Chef de Partie

University Grade 4 currently £29,192 p.a. to 33,160 p.a. for 40 hours per week
Full-time and Permanent
40 hour week, with some split-shift working 5 days out of 7 to include evening and weekend working.
Closing date: Monday 7 October 2024 at 12:00 noon

Main purpose of job

Our passionate kitchen team have built a great reputation for delivering outstanding food. Often quoted as one of the best colleges in Oxford for its food, we are looking for someone to contribute to these high standards.

We may be a relatively small operation, with a cosy 60 – 72-seater dining room within the iconic Radcliffe Observatory Tower, but we pride ourselves on exciting high-quality food across a range of formats, including daily lunch for up to 120, weekly formal college dinners, graduation ceremonies, prestigious VIP events, buffets and commercial events.

The College is committed to the professional development of all team members, and we actively invest and support our staff to grow their careers.

The current Kitchen Brigade is comprised of:

• Head Chef
• Two Sous Chefs
• Head Pastry Chef
• Part-time Senior Chef de Partie (formally Junior Sous Chef)
• Chef de Partie
• Kitchen Assistant

Main Duties and Responsibilities

• Prepare, cook and present food, as well as overseeing the work of others, to a consistently high standard.
• Ensure the required standard of food hygiene and health and safety at all times.
• Liaise with, and work harmoniously with the whole catering team to include the Food Service team.
• Work as part of a team to provide a good working environment promoting a positive attitude and pride in work produced.
• To behave in an appropriate manner towards all members of the College.
• Assist with the preparation of all menus for College events.
• To run a section within the kitchen independently.
• Work flexibly across all sections of the kitchen as required.
• To adhere to time schedules in preparation and cooking of foods.
• To adhere to strict portion and waste controls.
• To ensure regular checks of equipment and report any problems to the Head Chef or Sous Chef.
• To participate in any training to improve your standards of performance.
• Supervise, train and delegate work to other members of the kitchen team.
• To have a flexible attitude towards work and to understand that the requirements of the post may vary and develop depending on changing circumstances within the College.

Events services with Food

Outline of current events requiring kitchen services. Please note that these are an indication and may change and develop.

• Monday to Friday Lunch Canteen
• Up to 5 formals a week, more often this is a maximum of 4 per week.
• Graduation buffets
• Freshers Welcome Canape Events
• Fundraising and Alumni Events
• Conference and Events Services:
  o Commercial dinners
  o Conference catering
  o Wedding Receptions

Sustainability

Within the GTC Kitchen, we ensure all food services are delivered as sustainably as possible, this includes working with local suppliers and seasonal produce where possible, purchasing energy-efficient goods and ensuring any carbon produced by our meal services in college can be reduced as far as possible.

Green Templeton recognises that the actions and choices of our community have a huge impact on the college’s environmental footprint, and are committed to embedding sustainable thinking throughout its operations.

Person Specification

The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate that they have or are:

Essential

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Articulate, innovative and creative
• Relates professionally with both staff and customers
• Ability to accept instruction from supervisors
• A basic level of computer literacy
• Reliable, enthusiastic and self-motivated
• Well-organised with excellent time management skills
• Ability to work well under pressure and in sometimes stressful conditions
• Qualified to a minimum level of NVQ Level 3, or equivalent (or qualification by experience)
• Experience of working in the catering industry and of working in all sections within the kitchen
• Some experience of supervising others, including delegating work, instructing and training
• Experience of producing high quality food in a fine dining environment
• Flexibility to work the hours demanded by the position
• Physically able to carry out the role
• Passionate about creating new dishes using seasonal, sustainable produce and continually develop recipes.

Desirable

• Demonstratable experience catering to restricted-diet menu and meal types such as coeliac, lactose free and vegan.
• Experience producing creative, high-quality vegan food
• A knowledge of current food trends and modern cooking techniques.

Terms and Conditions of Employment

Reporting to

The Head Chef and the Sous Chefs in the absence of the Head Chef.

Hours

Working hours are 40 hours per week to be worked on a split-shift basis (5 days out of 7) to include evening and weekend working. We pay enhanced overtime rates for hours worked in excess of 40 hours per week.

Salary

University Salary Scale 4, within the range of £29,192 p.a. to 33,160 p.a for 40 hours per week. Appointment salary will be dependent on qualifications and experience. Inflationary pay award pending.

Location

The successful candidate will be based on the site at Green Templeton College, Woodstock Road, Oxford, OX2 6HG. The post may require travel to and work at other College and University sites.

Duration

Permanent position. The position is subject to a 6-month probationary period.

Holiday

38 days per annum including Bank Holidays. A part of the allocation for Annual leave will need to be taken during the two-week shutdown at Christmas and two weeks shutdown in August. Additional long service days apply after 5 years.

Sickness

Related to length of service, rising to six months full pay and six months half pay after five years of service.

Pension

The post is pensionable and the post holder eligible for membership of OSPS, a contributory pension scheme

*Free lunches are provided when the kitchens are open.
** Parking is available on-site on a first come first served basis. This is not a contractual benefit and may be removed if the needs of the College change.

Green Templeton welcomes applications from people from all sections of the community and are particularly encouraging those from diverse groups, such as LGBTQ+ and Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic candidates, who currently are under-represented in the college staff team.

How to apply

Please submit the following to hr@gtc.ox.ac.uk by Monday 7 October 2024 at 12:00:

• CV providing details of relevant achievements as well as your professional and educational history.
• Covering letter summarizing your interest in this post and providing evidence of your ability to match the criteria outlined in the Person Specification.
• Details of your latest salary, notice period and names and contact details of two referees. Green Templeton will assume that it is free to approach referees at any stage of the application process unless the applicant states otherwise.
• A Diversity Monitoring Form which will assist us with monitoring equal opportunities in recruitment. We can assure you that the information given is kept separately from the information used in recruitment decisions; that all information is strictly confidential, used purely for statistical purposes and to ensure that policies are being applied fairly

Recruitment Timetable

The closing date is Monday 7 October 2024. Interviews will take place on Wednesday 23 October 2024

Data Protection

All data supplied by applicants will be used only for the purposes of determining their suitability for the post, and will be held in accordance with the principles of the Data Protection Act 2018 and the College’s Data Protection Policy.

Travel Expenses

The College will reimburse receipted travel expenses to interview at the rate of a second class rail fare, within the UK.