Job Description

The Seven Bridges is the world kitchen concept housed inside Dance City, the home of dance in the North East. It is a special and unique collaboration with West End Refugee Service. This is an exciting time to join Dance City, as we celebrate our 40th anniversary and look to the future.

The Seven Bridges launched in June 2025 during Refugee Week, and we have just celebrated our first 12 months of operating.

We are looking for someone who can help us to fulfil the vision, mission of The Seven Bridges. Someone passionate about international food. Someone interested in teaching our volunteers skills and craft to work in a live kitchen environment so they gain skills for the workplace when they are ready; but also someone keen to learn about foods and the stories behind the food from our international volunteers, and being able to showcase this to our community.

You will love food, people and service. It drives you and you will use that to propel growth in The Seven Bridges.

Dance City's mission is to ensure the North East is the best place to dance and experience dance. The Seven Bridges mission is to be one of the most inclusive places to eat and drink. Where food acts as the context for conversation. You will work in an organisation where you can see the difference you make every day.

If this sounds like you, we look forward to hearing from you.

Primary Duties:

Develop creative, high quality menus in collaboration with the cafe team and volunteers, ensuring a smooth and efficient operation across our daytime, evening and external catering offer. Facilitation and training of volunteers and other staff members, helping to foster a welcoming and generous environment at all times. Ensure that everyone works to strict compliance-led Food Handling & Hygiene standards and Health & Safety regulations. Maintain food diary and ensure all documentation, such as fridge temp checks, etc.,are filled in by team daily and under direct supervision. Make sure all equipment is in good working order and any faults reported immediately. o Manage risk assessments Ensure that team members are available for their required shifts and that there are enough staff to cover busy periods Plan rota for staff taking into account weekly events Work closely with volunteers to incorporate knowledge and expertise into the cafe experience. Control budgets and record income and expenses. Ensure Cost of Sales (CoS) is kept under control and correct margins are being hit for GP. Planning, preparing and cooking meals including hot food, sandwiches, light snacks etc. Keep a record of recipes and ensure all staff cook food to the correct specifications as outlined in recipe to ensure consistency. Build and maintain a good relationship with local suppliers. Ensure food waste is kept to a minimum and is disposed of appropriately (recycled, donated etc.)

General administration

Supporting with correspondence, photocopying, scanning and posting General filing and maintenance of SharePoint Managing diaries, supporting with travel, and supporting smooth running of internal meetings. Preparing agenda, presentation or papers and distribute according to required timescale Supporting with recording of meetings/events; checking for permissions including for any photography (in advance) Meeting external visitors, including undertaking tours of building Creating and scheduling programme of work/ timetable updates, team rota updates, etc, via ScheduleIt and Outlook, Resolving day-to-day timetables/rota issues, e.g., sickness/absence cover, cancellations, updating the relevant Manager. Coordinate specific events, e.g.., taster days/auditions/work experience days Updating administrative processes as required, being alert to any issues and suggesting improvements

Communication and customer service:

Managing customer enquiries at face to face and via phone and email. Managing supplier enquiries and contracts Communication directly with customers and others on specific matters Supporting any customer or other interaction that requires extra attention Contacting customersor other with general information or updates internally and externally Making updates directly to the website and/or social network feeds Acting as Front of House for The Seven Bridges

Building and facilities management

Supporting very high standards of presentation and cleanliness throughout the building Undertaking specific building duties Ensuring facilities tracker is used for recording building issues

Health and safety

Supporting good Health and Safety practice at Dance City Support carrying out risk assessments following training Ensuring contractors are competent Maintaining equipment Managing maint

Financial

Taking payment for sales Cashing up (e.g. The Seven Bridges takings) Collating invoices ready for sign off by a Manager Keeping accurate expenditure and reconciliation records Updating and monitoring a budget Undertaking contracting and procurement Requesting and administering petty cash, collection receipts

HR

Committing to the appraisal process and to their own personal and professional development Supporting training activities Supporting with staff inductions i.e., orientation, initial training on Dance City software and databases Coordinating and supervising volunteers, ensuring they are registered and complete induction and any training needs Awareness and commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and Anti-discrimination

Data and IT

Keeping customer/student/artist and other contact data up to date and in accordance with GDPR Creating and generating data reports from Spektrix and ScheduleIt Creating data collection surveys Supporting data review/analysis Supporting accurate organising of data into charts or other required format for presentations Maintaining accuracy and compliance of Spektrix Raising any data compliance issues or concerns immediately and in line with Dance City policy Adhering to strict confidentiality and not divulging to anyone personal and/or confidential information to which they may have access during the course of their work

Governance

Supporting preparation of reports Ensuring quality assurance requirements are upheld

Strategic Contribution and Management

Supporting the function in the absence of the manager Participating in the development of strategy and programmes

General Duties and Responsibilities:

Communications

Employees will actively participate in team meetings, formal and informal, use communications channels respectfully, be responsive to requests from other members of the team, and liaise with managers, trustees and stakeholders as appropriate.

Sustainability and Ethical Practice

Dance City is committed to becoming carbon neutral and to ensuring the highest standards of ethical practice. Employees are required to demonstrate support for these principles.

Financial Management

Employees have a responsibility to be familiar with Dance City's Financial Policies and to adhere to them.

Health and Safety

Employees have a responsibility to be familiar with Dance City's Health and Safety Handbook and to adhere to all procedures contained within it.

Quality Assurance

Employees have a duty to contribute to continuous improvement in all aspects of the organisation.

Person Specification

ESSENTIAL:

Catering & kitchen experience to a strong level, with experience of leading a kitchen preferred. Broad knowledge of different cooking styles and interest in world cuisine. Customer focus with strong communication skills. Confident managing budgets and people. Flexible, self-motivated with great organisational skills. Able to work in a busy environment where you work to tight deadlines. Experience working with nutritional and dietary requirements, understanding of allergens, to ensure the business is doing the best for customers. Organisational skills to effectively manage your time and workload and that of the team. Strong knowledge and experience of administrative side of running a kitchen (food diaries, training procedure, onboarding of staff, budget). Knowledge of Health and Safety Requirements Experience of managing suppliers Health and Safety awareness - First Aid and Fire Warden trained (or willingness to become so) An understanding and commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion and anti-discrimination. Relevant Food Management, Cookery and Food Hygiene qualifications and certification

DESIRABLE:

Excellent computer literacy with software systems including Microsoft Office suite Willingness to learn house IT software packages Practical and organisational skills An enthusiastic, team player with a positive attitude The ability to multi-task within agreed timelines in a constantly dynamic environment. Attention to detail A high degree of self-motivation and discipline Commitment to Continual Professional Development Ability to work in a changing and flexible organisation Ability to assess situations, act on own initiative and justify decision-making Ability to build rapport with people from all backgrounds, of all abilities, and of all ages
Please send a CV and cover letter to Anand Bhatt, CEO and Artistic Director of Dance City:

anand.bhatt@dancecity.co.uk

. In your cover letter please demonstrate how you meet the person specification.

Please note that this is a rolling recruitment process and we therefore advise early application.

Shortlisted applicants will be invited to complete a paid trial shift at The Seven Bridges

Please note that any offers of employment are subject to two satisfactory references, of which one must be from a current or most recent employer. Evidence of right to work in the UK is also required.

If you require this information in a different format, or would rather submit a video or audio file, please let us know and we can enable this to happen.

Dance City actively encourages applications from those with less visibility in the arts. We specifically welcome applications from women, disabled people and those from Black, Asian, ethnically diverse, LGBTQ+ and international backgrounds with the right to work in the UK.

Job Types: Full-time, Permanent

Pay: 28,000.00-31,000.00 per year

Work Location: In person

Reference ID: TheSevenBridgesKMC