Duty Manager

Wilson Vale; Oxford; On-site; GBP 15,000 - 21,000; Part time

Job summary

Rhodes House, Oxford (OX1 3RG), is recruiting a Duty Manager to join Wilson Vale on a casual, zero-hour contract. Shifts rota between 6am and midnight, seven days a week to accommodate events including BBQs, fine dining, conferences and weddings.

The role requires leading a busy hospitality team, delivering exceptional food and service while maintaining client confidence through clear communication and strong organisational skills.

Responsibilities

• Oversee the delivery of all hospitality services across breakfast, lunch, and dinner, including buffets, conferencing, fine dining, canapés, BBQs, and more
• Manage the catering team during events with diligence, ensuring both efficiency and exceptional service standards
• Take an entirely hands-on, team-focused approach to operations
• Maintain a professional and confident communication style with clients to instil trust and assurance
• Manage a large team, providing clear leadership and direction
• Oversee the day-to-day operations of the venue
• Ensure that all customer requirements are consistently met and exceeded
• Lead staff development, including training, mentoring, and motivating team members
• Demonstrate a genuine passion for great food and outstanding service
• Possess excellent people management and communication skills
• Show proven experience in managing successful, high-performing teams
• Exhibit strong organisational skills and attention to detail
• Be flexible and adaptable regarding working hours to meet business needs
• Thrive in a pressurised environment, effectively multi-tasking and prioritising workloads

Job description

We have an exciting opportunity for a Duty Manager to join our team at Rhodes House, one of our prestigious conference venues in Oxford (OX1 3RG).

This is a casual, zero-hour contract. Shifts will be worked on a rota basis between the hours of 6am and midnight. The conference venue operates seven days a week, and flexibility will be required to support internal and external events. These include BBQ's, fine dining, working lunches, conferences, and weddings.

Wilson Vale is an established, quality-led contract caterer. We work with amazing clients across the UK who place huge value on great food as a key part of their culture and community. We work in office restaurants, independent schools and at conference venues with the same high-end ethos throughout.

Our culture unites us. We stand for craft, quality, creative freedom, forward thinking and integrity. We never compromise on our commitment to fresh, seasonal produce and the fantastic people that make it all happen!

We are looking for an experienced Hospitality Manager who can inspire and motivate their team while maintaining a hands‑on approach to operations. This role covers a wide range of hospitality services within this key Oxford contract, delivering both internal and external commercial events. As Duty Manager, you will help lead the team to deliver exceptional food and service. Strong organisational and communication skills are essential to ensure client confidence and clear team direction.

RESPONSIBILTIES & EXPERIENCE

• Oversee the delivery of all hospitality services across breakfast, lunch, and dinner, including a variety of service styles such as buffets, conferencing, fine dining, canapés, BBQs, and more
• Manage the catering team during events with diligence, ensuring both efficiency and exceptional service standards
• Take an entirely hands‑on, team‑focused approach to operations
• Maintain a professional and confident communication style with clients to instil trust and assurance
• Manage a large team, providing clear leadership and direction
• Oversee the day‑to‑day operations of the venue
• Ensure that all customer requirements are consistently met and exceeded
• Lead staff development, including training, mentoring, and motivating team members
• Demonstrate a genuine passion for great food and outstanding service
• Possess excellent people management and communication skills
• Show proven experience in managing successful, high‑performing teams
• Exhibit strong organisational skills and attention to detail
• Be flexible and adaptable regarding working hours to meet business needs
• Thrive in a pressurised environment, effectively multi‑tasking and prioritising workloads

OUR CULTURE

• Craft at our core - we pride ourselves on our craft-skilled chefs who create wonderful fresh food from scratch.
• It’s all about the food - the menu is the most important document our chefs write every week.
• Quality, seasonal ingredients - 300+ British suppliers and our chefs can source locally.
• Freedom to create - our teams love to cook up exciting food themes and pop‑ups to keep the food fun.
• Support like no other - our business was founded by family and we have stayed true to those same family values of nurturing development, protecting our values and building trust and loyalty.
• Making food that not only tastes great but is good for the planet. We have always had a strong environmental ethos and are dedicated to our social and environmental commitments.
• We believe in tailored training and opportunities to build your career with us.

Wilson Vale is an equal opportunities employer that strives to create an inclusive working environment for all. We are committed to supporting our people and do not tolerate discrimination of any kind. From each and every person in our catering teams, to our operations and central support teams - everyone at has a voice.