informed and provided with information about vetting during the recruitment process and we encourage you to complete any vetting documents quickly to avoid delays. Any DBS checks required will be carried out by a third-party registered body and financial probity checks may also be required for some of our roles.  

We occasionally close vacancies early in the event we receive a high volume of applications, and therefore, we recommend you apply early. If you require a reasonable adjustment due to a disability which means you may need longer to complete your application please contact us as soon as possible.

We want all of our Partners to have a good work-life balance and we support flexible working. This might mean flexible or compressed hours, job sharing or shorter hour contracts, where possible. Please discuss this further with the hiring manager during your interview. 

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