Assistant Cook / The Link Academy

WMJobs; Dudley; On-site; GBP 18,000 - 24,000; Full time

Job summary

The Link Academy in Dudley is seeking an Assistant Cook to join our school kitchen team. You will assist with food preparation and cooking, ensuring quality, allergen compliance, and customer satisfaction.

You will also oversee stock ordering, rotation, hygiene standards, and use standard recipes, while supporting equipment maintenance and helping lead a catering team. Experience in large-scale catering and face-to-face service is highly valued.

Qualifications

• Experience in large-scale catering operations.
• Customer-facing service experience.
• Ability to plan menus and manage orders.
• Knowledge of food costings and budgeting.
• Administrative tasks and record keeping.

Responsibilities

• Assist with food preparation and cooking to quality standards.
• Present and serve food to learners and staff.
• Manage stock ordering and rotation.
• Maintain hygiene standards and allergen compliance.
• Oversee equipment maintenance and lead catering team.
• Support with admin tasks as required.

Skills

Large-scale catering

Face-to-face customer service

Menu planning

Food costings

Ordering

Admin tasks

Job description

Dudley Academies Trust,

The Link Academy are seeking an Assistant Cook to join our dynamic kitchen team. You will assist with food preparation and cooking, ensuring quality, allergen compliance, and customer satisfaction. Responsibilities include presenting and serving food, stock ordering and rotation, maintaining hygiene standards, and using standard recipes.

You will also oversee equipment maintenance and lead a catering team effectively. The ideal candidate will have experience in large-scale catering operations, face-to-face customer service, menu planning, ordering, food costings, and general admin tasks. If you are organised, reliable, and passionate about great food, we'd love to hear from you!

The Link Academy is in Netherton, Dudley, and draws pupils from across central and eastern Dudley as well as neighbouring Sandwell. There are currently some 1,000 learners on roll and the academy recruits at capacity. The principal, Emma Edwards-Morgan, is an ex-pupil of the school and shares the Trust's determination to restore the reputation for excellence that it once held.

The grades that learners achieve at GCSE have improved for four successive years, with a rise in the proportion of learners achieving Grade 5 or higher in both English and Mathematics from 23% to 41%. The progress that learners make while they are at school is now well above national average.

An Ofsted report in 2022 raised The Link Academy by two grades to be 'Good' across the board, a result only achieved by twelve other schools in the previous ten years.

The Trust recognises that our staff are our most value asset and investing in our people is a key strategic priority. An extensive program of staff development is operated within school and across the Trust, and this is extended to senior and middle leaders, aspiring leaders, and teaching and associate staff.

You will be joining The Link Academy at an exciting time as we continue our journey to provide first class education for the young people of Dudley

Closing date is Sunday 20th September 2026. We reserve the right to close this vacancy earlier than the date advertised.

All successful applicants will need to undertake an enhanced disclosure and barring service check and children and adults barred list checks, where the applicant will be employed in a regulated activity.

Dudley Academies Trust is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applicants from all backgrounds, including disabled, and black and ethnic minority applicants.