Head of Catering - Cambridge, United Kingdom - King's College Cambridge

King's College Cambridge

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Cambridge, United Kingdom

3 weeks ago

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Tom O´Connor

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Description

About Us
King's is a constituent College of the University of Cambridge.

Founded in 1441 by Henry VI as a place of education, religion, learning and research, the College comprises around 130 Fellows, 650 undergraduate and postgraduate students and 275 non-academic staff.

The College is internationally recognised as a leading academic institution, boasting among its former students and Fellows no fewer than eight Nobel laureates, including Patrick Blackett, Frederick Sanger, Sydney Brenner, Philip Noel-Baker and Oliver Hart, as well as influential figures such as Alan Turing, E.M.

Forster, John Maynard Keynes and Bernard Williams.

Among its most prominent living members are the novelists Zadie Smith and Salman Rushdie, astronomer Martin Rees, sociologist Anthony Giddens, anthropologist Caroline Humphrey, former chair of the Bank of England Mervyn King, philanthropist David Sainsbury, molecular biologist Lesley Anne Glover, entrepreneur Hermann Hauser, and the composers Judith Weir and Errollyn Wallen.

The undergraduate and postgraduate community is vibrant and diverse, priding itself on a friendly and inclusive atmosphere combining academic commitment with political engagement and a lively social and artistic scene.

King's works very hard to attract the best applicants, regardless of background, and to encourage academically outstanding students from underrepresented communities to study at Cambridge.

In 2018 it launched a transformational Student Access and Support Initiative designed to improve equality of access and opportunity, and to help combat entrenched social and economic disadvantage.

The Role

The Head of Catering is responsible for all aspects of Catering services with a strong focus on support to the College community.

Dining together is at the heart of College life and the residential experience. Feasts and formal dinners mark all major College events, from Matriculation to Graduation. Many College activities, from informal gatherings to concerts, involve a catered element.

Set on the banks of the River Cam, the College's main site includes a coffee shop and bar as well as the historic dining hall, a combination room for Fellows, a lecture theatre and multiple other meeting and dining rooms.

The College has around 700 student rooms, 12 guest rooms, and living accommodation available to Fellows.

Term-time dining for College Fellows, staff and students features a combination of self service and served meals, as well as dedicated fine dining services throughout the year.

Out of term, the Department supports academic conferences and events, and delivers a wide range of services for conferencing partners, summer residential programmes, and weddings.

The department has a significant annual turnover with income from a mixture of charges to external partners and subsidized fees for the College community.

Functions range from intimate dinners to large scale feasts and buffets.

Students are provided with a daily cafeteria service which is affordable, environmentally sustainable, good value and offers a varied and healthy diet.

The catering and conference team is made up of around 50 staff.

This includes a team of chefs and kitchen porters, a front of house team, a café and bar team and the conferencing team.

The College has one large catering kitchen with a servery open year-round.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership

Direct and manage all services provided by Catering to deliver exceptional service to students, staff, Fellows, guests, and conference delegates.
Set an effective balance between income generating activity and activities associated with the core educational mission of the College.
Set a strategic direction for the Department, in support of the College's wider objectives.

Collaboration

Work with the Executive Head Chef to achieve creative and varied menus, ensuring that all producers and staff involved in food service work to the highest standards.
Promote collaborative and open working relationships working with Fellows, students and other College departments, for the benefit of the wider College community.
Develop and nurture relationships with guests and external partners to support income generation.

People and culture

Empower and inspire department managers and staff, supporting morale throughout the Department and close working with other areas of the College.
Develop the existing team, providing a wide range of experiences, training and other support, promoting a culture of nurturing and inspiring talent.
Oversee the performance of department managers and staff to meet the aims and objectives of the department.
Ensure strict compliance with College policies and procedures, including adherence to health and safety and licensing laws.

Financial management

Oversee the financial performance of the Department, developing and working to an annual budget and strategic plan.
Ensure effective financial management, record