Description Unit Manager - Catering Pentland primary school Salary: £29,173- £33,287 (pro-rata for part-time and sessional) Hours: 35 per week, 38 weeks sessional It is an exciting time to join Edinburgh Catering Services as we continue to grow our school meals service. Help us feed the next generation in Edinburgh! We are looking for passionate, motivated colleagues to join our school food revolution. Our school kitchen colleagues are at the frontline of creating positive change for the 26,000 pupils we serve every day – come and join our school food revolution! This post is regulated work with children and/or protected adults under the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007. The preferred candidate will be required to join the PVG Scheme or undergo a PVG Scheme update check. Where an individual has spent a continuous period of 3 months or more out with the UK in the last 5 years, an Overseas Criminal Record Check will be required. You will be required to provide this check. A n unconditional offer of employment and commencement in the post will be subject to the outcome of both these pre-employment checks being deemed satisfactory. We're committed to creating a workplace culture where all our people feel valued, included and able to be their best at work, and we recognise the benefits that a diverse workforce with different values, beliefs, experience, and backgrounds brings to us as an organisation. As part of our goal to improve our organisational culture and create a great place to work together for the people of Edinburgh, we want to make sure that we’re bringing the best people into our roles, not just in their skills and experience but also in their approach to work. To help achieve this, we’re changing the way we interview and assess candidates by moving from a competency-based interview approach to a behavioural and technical (skills for the job) based approach. This new way of interviewing will allow us to assess how you think and how you would bring Our Behaviours of Respect, Integrity and Flexibility into your ways of working. You can find out more on Our Behaviours web page Our Behaviours – The City of Edinburgh Council Our salary range typically reflects the initial starting salary and annually increases until it reaches the top of the range. Happy to talk flexible working. Follow us on X at @edincounciljobs View Unit Manager - Catering job View Sessional Working information Responsibilities Purpose of Job To supervise, organise and directly participate in the provision of a cafeteria/traditional meal and hospitality catering service to schools, lunch clubs and others. This will encompass direct control over staff management, production, stock control and the maintenance of the Quality System documentation and practices on a daily basis. Major Tasks Food preparation and cooking of meals for functions for children and adults. Food service and customer care Ensuring high standards of hygiene which comply with Health and Safety regulations and food safety legislation. Supervision/man-management. Completing paperwork. Job Activities To provide appropriate diets for children/clients with medically prescribed/ethnic diets. To organise and participate in the preparation, baking, cooking and serving of all foods. To provide a transported meal service as required. To organise cost and participate in providing catering for functions as required. Ensure food safety standards are adhered to in accordance with Cook Safe/HACCP systems. To recruit, deliver induction and on the job training to departmental standards. Record and monitor absence and carry out return to work interviews and counselling where necessary. Manage staff performance and take appropriate action in accordance with the Disciplinary Procedure up to Counselling level. To organise and supervise the kitchen and serving duties of all staff on site and at dining centres where appropriate and to deal with daily staffing issues. To ensure paperwork is completed in relation to staff training and staff records. To report all maintenance requirements in relation to premises and equipment to ensure a safe working environment. To ensure that all ordering/ invoicing procedures and food documentation are properly maintained and the appropriate returns are made to the Edinburgh Catering Services Head Office on a weekly/monthly basis. To ensure financial targets are met in order to maximise profits (gross profit, staffing expenditure, recording purchases, taking stock, recording income, trading accounts etc). Conduct Unit Inspections on an annual basis (where responsible for Dining Centres). Oversee cashless systems (where applicable). Supervision and Management of People (Numbers and type of staff) To be a proactive and reactive Team Leader. To manage Cooks, Assistant Cooks, Catering Assistants (Kitchen Porters to ensure efficient service delivery). Creativity and Innovation To meet the needs and changing needs of the customer, responding to any changes in taste or culture. Expected to use imagination and innovation in both the presentation and variety of meals. Organise and participate in providing catering for functions as required (e.g. liaise with the client, create new menu, source food, presentation and costing). To adapt and react to emergency situations (e.g. reorganising staff and food transport to cover other units, changing menus). Promotion of planned theme days. (E.g. creating and composing the menus, marketing the theme day). Contacts and Relationships Day to day contact, both on site and remotely where applicable, with Head Teacher, Business Manager and School Support Staff with regards to the service provision. Daily contact with sub contractors (e.g. ordering food, deal with complaints, receiving deliveries, liaising with maintenance personnel etc.). Daily contact with transported meal driver where applicable. Contact with other Supervisors as and when required. Daily contact with Catering Area and Assistant Area Managers, Field Supervisors with regards to function requests and staff matters such as discipline and absence. Daily contact during food service with vulnerable customers. Meeting with parents as and when required with regards to special dietary requirements. Attendance at parent/pupil counsel by request to discuss service provision (normally once a term). Decisions (Discretion) Prioritising work load to ensure deadlines are met. Implementation of absence management procedures in line with council policy. Decide and implement actions to comply with Health and Safety and Food Safety legislation. Ensure quality of food is of a consistently high standard. Deciding quantity of food to order according to existing stock levels. Be able to respond to emergency situations and decide on appropriate action required. Deciding when it is appropriate to counsel staff. Decisions (Consequences) Ensuring food is safe for consumption within legal guidelines to adhere to food safety legislation. To ensure staff are working in a safe environment and are appropriately trained and that training is documented. Resources To ensure equipment and premises are well maintained. To ensure premises are secured at close of day. To ensure stock levels are held at acceptable levels. To ensure staff information is kept confidential. To ensure targets are met and budgets are adhered to. Environment – Work Demands Work subject to daily timescales for food preparation and service (e.g. morning service, break service, transported meals, lunch service, clearing up). Timely ordering of food supplies. Responding daily to staff shortages or other emergencies (e.g. food spillages, accidents, equipment failure etc.). Knowledge and Skills Knowledge of how to operate all machinery within a kitchen environment. Working knowledge of specific dietary requirements. Knowledge of relevant Council Policies and Procedures relating to staff management (e.g. absence management and discipline). City and Guilds 7061/2 or Scotvec equivalent or relevant practical cooking skills. Communication skills (e.g. delegating work). Numeracy skills.