Cafe Assistant Manager

Cafe Assistant Manager,
£24, 698 p.a (Grade 5.2),
35 hours per week (full time position).
34 days’ annual leave (full-time equivalent).

Thank you for your interest in the position of Café Assistant Manager at Kent Students’ Union Trading Ltd (KUTL); KUTL is the commercial arm of Kent Students’ Union. We are a vibrant, student-led organisation with a bright future ahead of us. After a challenging few years, we are going from strength to strength with a renewed focus and energy to amplify the voice of our members and ensure they have a fantastic student experience. Our driving force is our new strategy, which sets out our priorities over the next two years. Students are the reason Kent Students’ Union exists.

We are there through their university journey. Our amazing staff and volunteers work towards improving their experience, whether it’s helping them with their studies, practicalities of life or to have fun.

Kent Students’ Union operate a range of services for students at the Canterbury Campus of The University of Kent Retail shops, a Bar, a Café, a Nightclub and a children’s nursery.

The Library Café is a bustling café based at the heart of the Templeman Library. The Library Café Assistant Manager will be a key member of the Catering and Licensed Trade Department reporting directly to the Library Café General Manager. It is an exciting and transformational time to join the team as we continue to develop and grow. In 2015, the Library Café was relocated and extended as part of the Templeman Library’s £18m extension.

The post-holder will be a self-motivated, diligent and flexible individual who works well both in a team and on their own. They will achieve outstanding levels of customer service through effective staff management and will have experience of working in a catering operation.

Duties and Responsibilities

Operational Duties

To ensure the health and safety of staff, customers and suppliers, and specifically to undertake regular risk assessments and safety checks in line with the Union’s Health and Safety Policy.
To be responsible for the Health and Safety and proper maintenance of equipment within the outlet, to the high standard expected by the Union and specific legislation.
To ensure The Library Café’s compliance to Food Hygiene, Licensing and Health and Safety legislation.
To create a culture of excellence in customer service, ensuring that customers’ expectations are exceeded whenever possible and that the Go the Extra Mile scheme is key to our service.
To ensure optimum levels of staff are available to deliver consistently high levels of customer service.
To ensure that the Union’s Health, Safety and Well-being Policy and appropriate Health and Safety legislation is always adhered to, and to provide leadership in health and safety management for staff and customers.
To continuously engage with our customers, ensuring The Library Café stays on trend and continues to appeal to our diverse student market.
Carry out other duties and activities as reasonable be required to support colleagues in achieving Kent Students’ Union’s Plan.

People Responsibilities

To effectively communicate individual, team and organisational goals to all team members.
To give regular and constructive feedback, and ask for feedback from the team on how you are leading, managing and developing staff and act on it to improve performance.
To undertake performance reviews of direct reports, in line with Kent Students’ Union policy.
To encourage open feedback and debate from team members.
To effectively coach and mentor people to help achieve potential, and lead by example on continuous personal development.
To co-ordinate the work and monitor the workloads of direct reports, ensuring that staff levels are adequate and efficient.
To lead in the recruitment processes involved in employing new student staff.
To assist in the development of direct reports by encouraging a learning and development culture.
To support in continuously reviewing, planning and evaluating individual and department training needs.
To provide leadership, direction and coaching for direct reports and to set an example of being results focused and aiming to achieve excellence.
To ensure that Kent Students’ Union’s procedures on the employment and ongoing management of Tier 4 Student Staff is adhered to at all times.

Financial Responsibilities

To Support the Cafe Manager in controlling The Library Cafe budget by maximising profit through increasing sales, controlling costs and maximising profit margins.
To be responsible for the security and management of all resources including stock and cash, and to follow all Kent Students’ Union’s financial procedures.
To ensure all budgets are managed effectively, ensuring full adherence to Kent Students’ Union’s financial reporting procedures.

Expected Behaviours

To attend training sessions, and appropriate meetings as and when required by Kent Students’ Union.
To contribute to the positive image of Kent Students’ Union with students, University and the local community.
To lead by example and demonstrate a full understanding of the organisations democratic structures.
To undertake other tasks and responsibilities compatible with the level and nature of the post as required by your manager from time to time.
To ensure systems are in place to reduce Kent Students’ Unions’ impact on the environment.

This job description does not form part of the contract of employment.

What we’re looking for:

Person Specification
Essential requirements should be demonstrated before appointment and maintained in post. Desirable elements should be developed and maintained once in post as needed.
Qualifications	Essential	Desirable	Tested at Interview	Tested at application
Health & safety management qualification (e.g. IOSH Certificate in Managing Safety)		X		X
Food Hygiene Qualification		X		X
Experience	Essential	Desirable	Tested at Interview	Tested at application
Experience of managing/supervising a team of people and motivating them to provide the highest standards of customer service	X		X	X
Have experience in working with a range of IT systems, in particularly EPOS till systems	X		X	X
Have experience in stock management, and can demonstrate understanding of how this can contribute to the financial sustainability of an organisation	X		X	X
Have Barista/Café based experience at a supervisory level	X		X	X
Experience in catering and identifying new trends or initiatives		X	X
Knowledge	Essential	Desirable	Tested at Interview	Tested at application
Sound knowledge of how to control costs and maximise profit margins in order to contribute to the financial sustainability of the organisation	X		X	X
A good knowledge of health & safety legislation and best practice in the management of health and safety.	X		X	X
An awareness of the role of a Students’ Union within higher education, and how you could contribute to building a better future for students through this		X	X	X
Skills and Abilities	Essential	Desirable	Tested at Interview	Tested at application
Sound judgement and ability to handle competing priorities and a challenging workload in a pressurised environment	X		X	X
Ability to operate effectively in a complex environment, with the political skills and acumen to develop productive relationships with a range of people	X		X	X
Proficient in IT, Particularly Microsoft Office and Google Suite	X		X	X
A confident and resourceful manager who can operate in a complex environment and has credibility because of what they do and how they do it	X		X	X
Excellent communication skills, with the ability to relate to and communicate effectively with people at all levels	X		X	X
Values & Behaviours	Essential	Desirable	Tested at Interview	Tested at application
Evidence of a personal commitment to continuing professional development		X	X	X
A commitment to equality of opportunity; someone who builds a culture of inclusivity and removes barriers to diversity	X		X	X
A team player, who helps others build a successful team, celebrates others’ success and supports others to achieve individual and team goals	X		X	X
An effective manager or supervisor who is determined, and proactive		X	X	X

About the role:

Summary of terms

This is a full-time position.
The contracted hours are 35 hours per week
This post will be based at University of Kent, Canterbury Campus.

Salary

The salary for this post is: £24,698 – Grade 5.2 plus, a Performance Related element based on targets and objectives.

Probationary arrangements

This post is subject to a 6-month probationary period, with 1, 3 and 6-month reviews.

Notice Period

The notice period for this position is: 4 weeks

Annual Leave Entitlement

The post holder is entitled to 34 days’ leave; this is inclusive of 6 ‘customary’ days’, normally taken over Christmas, and the 8 statutory leave days for England. (full-time equivalent).

Pension

Staff who are ‘eligible jobholders’ (subject to the eligibility criteria as determined by the government from time to time) are automatically enrolled into the NEST Pension Scheme. NEST is a workplace pension scheme set up by the government but run independently as a trust. Your contribution to the scheme is 5% of the pensionable salary you receive each month, which is based upon your annual salary, and KUTL’s contribution is 3% of this pensionable salary.

Hours of Work

The contracted hours are 35 hours a week, with flexibility over work hours and times.

Work-Life Balance

Kent Students’ Union is committed to facilitating a healthy work-life balance and has cutting edge flexible working policies.

Equity, Diversity & Inclusion

We have recently implemented our new EDI strategy 2023-28 the Strategy is here to ensure equity and inclusion are a priority for Kent Students’ Union. Please see the full document here Link

Annually we review racial diversity within our workforce and it is a key priority for us to improve racial and ethnic diversity amongst our workforce, and as such we particularly welcome applications from Racially and Ethnically Marginalised People (REMP) and have introduced a REMP Priority Interview Scheme.

Pre-employment checks

All job offers are conditional on the receipt of two satisfactory references.

We are also obliged to check your identity and obtain proof of your right to work in the UK, which you will be asked to provide at interview if you are successfully shortlisted.

Induction and training

All new staff benefit from an induction from the HR Team and their own team, as well as ongoing support and personal development.

How to apply

To apply please submit your application online at www.ksu.co.uk/careers; please ensure that you pay particular attention in your application to detailing how your experience meets the requirements of the person specification and why you are interested in the position.

Completed applications must be received by: 14/08/2025 23:59

Interviews will be arranged by mutual agreement, likely to be week commencing 18th August 2025.

Website

Kent Students’ Union’s website contains further background information about Kent Students’ Union to help potential applicants. Potential applicants are encouraged to look at the website prior to applying; the website address is www.ksu.co.uk.

Further Information and Questions

If you require further information, please contact:

Name	Trish Morris
Job title	Café General Manager
Contact number	01227 824200
Email address	P.D.Morris@kent.ac.uk

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