General Assistant

**Role**: General Assistant

**Location**:Bedford College - Cauldwell Street Campus

**Salary/Benefits**: Salary is between £25,467 and £26,499 per annum (Pro-Rata) DOE and Qualifications, 27 days annual leave (Pro-Rata) plus Bank holidays,People’s pension, Retail and Leisure Discounts, excellent professional and personal development opportunities, accessing college courses.

**Hours/Weeks**:22 hours per week - 12.00 - 17.30 on Mondays and 14.30 - 20.00 on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.

**Contract Type**: Permanent - Part Time

**About the role**:
We are currently seeking a General Assistant to join our Bedford College Services department at The Bedford College Group**.**

As a General Assistant, you play an important role in the success of our students through:

- **Food Preparation & Service** - Assist with food and beverage preparation, operate kitchen equipment, and serve meals and drinks to customers in a courteous and professional manner.
- ** Customer Service & Sales** - Maintain a welcoming environment, support promotional events, handle customer feedback professionally, and contribute to sales through upselling and themed events.
- ** Health, Safety & Hygiene** - Ensure cleanliness of kitchen and dining areas, follow COSHH and HACCP regulations, and support safe working practices including proper storage and waste disposal.
- ** Stock & Finance Support** - Assist with stock control, deliveries, and financial procedures including cash handling, float reconciliation, and reporting discrepancies to management.
- ** Teamwork & Professional Conduct** - Maintain punctuality, personal hygiene, and dress standards; attend training; support colleagues during absences; and uphold safeguarding, equality, and health and safety responsibilities.

**About you**:

- **Catering & Food Safety Knowledge** - Holds a Level 2 Food Hygiene Certificate, allergen training, and strong understanding of food preparation, cooking, and kitchen cleanliness standards.
- ** Customer Service & Sales** - Experienced in customer care, cash handling via tills and PDQ machines, and using front-of-house catering systems to support smooth service delivery.
- ** Technical & IT Skills** - Proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel, and Outlook, with the ability to follow instructions and multitask in a fast-paced environment.
- ** Teamwork & Flexibility** - Works effectively as part of a team, with a flexible approach to hours and duties, and willingness to travel to events and various sites.
- ** Physical Readiness & Initiative** - Capable of frequent lifting tasks, demonstrates drive and enthusiasm, and committed to ongoing skill development and service excellence.

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**:07 July 2025
- **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.

**What is an Associate?**

Associates work on a short term basis as assigned. They teach or provide support services and they work with and are supported by core staff. As an Associate you will be issued with an Associate agreement, under this Agreement period you will be eligible to work on assignments offered to you. Typically an agreement runs from January to December and may be renewed thereafter.

**About Bedford College Services (BCS)**

BCS is A multi-faceted enterprise that operates across the leisure, hospitality, catering, theatre and facilities hire sectors.

The purpose of BCS is to provide a suite of commercial services to the staff and students of The Bedford College Group and to the wider community. Always striving to provide the highest quality of product and services and endeavouring to ensure that its supply chain complies with modern day thinking of sustainability, carbon emissions and modern slavery. BCS will bid for external contracts to provide those services, exploiting its management skills and capacity. Additionally BCS works to enrich student and staff experience within the Group through work experience