Evening Chef

Heriot-Watt University; City of Edinburgh; On-site; GBP 37,000 - 48,000; Part time

Job summary

A leading educational institution in Edinburgh is looking for an Evening Chef. The role involves overseeing catering staff for evening events, managing food preparation, and ensuring high service standards. Required qualifications include experience in a top-end restaurant, food hygiene certification, and a flexible working attitude. This part-time position offers competitive pay and a supportive work environment.

Benefits

33 days annual leave

9 building closed days

Total rewards calculator for benefits

Qualifications

• Current or very recent experience in similar grade of post in top end hotel or restaurant.
• H&S qualification – IOSH.
• Food Hygiene – Minimum level 2.
• Full UK driving licence and commitment to drive University vehicles.
• Flexibility.
• Experience in menu development.
• Evidenced ability to produce dishes from fresh.

Responsibilities

• Support the Head Chef and oversee catering staff during evening events.
• Create and prepare menus and food items for evening events.
• Manage catering team and ensure high standards of service.
• Oversee all aspects of evening events including health and safety compliance.

Skills

Current or very recent experience in similar grade of post

H&S qualification – IOSH

Food Hygiene – Minimum level 2

Flexibility

Evidenced ability to produce dishes from fresh

Education

Level 3 Food Hygiene (Desirable)

Job description

Job Title

Evening Chef

Grade

Grade 7 – £37,694 – £47,389 pro rata

Contract Type

Part Time (21 hours per week/0.6FTE), Open Ended

Rewards and Benefits

33 days annual leave, plus 9 building closed days (and Christmas Eve when it falls on a weekday) for all full-time staff. Use our total rewards calculator: https://www.hw.ac.uk/about/work/total-rewards-calculator.htm to see the value of benefits provided by Heriot-Watt University

Purpose of Role

To support the Head Chef, the wider Kitchen and Events teams – by providing catering lead and overseeing both back and front of house teams and service for out of hours events on campus and at Hermiston House. Responsible for all catering staff, both front and back of house, working on evening events. The role involves close collaboration with the Head Chef, Catering Operations Manager, Events Team, and Catering Supervisors, ensuring smooth coordination and high standards of service. The position reports directly to the Head Chef.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

• Create and prepare menus and food items for evening events.
• Work with the catering operations manager to ensure sufficient trained staff and arranged and available to deliver front of house elements of evening and out of hours events.
• Work with the Head Chef, Catering Operations Manager, Events team and catering supervisors to ensure and plan all necessities for evening and out of hours events – wine, linen etc.
• Pre events plan, manage and carry out all relevant mise en place.
• On event days – manage and oversee the catering team assigned to deliver the even – this includes supervising table dressing, service both front and back of house, ensure food delivered to requisite standards, post event clear up and clean down and return of all items to storage.
• Oversee all aspects of the event, ensuring that EHO, Health and Safety and any and all relevant Heriot-Watt University processes and procedures are followed and adhered to.
• Report issues, provide feedback, consumption information and identify any issues to the Head Chef and Catering Operations Manager as needed to support the post holder’s activities and duties.
• Ensure all staff related actions – including signing off time sheets and arranging staff transport are completed for each and every event as per processes and procedures.
• In the event that there are no evening or out of hours events on, the post holder will be expected to support the Head Chef with the development of menus, training of kitchen staff, and where necessary participate in and oversee the day to day operations of the kitchen team – this work to be undertaken if necessary during normal operations opening hours.

Education, Qualifications and Experience

Essential

• Current or very recent experience in similar grade of post in top end hotel or restaurant
• H&S qualification – IOSH
• Food Hygiene – Minimum level 2
• Full UK driving licence and commitment to drive University vehicles
• Flexibility
• Experience in mun development
• Evidenced ability to produce dishes from fresh

Desirable

• Level 3 Food Hygiene
• Train the trainer
• Experience of running front of house service on events

How to Apply

Please submit via the Heriot-Watt online recruitment system: (1) Cover letter describing their interest and suitability for the post; (2) Full CV.

Applications must be submitted by midnight on Monday 15th December 2025.

Interviews expected to take place in January 2026.