CentreStage | Assistant Cafe Bar Manager
Hours: 37.5
Salary: £28,000 per annum
Holiday entitlement: 38 days (pro rata)
About CentreStage
CentreStage is one of Scotland's leading arts and community organisations, combining theatre, hospitality, events and social impact. Our Bar & Restaurant operation plays a central role in the overall visitor experience, serving customers attending performances, live music events, community activities, functions and day-to-day hospitality services.
As we continue to grow and develop our hospitality offering, we are seeking an enthusiastic and motivated Assistant Manager to support the delivery of exceptional customer experiences, strong commercial performance and consistently high operational standards.
The Role
The Assistant Manager will support the Bar & Restaurant Manager in the day-to-day operation of the Café Bar and wider hospitality service. As second-in-command within the operation, the successful candidate will play a key leadership role, helping to drive service standards, develop team capability and maintain operational excellence across all areas of the business.
In the absence of the Bar & Restaurant Manager, the Assistant Manager will take responsibility for leading operations, overseeing service delivery and maintaining customer service, team performance and compliance standards.
This is an exciting opportunity for an ambitious hospitality professional to develop their management career within a unique and fast-paced environment. The role will involve supporting operations during theatre performances, concerts, live music events, functions and community activities, requiring the ability to lead teams, manage customer flow and maintain exceptional standards during both routine service and high-volume trading periods.
Operational Leadership
- Support the day-to-day running of the Bar & Restaurant operation.
- Lead from the front, demonstrating excellent customer service, communication and team leadership.
- Act as Manager on Duty and lead operations in the absence of the Bar & Restaurant Manager.
- Open and close the venue, including cash handling, reconciliation and end-of-day procedures.
- Ensure the venue is presented to the highest standards at all times.
- Support the delivery of the Bar & Restaurant business plan in collaboration with the Manager and wider CentreStage teams.
- Work closely with the Head Chef to ensure effective coordination between front and back of house operations.
Team Leadership & Training
- Support the recruitment, induction and development of staff, volunteers and apprentices.
- Deliver training and coaching to ensure service standards are consistently achieved.
- Ensure all team members understand customer service expectations and operational procedures.
- Support staff performance, objective setting and day-to-day feedback in conjunction with the Bar & Restaurant Manager.
- Maintain training records and support ongoing staff development plans.
- Help foster a positive, motivated and high-performing team culture.
- Play a key role in embedding CentreStage's hospitality and customer service standards across the team.
Customer Experience
- Deliver a warm, welcoming and professional experience for every customer.
- Lead by example in customer engagement and service delivery.
- Ensure customer feedback is responded to promptly and used to improve service.
- Handle customer concerns positively, professionally and effectively.
- Support the successful delivery of theatre performances, concerts, live music events, functions and community activities.
- Help create memorable customer experiences that encourage repeat visits and positive recommendations.
Commercial Performance
- Support the achievement of sales, profitability and customer satisfaction targets.
- Promote upselling and revenue opportunities across food, beverage and events.
- Assist with stock control, ordering and minimising wastage.
- Help ensure products are priced correctly and delivered in line with agreed margins.
- Support accurate cash handling and investigate any variances in accordance with procedures.
- Monitor trading performance, including sales, labour costs and gross margin, identifying opportunities for improvement.
- Attend sales meetings and contribute to budgeting and forecasting discussions.
- Contribute ideas and initiatives to enhance customer experience and commercial performance.
Events & Programming Support
- Work closely with the Events and Programming teams to plan Café Bar operations around performances, concerts, functions and larger events.
- Ensure appropriate staffing, stock levels and service delivery plans are in place for busy audience periods.
- Support cross-departmental working to ensure a seamless customer experience across CentreStage.
Compliance & Standards
- Ensure compliance with licensing legislation, food safety requirements, Health & Safety regulations and CentreStage policies.
- Monitor cleaning schedules and support the maintenance of accurate compliance records.
- Support delivery of actions arising from Health & Safety audits.
- Ensure operational procedures are consistently followed by all team members.
- Support a safe, welcoming and inclusive environment for customers, staff, volunteers and visitors.
- Undertake any other reasonable duties as required.
Person Specification
Essential
- Minimum of 2 years' experience in a supervisory or team leader role within a café, bar, restaurant or hospitality environment.
- Experience of working within a fast-paced hospitality operation.
- Strong understanding of customer service, stock control, cash handling and day-to-day operational management.
- Proven ability to support, motivate and develop a team.
- Experience of coaching, training and developing colleagues.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
- Good organisational skills and attention to detail.
- Ability to remain calm, organised and customer-focused during busy trading periods.
- Flexible approach to working hours, including evenings and weekends.
Desirable
- Qualification in Hospitality or Catering Management.
- Food Safety qualification.
- Personal Licence Holder qualification.
- Experience within an events, entertainment, theatre or visitor attraction environment.
- Experience of stock management and ordering processes.
- Understanding of licensing legislation and compliance requirements.
- Ambition to progress within hospitality management.
The Ideal Candidate
We are looking for a positive, energetic and customer-focused hospitality professional who enjoys leading from the front.
You will be equally comfortable delivering exceptional service during a busy daytime trading period, leading a team through a sold-out concert night, or supporting a large-scale community event. You will thrive in a fast-paced environment, take pride in maintaining high standards and be passionate about developing people and creating memorable customer experiences.
Most importantly, you will share CentreStage's commitment to delivering exceptional hospitality while supporting the organisation's wider mission of enriching lives and strengthening communities through the arts.As part of the recruitment process you will be expected to demonstrate your hospitality skills.
To apply please send your CV & covering letter to [email protected]
Closing date: Friday 19th June. Interviews will be held at CentreStage and may be held before the closing date. If suitable the interview will include a trial shift in the Café Bar.
Pay: £28,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Discounted or free food
- Employee discount
- Free parking
- Health & wellbeing programme
- On-site parking
- Sick pay
Ability to commute/relocate:
- Kilmarnock KA1: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (required)
Experience:
- Hospitality: 1 year (required)
- Bartending: 1 year (required)
Work Location: In person
