Job Introduction
Café Supervisor
Salary: £27,600 per annum
Location: National Railway Museum, York
Contract Type: Full-Time, Permanent
Shifts: 40 hours per week, 5 over 7 days, with start times from 8:00am and weekend working required.
About the Role:
We’re looking for a proactive and motivated Café Supervisor to support the day‑to‑day operations of the café at the National Railway Museum in York. This is a hands‑on, operational role where you will lead by example, working alongside your team to deliver excellent service, maintain high quality standards, and ensure the café runs smoothly during all opening hours.
As Café Supervisor, you will play a key role in team leadership, stock management, operational delivery and service excellence. You will also support the Café Manager with financial processes, rota management and compliance, stepping up in their absence to ensure seamless operations.
The National Railway Museum is undergoing major redevelopment through its ambitious Vision programme, making this an exciting time to join a team experiencing growth, change and opportunity.
What can we offer you:
- A collaborative and inclusive culture, where your ideas are valued, and creativity is encouraged
- 20 days holiday + bank holidays
- Free staff meals whilst working on site
- Access to Compass Group company perks & benefits.
- Perks for Works discounts and promotions
- Access to training, mentoring and development, with support from our wider Restaurant Associates and Compass Group UK networks.
- On-site F&B discounts
Your Key Responsibilities:
- Supervise and support the café team during service, providing hands‑on leadership to deliver excellent customer experiences.
- Complete opening and closing checklists and maintain clean, welcoming front‑of‑house areas.
- Ensure all food and beverage items meet brand, quality and safety standards, including mystery customer criteria.
- Use initiative and problem‑solving to maintain smooth operations and resolve issues promptly.
- Produce weekly rotas in line with Café Manager guidelines.
- Train, coach and delegate tasks to support a proactive, knowledgeable team.
- Manage stock levels, place orders and check deliveries accurately.
- Minimise waste through efficient preparation and portion control.
- Complete cashing‑up procedures and assist with stock takes.
- Contribute to sales promotions and propose ideas to increase sales.
- Ensure compliance with fire safety, health & hygiene and food safety regulations.
- Assist with reporting, record‑keeping and daily operational tasks as required.
Who We’re Looking For:
- Previous experience in a supervisory or team‑leading role within a café, retail catering or public catering environment
- Experience with opening and closing routines and creating staff rotas
- A hands‑on approach with the ability to stay calm and customer‑focused in a busy setting
- Confidence completing cashing‑up and basic financial procedures
- Strong organisational and communication skills
- Ability to motivate, coach and support team members to deliver excellent service
- Flexible, adaptable and able to thrive in a fast‑paced, visitor‑focused environment
- Strong understanding of health & safety and food safety standards
Desirable:
- Experience in contract catering or managing high-volume visitor-led operations.
About Us:
Restaurant Associates is a leading premium hospitality provider with an ethos drawn from our history of fine and high-quality dining in London and New York.
Within our venues team, we provide catering and hospitality services to some of the most iconic visitor attractions and destinations in the UK including the Imperial War Museum London, Glyndebourne Opera House, Knebworth House, Design Museum, Whipsnade Zoo and many more. Within these amazing venues we operate a host of bespoke cafés and restaurants, as well as delivering private events ranging from small meetings to large-scale ground events of up to 1000 people. You can find a full list of our venues on our website.
Job Reference: com/2702/60031001/52793165/BU #RA Venues
Compass Group UK&I is committed to fostering an environment where every individual can truly be themselves at work and has equal opportunities to advance in their careers. We strive to build a culture that respects and celebrates the unique talents, beliefs, backgrounds, and abilities of all our team members. We want our colleagues to feel valued, empowered to reach their full potential, and to thrive - because diversity is our strength!