Chef Manager - Maternity Cover

Location: Central Bedfordshire College - Dunstable Kingsway Campus

Salary/Benefits: Salary is between £27,300 and £28,999 per annum DOE and Qualifications, 27 days annual leave plus Bank holidays, People’s pension, Retail and Leisure Discounts, excellent professional and personal development opportunities, accessing college courses.

Hours/Weeks: 37 hours per week - 52 weeks per year

Contract Type: Fixed Term - Full Time - Fixed until 01 February 2027

This is a UK based contract, and you are required to have the Right to Work in the UK. Unfortunately, we’re unable to offer sponsorship and any offer of employment will be subject to evidence of your Right to Work in the UK.

About the role: We are currently seeking a Chef Manager to join our Catering and Hospitality department at The Bedford College Group as a Maternity Cover. As a Chef Manager, you play an important role in the success of our students through:

• Kitchen Operations & Food Production: Support the Catering Manager in planning menus, rotas and production schedules while preparing, cooking and presenting high-quality food that meets Bedford College Services standards.
• Stock, Ordering & Cost Control: Manage kitchen ordering, maintain fully stocked service areas, complete monthly stock takes and control food costs through effective portioning, waste reduction and purchasing decisions.
• Compliance, Hygiene & Safety: Ensure HACCP procedures, due-diligence records, fire regulations, statutory food hygiene standards and all health & safety requirements are consistently met across the kitchen team.
• Team Leadership & Training: Lead, mentor and train kitchen staff, promote a positive and respectful working culture, manage performance, resolve complaints and support the development of skills through on-the-job and formal training.
• Customer Experience & College Wide Responsibilities: Be visible during service, support hospitality functions, engage positively with customers, attend chef meetings and uphold safeguarding, equality, diversity, inclusion and continuous training responsibilities.

About you:

• Qualifications & Culinary Background: Level 2 kitchen/larder (or equivalent vocational) training with 3+ years’ supervisory experience, Level 2 food hygiene, GCSE-level English and Maths (or willingness to achieve), and recent experience in large-scale operations.
• Culinary Skill, Creativity & Cost Control: Strong cooking skills with flavour development expertise, creative plate/buffet presentation, menu structure knowledge and solid understanding of food costing, budgeting and financial processes.
• Leadership, Organisation & Performance: Proven ability to lead by example, line-manage teams, train staff, deliver to time and budget, handle cash, and maintain high performance in fast-paced, high-pressure environments.
• Professional Skills & Customer Experience: Excellent organisation, planning, IT skills and communication, with high attention to detail, commercial awareness, and the ability to create a welcoming, supportive experience for customers and learners.
• Values, Safeguarding & Flexibility: Demonstrated commitment to equality, diversity, safeguarding, professional boundaries, ongoing development, reliability, flexibility in working patterns and willingness to work across all Bedford College Services locations.

For a more detailed breakdown of the job role and the requirements, please see the Job Description attached to this vacancy. Interviews to be held: TBC

Successful candidates must also be able to demonstrate alignment to our organisational VISION values:

• Valuing Teamwork: We are one team who by working together can achieve great things, respecting the opinion and valuing the contribution each of us makes.
• Improving Continuously: We challenge ourselves to always do better by trying new things, sharing knowledge, reflecting on practice and learning from others.
• Student Centred: At our heart is always doing what is best for our students. We consider students in all of our decision making to create positive outcomes and memorable experiences for every student.
• Inclusive: We celebrate differences and diversity, recognising that we can learn from each other.
• Open and Caring: We care about the wellbeing of our staff, our students, our community and wider society, creating an environment built on trust where we listen, engage with and support each other.
• Nurturing Education Excellence: We promote educational excellence by delivering programmes that challenge our students to achieve their ambitions.

About The Bedford College Group: The Bedford College Group was formed in 2017 following the merger of Bedford College and Tresham College and is now the largest provider of education in the South East Midlands, with over 15,000 students passing through our doors each year. Today, the Group is made up of a family of colleges across Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire.

Safeguarding our Students: The Bedford College Group is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. The successful candidate will be subject to thorough vetting process which includes, an enhanced DBS check and satisfactory references. This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.