Please note:
This position is being advertised on behalf of Hull University Students' Union.
To apply for this position, please visit - Assistant Kitchen Manager | Hull University Students' Union - Work with Us powered by StaffSavvy
We're looking for an energetic, hands-on Assistant Kitchen Manager to join our vibrant Wetherspoon franchise right in the heart of the student union. Shifts will be on a rota basis with the expectation of working across our opening times, which include late finishes and weekends. With potentially no trading between Christmas and New Year and greater flexibility for holidays during the quieter spring and summer months, this is a rare opportunity to be part of a buzzing Wetherspoon franchise and enjoy a healthier work-life balance. If you're passionate about great service and leading by example in a fast paced environment, this could be your next great move.
A Little Bit About Us
Hull University Students’ Union is a Charity, with a large Commercial subsidiary; our primary purposes are:
* Advancement of education, promoting the interests and welfare of students during study and representing, supporting and advising students.
* Being the recognised representative channel between students and the University of Hull and other representative bodies.
* Providing social, cultural sporting, recreational activities, and forums for discussions and debate for the personal development of its students.
Our Commercial Subsidiary provides a range of services for students including, a Supermarket, a pub, a nightclub, coffee and food outlets.
Our Values:
Inclusive - We actively support Equality and Diversity we adapt our services to reflect and meet the evolving needs of our members.
Innovative – We look to the future seeking new opportunities, collaborations and partnerships; we are imaginative, creative and progressive
Positive – We continually work to improve your Union, we are confident, optimistic and solution focused.
Fun – We focus on making your time at University as enjoyable as possible.
Supportive – We listen, look out for your best interests and make sure your voice is heard.
About The Role
The Assistant Kitchen Manager's role is essential in ensuring our customers receive a first-class service, demonstrating your excellent customer service skills along with your proven ability to motivate, supervise, and support others. The key responsibilities are-
General Duties And Responsibilities
* To support, lead and motivate the team to meet sales, profit and compliance targets.
* To run shifts and work unsupervised, to achieve the following on a day-to-day basis:
* Adhere to Wetherspoon’s standard operating procedures (SOPs) and company policies, to maintain a clean, safe and legal workplace.
* Maintain personal knowledge by completing internal and external training courses.
* Deliver consistently high standards of cleanliness, quality, service, maintenance and atmosphere (CQSMA), proactively managing results which fall below expectations.
* Ensure that the kitchen opening and closing procedures are adhered to.
* Adopt a stand back and look (SBAL) approach to ensure that all areas are correctly presented throughout the day.
* Prepare, cook and present all food to JDW standards.
* Achieve food-delivery-time targets at all times.
* Be aware of, and knowledgeable about, all promotions, events and new products in Sanctuary/Asylum, sharing your knowledge with the team to ensure that it has the latest information.
* Take pride in maintaining the highest standards of cleanliness by adopting our clean-as-you-go philosophy for all areas. Ensure that the kitchen is cleaned and maintained in accordance with guidelines throughout the day. Ensure that the team actions any points raised on kitchen checks in a timely manner.
* Respond to any customer feedback in a positive and helpful manner, seeking support, if required – reviewing all customer feedback with the management team and identifying/actioning any training needs.
In addition, to:
* Ensure that all training materials and kitchen documents are up to date and displayed correctly.
* Maintain office administration, in line with HUSU policies and procedures and JDW procedures, ensuring compliance of general data protection regulations (GDPR), including use of duty manager log books, CCTV, keys, cash, safe and storage of paperwork.
* Have knowledge of and use the HUSU’s systems, including kitchen screen reporting system, property management systems and HR systems.
* Ensure that all accidents, incidents and serious food complaints are recorded, following HUSU’s procedures.
* Take responsibility in achieving all financial targets set for the kitchen by taking proactive steps to build sales and control costs.
* Work with the Kitchen Manager to:
* Forecast sales and associated costs.
* Review and manage all aspects of the profit and loss account.
* Maximise sales opportunities.
* Know your competitors and their current pricing/activities.
* Know your customer base (local businesses, students).
* Manage stock holdings and minimise shrinkage:
* Monitoring correct portion sizes of products.
* Maintaining appropriate order levels and receiving deliveries, ensuring full availability of products at all times.
* Investigating and reporting any anomalies, as required.
* Completing daily line checks and logging all wastage.
* Complete manager’s own stock (MOS), analyse and communicate results, introduce and manage any actions required for improvement (e.g. additional grab tests to control portion sizes).
* Assist in achieving all people-related targets:
* Identify recruitment needs, search and selection activities and the appointment of staff, in line with HUSU’s Recruitment Policy and procedures.
* Conduct new employee inductions.
* Hold probation and training review meetings; ensure that all training is completed to the required standard and within the set time frames. Agree on actions for improvement, development and progression to support a strong succession plan in the kitchen.
* Manage all formal meetings with the kitchen team, e.g. absence review meetings and disciplinary meetings. Respond promptly and appropriately to any staff concerns or grievances.
* Effectively and proactively manage the day-to-day performance and attendance of the team, as required.
* Manage accurate rota development, in line with sales and hours forecasts. Be reactive with hours, in line with weekly sales.
* Monitor and manage all maintenance issues and supervise maintenance contractors.
* Take part in weekly blue-bag meetings and monthly business review meetings with your area manager, agreeing on/actioning all targets set.
* Read the weekly management action pack, associated documents and all operational and marketing briefs to remain up to date with all of the latest information. Any points noted should be actioned.
* (if required and once trained) maintain safe and correct handling of all cash, in line with the company’s cash control policy, reporting any cash issues to the pub manager.
* Make the working environment safe, legal and comfortable, by adhering to and enforcing:
* Standard operating procedures (sops).
* Age verification policy (including Challenge 21/25).
* Prevention of drunkenness and disorderly behaviour policy (Don’t do Drunk).
* Equal opportunities – equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) policy, including antiharassment policies.
* Cash control policy – safe and correct handling of all cash.
* All legislation, including licensing law, trading standards and customs and excise regulations.
* Food safety policies, ensuring that five-star ratings are achieved or maintained. Know how to welcome and assist EHOS in your pub.
* Health and safety and security procedures, including COSHH, daily fire checks and loss prevention.
* Ensure confidentiality at all times in the handling and dissemination of information and data and embedding and implementing GDPR across the workload.
* Carry out all duties in line with HUSU’s policies and in line with the organisation’s values and strategic aims.
* Maintain an awareness of issues and practice in Students’ Unions nationally in order to build on good practice and identify trends, innovation and development opportunities. Make connections and network with colleagues across the UK and internationally.
* Carry out other duties as may be required from time to time under the overall scope of your role or as instructed by the Kitchen Manager, Bars General Manager or persons appointed by the Kitchen Manager or Bars General Manager.
Number of:
* direct reports: 6-8 Kitchen Shift Leaders & 40 Kitchen Associates
Budget responsibility
* direct budget: Any financial responsibility is in line with the HUSU Financial Framework
Essential
About You
Qualifications & Training
* 5 GCSE level/equivalent – grade C and above including English and Maths.
* Food Hygiene Level 2 or equivalent.
Experience
* Supervisory or management experience in a kitchen setting
* Working in a fast passed catering of kitchen environment
Skills/Ability/Knowledge
Customer focus
* Be friendly, smiley, sociable and welcoming to our customers, to create a great atmosphere
* Remain calm, patient and polite, if receiving customer feedback
* Be helpful and go out of your way to help our customers
Drive
* Be confident and self-motivated.
* Demonstrate a passionate commitment to the business.
* Welcome and embrace change, with a positive attitude.
* Be able to work unsupervised in a busy environment.
* Be able to prioritise duties.
Personal integrity
* Be honest and reliable.
* Be trustworthy and respectful.
* Be appropriately dressed.
* Maintain excellent time-keeping and attendance.
* Be professional at all times.
Team work
* Always be a good team player.
* Build and maintain good relationships with all team members.
* Work together with the team to ensure that the venues are the best they can be.
* Be willing to take on jobs to balance the team workload.
Developing self and others
* Be motivated to learn and develop self.
* Seek feedback and invest time in personal development.
* Supervise, train and develop others.
* Support, encourage and motivate others.
* Coach, guide and give feedback to others.
Managing change
* Remain flexible with regards to assigned area of responsibility.
* Welcome and embrace change, with a positive attitude.
* Understand the need for change.
* Look for opportunity to improve areas of the venues and business.
Gaining commitment
* Communicate clearly to colleagues and customers.
* Gain commitment of others by using own knowledge.
* Act as a role model.
Analysing and decision-making
* Understand information quickly and accurately.
* Resolve problems using current guidelines.
* Be able to work independently and know when to escalate issues.
* Be able to communicate well with people of all levels and all department across the organisation and external stakeholders.
Managing performance
* Manage both good and poor performance.
* Be accountable for meeting and exceeding objectives.
* Be able to identify when objectives are not going to be delivered and act to ensure that targets are met.
* Be effective in planning own time.
* Make work fun.
Systems
* Highly proficient in Microsoft Office.
* Experience of using EPOS systems
Desirable
Qualifications & Training
* Food Hygiene Level 2
Experience
* Management in a high turnover F&B business.
* Experience of working in a JDW site.
* Experience in ordering, stock taking.
Skills/Ability/Knowledge
* Knowledge of the higher education sector.
* Knowledge of conflict resolution.
Benefits
* Generous annual leave entitlement (full-time entitlement is 27 days plus bank holidays)
* 3 additional statutory holidays days to be taken between Christmas and New Year
* Employer funded Health Cash Plan
* Discount in our SPAR shop, Wetherspoon Sanctuary, and Asylum, plus an opportunity to get free tickets to events.
* Employee Assistance Programme
* Shopping discounts and rewards
* On-site parking at a minimal cost
* Discounted membership at Hull University Sport and Fitness Centre
* One day paid Volunteering day a year
* Option to attend all staff event days
* Staff feeding includes a meal and a drink from a selection of the menu.
Additional Information
We are committed to ensuring our workforce accurately reflects the diversity of the world we live in. We positively encourage applications from all individuals irrespective of gender, age, home country, ethnic background, sexuality, religious beliefs or disability.
All candidates will be treated equally and all appointments made on merit.
If you require any further information or wish to discuss this role please email HUSU-HR@hull.ac.uk or telephone 01482 466755.
We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive a high number of applicants.
Closing date: Thursday 17th July 2025, 11:45 pm.
Interviews will be held on Tuesday 22nd July 2025.
To Apply:
Please use the following link to apply directly on the Hull University Students' Union's website
Assistant Kitchen Manager | Hull University Students' Union - Work with Us powered by StaffSavvy
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