Catering and Events Manager

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Salary/Benefits: Salary is between £39,697 and £46,349 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: Permanent – Full Time

About the role:

We are currently seeking a Catering and Events Manager to join our Estates and Facilities department at The Bedford College Group.

As a Catering and Events Manager, you play an important role in the success of our students through:

• Leadership & Strategic Oversight – Lead the catering, events, and lettings operations across The Bedford College Group, ensuring alignment with organisational values, policies, and strategic goals.
• High-Quality Catering Provision – Oversee the delivery of nutritious, high-standard meals and catering services for students, staff, and events, while supporting menu development, staffing, and statutory compliance.
• Events & Lettings Management – Ensure smooth operation and quality delivery of internal and external events and lettings, maintaining facilities and upholding health, safety, and regulatory standards.
• Team & Performance Management – Line manage and mentor staff, ensure effective training, appraisals, and development, and maintain high performance through clear targets and accountability.
• Quality Assurance & Financial Oversight – Monitor service quality, gather feedback, manage budgets, and provide monthly financial reporting, while driving continuous improvement across all service areas.

About you:

• Qualifications & Sector Experience – Level 3 Catering, GCSEs in Maths and English (Grade C or above), and a Level 5+ management qualification, with recent leadership experience in catering and events.
• Operational & Culinary Expertise – Skilled in managing high-volume catering venues, food cost control, menu writing, and applying advanced cooking techniques to deliver high-quality service.
• Leadership & Communication Skills – Strong people management, decision-making, and delegation abilities, with excellent verbal, written, and interpersonal communication across diverse age groups.
• Organisation & Technical Proficiency – Exceptional organisational, project management, and prioritisation skills, with high-level numeracy and IT proficiency including Microsoft Office.
• Professionalism & Flexibility – Committed to safeguarding, EDI, and health & safety, with the ability to travel, adapt working hours, maintain confidentiality, and continuously develop professionally.

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: 21 August 2025

Successful candidates must also be able to demonstrate alignment to our organisationalVISION 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:Bedford College, Central Bedfordshire College andTreshamCollegein the towns of Bedford, Dunstable, Leighton Buzzard, Corby, Kettering and Wellingborough;ShuttleworthCollege,a specialist land-based college; The Bedford Sixth Form, (the only dedicated sixth form in Bedford); The Corby Sixth Form, (opened in September 2023); and the National College for MotorsportalongsideSilverstonerace circuit.To widen accessibility to education and training, the Group also has community-based Learning Centres in Bedford, Corby and Kettering which offer IT training.

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. The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the Exceptions Order 1975, provides information about which convictions must be declared during job applications and related exceptions and further information about filtering offences can be found in the DBS filtering guide. The Bedford College Group\’s policy on Employment of Ex-Offenders is attached to this vacancy.

Candidates who are barred from working with children are reminded it is a criminal offence to apply for this post.

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