Assistant Manager

Compass Group UK; City Of London; On-site; GBP 26,000 - 34,000; Full time

Job summary

Restaurant Associates in London is seeking an Assistant Manager to join our team at a client site in King's Cross. You will help run a high-quality café operation and support seminars, conferences and events on site.

You'll lead shifts, maintain high service standards, and ensure events run smoothly with strong client and guest focus. A hands-on leader with passion for hospitality and excellent teamwork is essential.

Qualifications

• Full flexibility with availability; full-time role 5 days a week across shifts.
• Experience in supervisory, team leader or assistant management role within hospitality, catering, cafés, restaurants or events.
• Experience leading a team and maintaining consistently high standards.
• Strong understanding of food safety, allergen management, health & safety and compliance.
• Understanding of stock control, ordering, waste management and day-to-day operational processes.
• Genuine passion for hospitality and delivering outstanding service.
• Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities.
• Confidence working across both café and event environments.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to build relationships at all levels.
• A proactive, positive and solutions-focused approach.
• A keen eye for detail and a commitment to getting things right.
• Hands-on attitude and willingness to lead from the front.

Responsibilities

• Support the Site Manager with the smooth running of the café and wider hospitality operation.
• Lead and support the team on shift, setting high standards for service, hospitality and presentation.
• Help deliver an exceptional customer experience across the café.
• Support the planning and delivery of hospitality for events, seminars, conferences and meetings.
• Ensure event spaces are prepared, presented and serviced to a high standard.
• Work closely with clients, event organisers and internal teams to ensure events run smoothly.
• Be hands-on during events, anticipate needs and respond confidently to challenges.
• Support stock management, ordering, waste reduction and other day-to-day operational processes.
• Support team briefings, training, coaching and development.
• Maintain high standards of food safety, allergen management, health & safety and compliance.
• Build strong, professional relationships with clients, customers and colleagues.
• Take ownership of the operation when the Site Manager is not on site.

Skills

Team leadership

Communication

Organisation

Customer service

Attention to detail

Job description

Assistant Manager - Café & Events

Want to be part of something exceptional?

We're looking for an Assistant Manager to join our Restaurant Associates team at an exciting client site in King's Cross, London.

This is a role where no two days are quite the same. You'll work alongside the Site Manager to help run a high-quality café operation, while also playing a key role in supporting seminars, conferences, meetings and events on site.

From leading the team through a busy café service to making sure an important event runs seamlessly, you'll be at the heart of the operation - creating great experiences for every guest, every day.

What you'll be doing

• Supporting the Site Manager with the smooth running of the café and wider hospitality operation.
• Leading and supporting the team on shift, setting high standards for service, hospitality and presentation.
• Helping deliver an exceptional customer experience across the café.
• Supporting the planning and delivery of hospitality for events, seminars, conferences and meetings.
• Ensuring event spaces are prepared, presented and serviced to a high standard.
• Working closely with clients, event organisers and internal teams to ensure events run smoothly.
• Being hands-on during events, anticipating needs and responding confidently to any challenges.
• Supporting stock management, ordering, waste reduction and other day-to-day operational processes.
• Supporting team briefings, training, coaching and development.
• Maintaining high standards of food safety, allergen management, health & safety and compliance.
• Building strong, professional relationships with clients, customers and colleagues.
• Taking ownership of the operation when the Site Manager is not on site.

What we're looking for

You're an experienced hospitality professional who takes pride in what you do and enjoys being part of a team. You'll ideally have:

• Full flexibility with your availability, as this is a full-time role working 5 days a week across a variety of shifts.
• Experience in a supervisory, team leader or assistant management role within hospitality, catering, cafés, restaurants or events.
• Experience leading a team and maintaining consistently high standards.
• A good understanding of food safety, allergen management, health & safety and general hospitality compliance.
• An understanding of stock control, ordering, waste management and day-to-day operational processes.
• A genuine passion for hospitality and delivering outstanding service.
• Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities.
• Confidence working across both café and event environments.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to build relationships at all levels.
• A proactive, positive and solutions-focused approach.
• A keen eye for detail and a commitment to getting things right.
• A hands-on attitude and the willingness to lead from the front.

Why Restaurant Associates?

This is an opportunity to develop your career in premium workplace hospitality, with exposure to café operations, events, conferences, client relationships and team leadership.

You'll be joining a team where great hospitality is about more than what's on the menu - it's about creating experiences that people remember.

If you're ready to bring your energy, passion and ideas to a role where every day brings something different, we'd love to hear from you.