Assistant Cafe Manager

Kent Students' Union; Canterbury; On-site; GBP 24,000; Full time

Job summary

A vibrant student organization in Canterbury is seeking an experienced Assistant Cafe Manager. You will lead a team, ensuring high levels of customer service and compliance with health and safety standards while managing budgets. Ideal candidates have a background in catering with strong leadership and operational skills. This full-time position offers £24,698 per year and multiple employee benefits.

Qualifications

• Experience in a catering operation.
• Strong self-motivation and flexibility.
• Diligent with a focus on customer service.

Responsibilities

• Ensure health and safety compliance.
• Lead and develop café staff.
• Maximize profitability through budget management.

Skills

Customer service excellence

Staff management

Health and safety compliance

Budget management

Job description

Overview

Assistant Cafe 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 Assistant Cafe 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. Please see our careers website for the full job spec and person spec.

How to apply

To apply please submit your application online at www.ksu.co.uk/careers to include a copy of your CV; 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 ASAP

Interviews from Friday 19th September 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 iswww.ksu.co.uk.

If you require further information, please contact:

Trish Morris, Café General Manager

01227 824200

[e-mail]