What’s the job?
We are looking for a motivated, inspiring and organised person to join us as our new Bar & Catering Manager. The Student Union is a multi-outlet space consisting of a café, bar and nightclub/venue, located on the Heriot-Watt campus at Riccarton. We’re the only licensed space and late-night outlet on campus and offer everything from breakfast through to midnight snacks.
The main parts of the role are:
- Making sure our outlets look presentable at all times
- Be a people champion, to develop, inspire and motivate your team to be the best they can be
- Managing the staff team to make sure everything runs smoothly (from creating the rotas, to leading by example and motivating the team)
- Placing orders to make sure we don’t run out of anything, and recording all deliveries in the stock control system
- Working with the team to constantly develop our food menu to make sure it’s what people want at a price they’re willing to pay
- You’ll be the Duty Manager some evenings / weekends each week to make sure everything is done how you want, in line with our SOP’s
Ideally we’re looking for someone who can fit in to our team and be confident in making sure our outlets are always living up to people’s expectations.
This is a full-time job – working 35 hours per week, 5 days per week. Shifts will vary based on what’s needed. We don’t encourage working excessive hours each week, but being realistic sometimes we might need a little extra - but we’ll work with you to make sure you get that time back. The role will include evening and weekend work, and we’d expect the role to cover the Duty Manager shift at least twice per week (to make sure everything is working how you want!). We open reduced hours during University vacation times so shift times will change.
This job is not suitable for student applicants as it requires regular commitment through the day during the week - and you will have classes to attend!
WHAT DOES A TYPICAL DAY LOOK LIKE?
- You arrive at work for your 9am start, the first thing you do is pop into the café to see how the morning setup has gone, grab a coffee, and check if they need your help with anything. You stick your head into the kitchen to catch up with the cook and make sure that they have all the stock that they need for today’s prep.
- Once you’ve gotten yourself settled at your desk with a coffee, it’s time to see how the team got on last night. Firstly, you check that last night’s compliance paperwork has been signed off. After reading through the Duty Managers handover, you jot down the takings from the bar, and from the event on in the nightclub, ready to be reported to the Head of Commercial Development at your catch-up today. You note the items of stock that the Duty Manager has highlighted as low from last night to be placed on today’s order.
- Getting ready for the shift ahead is the new priority. When checking your emails, it’s flagged in your inbox that two student staff members have completed their training modules, so you print off the certificates and put them aside to congratulate them once they come in later today. Moving on to the staff rota, you notice that a student staff member has called in sick earlier and will not be able to open the bar. However, they have already sorted out cover in the staff group chat, so it’s just a case of quickly changing the names on the system.
- Orders for the fresh produce need placing, so you check the stock that you have and decide on what needs ordering for delivery tomorrow. After checking the bar stock yourself, and considering the Duty Manager’s handover from the night before, you place the drinks order too.
- It’s 11:30, and the student staff member has arrived to open the bar. You prepare their tills along with setting them up with the radio to the kitchen and passing on any relevant info that could affect their shift (such as you’ve run out of curly fries until today’s order arrives!). You help them with a final check of the bar area to make sure it’s all set up to our usual standards, and then you open the doors at 12pm.
- Now that the bar is open, and the café and kitchen are running smoothly, it’s time for your lunch. You notice that a group of the office staff are eating in the café, so you join them and discuss what you got up to at the weekend.
- You come back from your lunch and catch up with the team. Shortly after checking your emails, a delivery arrives which you sign for and delegate to staff to put away whilst you help at their station.
- The afternoon comes around and you have a catch-up with the Head of Commercial Development. You discuss the takings from the commercial outlets and present where’s performing well and what areas may need a bit more of a look at. You then show them the plan of events that are on your radar for the next couple of weeks and how you will plan appropriately for them.
- You have a couple of hours left of the working day, so you begin planning next month’s staff rota for the bar and café. You’re aiming to get this to staff sharply so that they can see their shifts a month in advance. Now that your shift is almost done you write up a handover for the evening Duty Manager coming in. Once they arrive, you have a quick catch-up and set them up to best perform in the evening.
- That’s a great day of work complete. It’s been a busy day but you’re really happy with the team and make sure to thank them all for their hard work today before they leave.?Now all that’s left to do is enjoy your evening!
WHO ARE WE?
We are Heriot-Watt University Student Union - an independent charity that is run by and for students. While we are a charity, we also run trading services (food & drink venues and a shop) that aim to make a surplus. We use this surplus to invest in other vital student support services such as advice & support and volunteering.
Ultimately our main goal is to make sure that Heriot-Watt students have THE BEST TIME whilst studying here. Our purpose is clear and simple – to put Students First, Always. We live by five values – we are fun, welcoming, brave, empowering and student focussed.
You’ll join a friendly, hardworking and professional team and have a real opportunity to make a difference to our members – while having some fun along the way.
WHAT DO YOU GET?
We’re a charity, so we offer as much as we can…
- You will be paid between £23,000 and £25,000 per year, depending on experience
- 28 days paid holiday per year
- An extra 9 fixed days off per year (we close completely between Christmas and New Year and give you Good Friday and Easter Monday off too)
- Our organisational culture discourages excessive hours being worked each week, and we try to assist our team to manage their time effectively
- We give 25% staff discount in all our outlets (some exceptions apply)
- We have a good pension available
- You’ll work with a range of different people, from our permanent staff to our casual student team
- Plus, you’ll get that warm fuzzy feeling inside that you’re helping the students of HW get even more out of studying on campus
Is this the job for you?
If you answer yes to these questions, then this job might suit you perfectly!
- Do you have experience managing / supervising a food and drink outlet?
- Do you enjoy going the extra mile and delivering exceptional customer service?
- Do you like working with a range of people, from full-time career staff to part-time casual staff?
- Are you a motivator, always looking for ways to make your people shine?
- Do you look forward to variety in your day, never knowing what will be thrown at you?
- Do you like to keep organised, but enjoy when something unexpected comes along?
- Are you a Scottish Personal Licence Holder?
REGARDLESS OF THE ROLE, OUR TEAM CAN DEMONSTRATE OUR VALUES...
- Make sure everything we do is inclusive to students, regardless of background, culture, or experience by being welcoming
- Be brave and take a few risks to push yourself out of your comfort zone, and encourage students to do the same!
- Encourage students’ creativity and empower them to make their ideas a reality
- Enjoy every minute of the job by making sure you have fun
- Make sure you’re student focused in everything you do
If you’re not yet sure and want to have an informal chat about the job please contact Stewart Macdonald-O’Brien, Head of Commercial Development on 0131 451 5333. Please note - we're closed from 23rd December until 3rd January so will not be able to respond to you during this time (but you can still apply for the position using our online application form).
This role probably isn't best suited to an existing student, due to the hours and shifts required.
I’m in!
To apply for this role, please click Apply Now below to fill in our online application form.
Downloads
Click here to download the full job description and person spec