Head Chef
Who are we?
We are Manchester Students’ Union, the biggest SU in the country, supporting over 40,000 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 90 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
The University of Manchester Students’ Union is looking for a dedicated Head Chef to lead our energetic kitchen team in serving our diverse student community and campus visitors. Offering a salary range of £31,600 - £34,700 per year (equivalent to £17.36 - £19.06 per hour) based on a 35-hour working week, this full-time, permanent position provides an exciting opportunity to make a lasting impact within the UK’s largest Students’ Union, supporting over 40,000 students and additional visitors to our dining outlets.
As our Head Chef, you’ll work in the heart of the campus at the Students’ Union Building, reporting directly to the Junior Operations Director. Your role will encompass a range of kitchen operations, including menu development, team management, and strict adherence to health and safety standards. We seek a proactive and solution-focused culinary professional who takes pride in creating high-quality, ethically sourced, and sustainability-conscious meals. This role is ideal for someone who can both motivate and inspire a team and contribute to an inclusive and collaborative work environment.
In this role, the Head Chef will develop seasonally-inspired, diverse menus that cater to various tastes and dietary requirements, ensuring our food options are fresh, inclusive, and aligned with guest preferences. You’ll oversee food purchasing, inventory, and budget management, with a focus on reducing waste and maximising operational efficiency. Your work will play a key role in the financial success of our catering department and further our commitment to sustainable practices.
We highly value a strong dedication to our core principles – putting students at the centre of everything we do, providing a high-quality service experience, and cultivating a welcoming, inclusive atmosphere. If you are a calm communicator, an adept problem-solver, and passionate about culinary excellence, we’d love to hear from you!
Please read the full role profile before applying, as well as our guide to recruitment.
Please note: the role title for this vacancy was updated from Kitchen Manager to Head Chef on 28th November
Details
Salary: £31,600 - £34,700
Contract: Permanent
Hours: 35 hours per week
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.
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: 22nd November 2024
Applications close: 6th December 2024 3pm
Interviews: W/C 16th December
Role Commencing: January 2025
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. In this case, all applicants who have started an application will be contacted 2 hours before we close the role.
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:
You can contact the hiring manager with any questions regarding this vacancy or our recruitment process.
Email: jonny.allen@manchester.ac.uk