Kitchen Assistant
Who are we?
We are Manchester Students’ Union, the biggest SU in the country, supporting over 48,000 students throughout their time at university. We help to make student life the best it can be by supporting students to campaign for change, creating opportunities to meet new people, providing employment opportunities, providing advice and support and being a safe place on campus.
We are a values-centred organisation that employs around 100 permanent, full-time members of staff. We recruit a wide range of roles throughout the year within all our departments from our Commercial team operating Manchester Academy Venues, 13 Media, Bar 532 & Kitchen and Corridor Coffee to our Student Activities, Student Engagement, Marketing and Communications, Finance, HR and Facilities teams. Our team of around 400 part-time, studying staff are instrumental in providing to support to all departments as well as leading major projects like Student Angels. When you join UMSU, you’ll be immersed in an environment that empowers staff to make great things happen and we're always on the lookout for innovative, passionate, and proactive people to join us.
Our values are really important to us and shape the work that we do every day. As part of our recruitment process, we want you to demonstrate how your experiences, behaviours and skills align with our values. You can find more detailed explanations of our values on our website.
About the role
Want a part time Kitchen Assistant role that fits around your studies, helps you build real workplace skills, and puts you at the heart of student life?
Manchester Students’ Union is looking for Kitchen Assistant Student Staff to support our catering operation in the main Students’ Union building, working as part of the team in 532 Kitchen. As a Kitchen Assistant, you’ll work alongside our kitchen team to help prepare food, support service, keep kitchen areas clean and organised, and make sure students, staff and visitors receive a great experience.
This is a hands on Kitchen Assistant role in a busy, friendly environment, ideal for students who are reliable, positive, willing to learn and enjoy being part of a team. You don’t need lots of experience as we’ll provide training and support, but you’ll need to be organised, able to follow instructions, and comfortable working in a fast paced food environment.
If you want to earn money, build confidence, gain kitchen experience and be part of a team that helps make the Union a welcoming place for students, we’d love to hear from you.
Please read the full role profile before applying, as well as our guide to recruitment.
Details
Wage: £13.45 per hour + holiday pay
Contract: Zero Hours
Hours: approximately 8 hours per week during term time
Eligibility: Open to applicants with relevant skills and experience who are eligible to work in the UK and a current student at either UoM, MMU or UoS graduating in 2027 or later.
Our Reward Package
You'll get access to our reward package which you can see here.
Recruitment Guide
We have a guide that explains our full recruitment process. We recommend reading through this before beginning an application.
If you are invited to interview with us, we will share our interview questions in advance so you can prepare your responses. We’re more interested in hearing about your experiences and ideas than in testing your memory, and so we want you to feel as prepared as possible.
AI Use
GenAI tools, like ChatGPT, are revolutionising how we approach a whole host of tasks at work. As a future-focused employer, we believe in embracing, not banning, these tools. However, as with all tech, some ways of using it are better than others. You can use GenAI to refine and articulate your ideas. It’s a tool to help structure your thoughts and improve clarity, not to replace your unique voice and experiences. Please don’t just copy and paste what AI tells you to write.
We recommend you read our guide on how to approach the use of AI within our recruitment process:
Inclusivity and Accessibility
We are committed to equality of opportunity, and we work hard to ensure we appoint based on skill and values.
We particularly encourage applications from Disabled or Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African candidates as these groups are currently underrepresented in our staff team.
If you have any accessibility requirements or require adjustments to support you to apply to work with us, please get in touch. We can offer reasonable adjustments at all stages of our recruitment process.
Recruitment Timeline
Applications opened: 17/06/2026
Applications close: 25/06/2026 23:59 pm
Interviews: 02/07/2026
Role Commencing: 14/09/2026
We may close applications early if we receive a high volume of applications. We recommend that you apply as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. Once the vacancy has closed, we’re unable to accept late applications to ensure a fair process for all candidates.
Once you have submitted your application, you will not be able to make any further changes. Please ensure you are happy with your responses before submitting.
Contact
People Team:
You can contact the People Team with any questions regarding this vacancy or our recruitment process.
Email: jobs.su@manchester.ac.uk
Phone: 0161 306 3279
Hiring Manager: courtney.ng@manchester.ac.uk
You can contact the People Team with any questions regarding this vacancy or our recruitment process.