We’re recruiting a Food and Beverage Manager for our brand-new café at Burton Mere Wetlands, the heart of our Dee Estuary Nature Reserve.

At The RSPB we believe we’re all connected. 

Our Location: Dee Estuary

One of the RSPB’s largest and most diverse reserves spanning over 6000 hectares straddling the England-Wales border. Our habitats range from tidal saltmarsh, mudflats, sand dune and shingle beach to the freshwater reedbed, wet grassland and ancient woodland at Burton Mere Wetlands, where our increasingly popular visitor facilities serve as the gateway to the estuary’s impressive wildlife spectacles. 

The Role:

As Food and Beverage Manager, you will be responsible for leading day-to-day management of the café. Working with an Assistant Manager and Team Members, you will be providing a warm, welcoming atmosphere for our visitors to enjoy nature-friendly food and drink in an incredible setting. You will lead on performance of the café against targets, coach and inspire your team to generate income to support our important conservation work.

You will be working in our brand-new café at Burton Mere Wetlands. Typical opening hours are between 9am and 5pm. The role will offer a flexible shift pattern of 5 days over 7, with weekend and occasional evening working.  

Key Skills Areas: 

•    Leading the Food and Beverage team in day-to-day operations.
•    Has commercial awareness, knowledge of budgets, controlling costs and maximising income.  
•    Sets and monitors KPIs and targets to deliver organisational goals. 
•    Builds and maintains strong working relationships, has good people management skills including setting objectives and providing feedback.  
•    Provides a warm welcome for our visitors, is helpful and friendly with a positive attitude.  
•    Maintains food hygiene and health and safety standards in the work environment. 
•    Works in friendly, encouraging teams, with support from colleagues across the organisation. 

Essential skills, knowledge and experience:

•    A positive outlook, can-do attitude, willing to develop new skills and ask for help when needed. 
•    A genuine desire to deliver amazing experiences for our visitors. 
•    A passion for good food and drink. 
•    Effective time management and people management. 

Desirable skills, knowledge and experience:

•    Level 3 Food Safety.
•    Understanding of working EPOS systems. 
•    GCSE Maths and English, or equivalent. 

What can the RSPB offer you?

•    Discounts in RSPB Retail Shops, Cafes and Holiday Cottages
•    Daytime working, no split shifts
•    Free entry to RSPB Reserves
•    Investment in your Personal and Professional Development
•    Ability to define your own offer within the RSPB Menu Framework
•    RSPB Pension Scheme, with matching employer contributions
•    Health and Wellbeing support, including Employee Assistance Programme and free flu vaccine
•    We’re here to save nature. In addition to a meaningful career in Food and Beverage, each year you will receive an extra day of paid leave to spend volunteering for any charity or voluntary organisation of your choice.

Does this sound like you? If so, we’d love to hear from you. 

This is a Permanent role for 37.5 hours per week. For any questions or an informal chat about the role, please get in touch with Food and Beverage Area Consultant Kellie Craig: Kellie.Craig@RSPB.org.uk 

As part of this application process you will be asked to provide a copy of your CV and complete an application form including evidence on how you meet the skills, knowledge, and experience listed above.

We are committed to developing an inclusive and diverse RSPB, in which everyone feels supported, valued, and able to be their full selves. To achieve our vision of creating a world richer in nature, we need more people, and more diverse people, on nature’s side. People of colour and disabled people are currently underrepresented across the environment, climate, sustainability, and conservation sector. If you identify as a person of colour and/or disabled, we are particularly interested in receiving your application. Contact us to discuss any additional support you may need to complete your application.

The RSPB is an equal opportunities employer. This role is covered by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.

This role is not eligible for UK Visa Sponsorship - the successful applicant will need to have a pre-existing Right to Work in the UK in order to be offered an employment contract.

Before applying for this role, we recommend visiting the site and reading through the candidate guidance notes attached to the top of this advert.

Previous applicants need not apply, thank you.