Job Description

Job details

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Responsible to


Apprenticeship Operations Manager


Location


Buxton Campus


Closing date


Tuesday 19 August 2025


Salary


33,002 to 44,746 per annum


Job grade


FE Lecturer


Reference


0162-25


Contract type


Permanent


Post type


Full-time


Adaptive working type


Onsite

This role will be based on site, primarily in the named location.



About the University
We have one simple promise - to make a positive impact. Through our ground-breaking research, teaching excellence and commitment to sustainable living, we are changing lives for the better.



The University of Derby is a modern university with a modern outlook. Everything we do is driven by delivering excellence and opportunities for our students, our staff and our region.



We have some of the best university facilities in the UK and achieve outstanding results for our teaching and research and have been awarded Gold in the prestigious Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) 2023 - making it one of the top universities in the country recognised for its outstanding student experience and student outcomes.



Financially strong and seriously ambitious we offer our employees an inclusive culture that centres itself around staff wellbeing, where you can be confident you will receive all the help and encouragement you need to build a rewarding career with lots of opportunities to enhance your skills.


About the College/Department
University of Derby Buxton is graded as a "Good" college by OFSTED and has a team of dedicated staff who take pride in supporting learners towards their study and career goals. This is a fantastic opportunity to join our team on our journey to becoming an outstanding further education provider.



Our Hospitality and Culinary team are based in the heart of the Devonshire Dome in Buxton - a world-class setting that reflects our commitment to excellence in service, food, and learning. Our facilities replicate real industry environments, giving apprentices the opportunity to learn in a space that prepares them for real-world demands.



We are a diverse and supportive team of chefs, hospitality professionals, and educators with backgrounds ranging from Michelin-starred kitchens to international hotel management. We pride ourselves on fostering a friendly, inclusive environment where staff and students work collaboratively and where every success is celebrated.


About the role
As FE Lecturer in Catering and Hospitality, you'll be part of a passionate group of professionals helping shape the next generation of chefs, supervisors, and hospitality leaders. More than a teaching role, this is a chance to mentor, inspire, and pass on the craft and culture of the industry to apprentices as they begin or develop their careers.



You will deliver dynamic, hands-on teaching and workshops in our fully equipped kitchens and hospitality suites, and support apprentices across programmes including Commis Chef, Production Chef, Hospitality Apprentices to help them develop the essential knowledge, skills and behaviours aligned to their apprenticeship standards.



Our apprenticeships include: Level 2 Commis Chef; Commis Chef; Level 2 Hospitality Team Member; and Level 3 Hospitality Food & Beverage .



You will provide one-on-one mentoring and coaching, both in-person and via online platforms such as Smart Assessor. The role involves working closely with employers to ensure workplace training complements academic objectives, conducting workplace visits, tracking apprentice progress, holding regular reviews, and guiding learners confidently towards their end-point assessments.

On appointment, the job title for this role will be FE Catering and Hospitality Instructor/Mentor.


About You
We're looking for an industry expert in Catering and Hospitality. This role is perfect for a professional with significant industrial or commercial experience within the Catering & Hospitality sector looking to pass on their skills and support the next generation.



You will need to demonstrate a proven ability to engage learners and support high-quality learning outcomes to empower our apprentices to grow in confidence, professionalism, and creativity.


Principal accountabilities
To plan and deliver practical, technical vocational and associated theoretical learning activities for apprentices including training, support for learning and assessment using a variety of methods both on and off the job.

Prepare suitable learning materials for a range of activities to develop the students' knowledge, skills and behaviours linked to relevant apprenticeship standards or frameworks

Demonstrate tasks and processes to individuals and groups

Provide instruction to the specified standards and provide feedback to students on progress through written and online methods, coaching for high expectations of progress and attainment.

Provide individual and group mentoring for apprentices to ensure that apprenticeship candidates are selected appropriately and are matched to the needs of the employer.

Supervise groups of apprentices undertaking knowledge and skill acquisition through scheduled off the job learning activities, project work or while on work placement

Assess knowledge and skills acquisition using a variety of assessment methods including individual coaching techniques to accelerate the learning of knowledge, skills and behaviours

Provide specific learning support to apprentices as required and ensure that learning support records are kept up to date

Work with groups of apprentices or individuals to prepare them for external qualification and end-point assessment according to the requirements of the relevant apprenticeship

Complete all associated internal, employer and external documentation and track the students' progress, including recording apprentice data on attendance and achievement using prescribed records systems, both manual and online.

Ensure that any assessment carried out is completed to the standards laid down by the awarding body and the College Quality Assurance systems

Integrate the development of English and Mathematics skills, including their integration into broader learning activities linked to both on and off the job activities

Monitor attendance of apprentices at prescribed off the job learning activities, ensuring that records systems are updated as required and employers are kept informed.

Ensure that apprentices are coached to behave in a professional manner at all times to a high standard of safety in the workplace and during off the job activities.

Work with liaison and business development teams and independently to develop new business opportunities to increase employer engagement and apprentice uptake and progression.

To undertake any other duties which may, from time to time, reasonably be required within the general level of responsibility.

To comply with the requirements of Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults, Prevent, Health and Safety, Quality and other University policies including Equal Opportunities, Risk Management and Equality and Diversity.

General Duties

Achieve personal and team targets for recruitment, progress, completion and achievement or apprentices within designated durations

To take an active role in the mentoring and progress of apprentices, providing a liaison between the apprentice, their employer and the off the job training provider.

Take an active part in the College and University's Staff Development Programmes

Take an active role, when required, in all curriculum management activities, including open days, recruitment events and external moderation activities.

To understand and comply with the University's Equality and Diversity Policy.

To comply with copyright, software licensing legislation and related University procedures.

To ensure that the College's quality assurance procedures are adhered to and additional action taken where necessary.

Person specification

Essential Criteria

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Qualifications

Hold or be willing to undertake a Level 5 teaching qualification Level 2 Qualifications (either in Functional Skills or GCSE A-C/4-9) in both English and maths or a willingness to achieve within an agreed timescale Relevant Catering & Hospitality vocational qualification at level 3 or higher. Food safety qualifications
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Experience

Significant industrial or commercial experience within a Catering & Hospitality trade or business sector Demonstrable evidence of ability to engage with learners to support high quality learning outcomes
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Skills, knowledge & abilities

Highly developed communication skills Ability to use own initiative Ability to work effectively on your own and with a small team Well-developed administrative and organisational skills Ability to work flexibly within a team Good time management skills
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Business requirements

Completed DBS check with child barred list Prohibited from Teaching check A commitment to the principle of widening participation A commitment to continued professional development A commitment to College and University values and behaviours Ability to work evenings, weekends and during holiday periods A willingness to work across College sites and externally

Desirable Criteria

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Qualifications

Technical qualification at level 4 or higher
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Experience

Experience of Internal and External Verification processes Practical experience of promoting equality and diversity
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Skills, knowledge and abilities

Time-served apprentice Benefits
Generous annual leave entitlement of 47 days inclusive of bank holidays and concessionary days (pro rata) Teacher's Pension Scheme Suite of holistic wellbeing benefits and support including family-friendly policies, generous sick pay provision and comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme Access to a variety of staff discounts at high street retailers Discounted onsite gym Cycle to Work scheme A flexible working environment A commitment to personal and professional development

Find out more about rewards and benefitsFind out more about rewards and benefits


Key contact
For further information and informal enquiries regarding the role, please contact Stephanie Traynor, Apprenticeship Operations Manager via s.traynor@derby.ac.uk


For enquiries regarding your application and for sponsorship eligibility, please contact the recruitment team via recruitment@derby.ac.uk.


Important information#

Visa Sponsorship Eligibility

The University is unable to sponsor the employment of international workers under the Skilled Worker route for this role; however, applications are welcome from candidates who are able to demonstrate an alternative right to work in the UK.



Please visit visit our website for more information.


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DBS check

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (ROA) 1974 and is therefore subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.



Any information you provide will be treated in confidence and only used when considering your suitability for the post.



To enable us to process your DBS check please ensure you are able to supply the documentation listed on the DBS website at interview stage.




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Equity, diversity and inclusion

The University of Derby is committed to promoting equity, diversity and inclusion, regardless of age, disability, trans status, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief (or none), sex and sexual orientation.



We are Disability Confident Employers, demonstrating our commitment to disability inclusion, and invite applicants to highlight adjustments they may require to ensure equitable participation in our recruitment processes.



Further, we are committed to ensuring an environment which is trans and non-binary-inclusive for all our staff, students, partners, and visitors, and continuously review our policies, guidance and training.



When applying to join the University, you can choose your preferred title, including the gender-neutral title 'Mx'. We also ask our candidates if they would like to share their preferred pronouns. This is voluntary but demonstrates our commitment to inclusivity for trans and non-binary candidates. Once employed, you can add pronouns and preferred names onto our system.



The University of Derby undertakes anonymised shortlisting during the staff recruitment process. This means that, when shortlisting, panel members will not be able to see an applicant's name and will see an applicant number instead. This demonstrates the practical steps we are taking to remove barriers to recruitment by minimising the possible impact of our unconscious bias.



However you identify, we actively celebrate the knowledge, experience and talents each person brings. Our students come from a wide range of backgrounds; therefore we are particularly interested to hear from applicants who will help our leaders and teams be more reflective of our student population.



For more information on equity, diversity and inclusion at the University of Derby, please visit our website.





A university that celebrates you

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Environmental Sustainability

At the University of Derby, we are passionate about embedding sustainability into everything that we do. We aim to bring environmental sustainability into all aspects of the University, including teaching, research and operational activities. In line with the University's strategic framework, we expect all our staff to embed sustainability into their working practices and support the University's objective to reach net zero carbon by 2050.





Environment and sustainability


Seize the opportunity to shape the future, apply now.