Food & Beverage Assistant - Campus Services - 42665 - Grade 2

The University of Birmingham; United Kingdom; On-site; GBP 23,000 - 25,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading UK university is seeking a dedicated individual for a full-time role focused on delivering exceptional customer service in food and beverage outlets. The position requires experience in a busy, customer-facing environment, as well as the ability to follow health and safety protocols. Successful candidates will work in a diverse setting with a commitment to continuous personal development and enjoy numerous benefits, including generous leave entitlements and flexible working arrangements.

Benefits

40 days paid holiday

Occupational sick pay

Pension scheme

Subsidized day nurseries

Qualifications

• Experience in a busy, customer-facing role.
• Previous experience working in food and beverage is an advantage.
• Flexible approach to working hours is essential.
• Full clean driving license is essential.

Responsibilities

• Provide excellent customer service in food outlets.
• Undertake food and beverage preparation.
• Ensure compliance with health and safety regulations.

Skills

Customer service skills

Food preparation knowledge

Communication skills

Interpersonal skills

Ability to work in a team

Education

A Level 2 Food Safety Certificate (desirable)

Tools

EPOS systems

Job description

Position Details

Campus Services

Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK

Full time starting salary is normally in the range £23,764 to £24,855

Grade: 2

Full Time, Permanent

Closing date: 7th January 2026

Our offer to you

People are at the heart of what we are and do.

The University of Birmingham is proud to have been a part of the City of Birmingham and the wider region for over 100 years, and we are equally proud to be recognised as a leading global university. We want to attract talented people from across the city and beyond, support them to succeed, and celebrate their success.

We are committed to helping the people who work here to develop through our sector‑leading Birmingham Professional programme which provides all professional services staff with development opportunities and the encouragement to reach their full potential. With almost 5,000 professional services jobs in a wide‑range of functions in Edgbaston and in our campus in Dubai, there are plenty of opportunities for you to be able to develop your career at the University.

We believe there is no such thing as a typical member of staff and that diversity is a source of strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation, and debate. We warmly welcome people from all backgrounds and are committed to fostering an inclusive environment where diversity is at the heart of who and what we are, and how we work.

Supporting our people to achieve a healthy work/life balance is important both to our employees and to the success of the University and, depending on the role, we offer a variety of flexible working arrangements. We therefore welcome discussions on all forms of flexible working. In addition, you will receive a generous package of benefits including 40 days paid holiday a year, one paid day a year for volunteering, occupational sick pay, and a pension scheme. We also have three high‑quality subsidised day nurseries.

The University is situated in leafy Edgbaston and there are excellent transport links to our beautiful campus, including main bus routes and a train station on site. On campus we have a state‑of‑the‑art sports centre with pool, shops, places to eat and drink, our own art gallery, museum and botanical gardens.

Find out more about the benefits of working for the University of Birmingham

Background

The Business and Operations department offers a variety of outlets to staff, students and visitors across campus and also in student accommodation from small coffee shops to large restaurants. We also provide hospitality services for conferences and events held on campus and further afield.

Role Summary

You will be responsible for providing excellent customer service in any one of those areas/outlets. This post will involve basic food preparation, the provision of a high quality food and beverage service, cash handling, cleaning and stock control, together with any other duties required to ensure the smooth running of the business and operations service we offer to our diverse range of customers. In order to flexibly use resources you may be required to work elsewhere in the department or wider University.

Main Duties

Customer Service

• Greet and serve customers in a professional, responsive courteous, friendly manner, including answering queries and dealing with situations that arise, to deliver the highest level of customer service.
• Building rapport with customers whenever possible and encouraging customer feedback.
• Maintain a professional working relationship with all colleagues.

Business Requirements

• Undertake basic food and beverage preparation to deliver quality products to the customer.
• Ensure a correct standard of stock rotation is followed whilst maintaining adequate stock levels, adjusting orders as required and making sure that food products are used prior to the best before date.
• Report any equipment failures and hazards to either the Supervisor/Manager/Supplier in a timely manner.
• Ensure all portion controls are adhered to as directed by the Supervisor/Manager and in line with Operations Manuals.
• Maintain control on all food and drink wastage and record as required.
• Ensure that all Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) hygiene and allergen recording systems and food and drink receipt procedures are carried out and correctly recorded.
• Conform and adhere to all Health/Food Safety Codes of Practice and Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) regulations at all times.
• Assist with the transportation of commodities and equipment from one location to another as required, following hygiene and health and safety protocols.
• Operate electronic point of sale (EPOS) terminals and handle cash effectively, including opening and end of day procedures, cashing up and ensuring the security of all monies; if required in secure areas.
• Perform cleaning tasks to a high standard at all times, following standard operating procedures, ensuring the regular removal of rubbish as necessary and ensuring a clean environment.
• Ensure the thorough cleaning of all equipment, utensils, crockery, glassware, walls, fridges, tables and accompaniments and all work areas and surfaces and to ensure they are sanitised before the end of each shift.
• On occasion, you may be required to place orders for food and commodities, and/or undertake stock takes as directed by your manager.
• If serving alcohol, ensure compliance with the relevant licensing laws.

Team Work

• Actively seek opportunities to increase sales by upselling products and make recommendations as directed by your manager.
• Participate in any training and development activities as required.
• Be supportive to colleagues.
• Attend all team briefs/training and departmental meetings as required.
• Be actively involved in an annual personal development review with your line manager/supervisor.
• Undertake any other reasonable duties or requests (other than those stated in the job description) as requested by a senior member of staff including driving UoB vehicles when required.
• Treat everyone with dignity and respect, supporting equality and valuing diversity.

Operational requirements

• Contracts are annualised and based on 36 hours per week (or pro rata) inclusive of weekdays, weekends, bank holidays and closed days on a rota basis, including evening work activities. Operational windows will vary by business unit/activity. Hours will be defined in your contract of employment.
• To undertake works activities across all UoB campuses as requested that are commensurate with the grade and role activities to support the Division and wider UoB activities.

Required Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications, Experience

• Experience and knowledge of working in a busy, customer facing role, with previous experience of working in a food and beverage environment being an advantage.
• A Level 2 Food Safety Certificate is desirable – although full training will be provided.
• A commitment to providing a quality service.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work on own initiative or as part of a team.
• Ability to maintain a high standard of personal appearance. Some parts of a uniform is provided for this purpose.
• Work patterns may vary so a flexible approach to working hours and days is essential.
• Ability to learn and understand how diversity considerations affect own area (eg. Dietary requirements/dress code).
• Full clean driving license essential.

Dimensions

This role is concerned with providing a quality customer service in the provision of food and beverages.

Planning and Organising

The post holder will follow instructions from their supervisor in terms of day to day focus, working in response to customer orders or to planned activities in preparation areas or kitchens. They will need to maintain an awareness of how their work links with others, and to ensure certain activities are completed within a shift.

Problem Solving and decision making

The role will undertake a variety of activities that are very similar in nature, with most problems arising being ones that have been seen before, with the role holder knowing how to resolve it from experience, but will refer to a manager if assistance is required.

Internal and External relationships

This role will be a customer facing role and will be expected to be polite, responsive, friendly and courteous at all times, dealing with enquiries in a professional manner that leaves customers feeling well treated.

Informal enquiries to Sotirios Efthymiou, email: [e-mail]

Use of AI in applications: We want to understand your genuine interest in the role and for the written elements of your application to accurately reflect your own communication style. Applications that rely too heavily on AI tools can appear generic and lack the detail we need to assess your skills and experience. Such applications will unlikely be progressed to interview.

We believe there is no such thing as a 'typical' member of University of Birmingham staff and that diversity in its many forms is a strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation and debate at the heart of University life. We are committed to proactively addressing the barriers experienced by some groups in our community and are proud to hold Athena SWAN, Race Equality Charter and Disability Confident accreditations. We have an Equality Diversity and Inclusion Centre that focuses on continuously improving the University as a fair and inclusive place to work where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. We are also committed to sustainability, which is a key part of our strategy. You can find out more about our work to create a fairer university for everyone.