Functions Assistant

Cambridge; Cambridge; On-site; GBP 27,000 - 28,000; Full time

Job summary

A prestigious college in Cambridge seeks a Functions Assistant to join their Catering & Hospitality team. You will ensure the smooth operation of dining rooms through food service, staff supervision, room set-up, and cleaning. The role offers a competitive salary of £27,180 - £27,929 annually, plus benefits such as 36 days of leave, healthcare scheme, free lunch, on-site gym access, and parking. Experience in hospitality is preferred. Applications are encouraged to refer to the Candidate Information Pack before submission.

Benefits

Defined contributory pension scheme

36 days’ annual leave

Cash plan healthcare scheme

Free lunch

Free use of an on-site gym

Free parking (subject to availability)

Qualifications

• Reliable and hardworking.
• Experience in food service or hospitality is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Help ensure smooth operation of public and private dining rooms.
• Supervise staff and manage room set-up.
• Assist with food service and cleaning.

Job description

Salary: £27,180 - £27,929 p.a. (depending on experience) plus benefits

Job type: Permanent

Hours: 39.25 hours per week, every alternate weekend on, early shifts (9am-5pm) and late shifts (1pm - 9.30pm/11pm)

St John’s College, one of the largest Colleges within the University of Cambridge, is seeking to appoint a reliable and hardworking Functions Assistant to join our Catering & Hospitality team.

You will help ensure the smooth operation of all public and private dining rooms and related areas.

This includes food service, staff supervision, room set-up and cleaning.

The College offers a competitive benefits package including membership of a defined contributory pension scheme, 36 days’ annual leave (inclusive of Bank Holidays), access to a ‘cash plan’ healthcare scheme currently provided by Simplyhealth, free lunch, free use of an on‑site Gym and free parking close to the College site, subject to availability.

Before You Apply – Please Read

To help you submit the strongest possible application, we’ve created a Candidate Information Pack that provides further information about the role and how to apply. It outlines what we’re looking for, how to structure your CV and covering letter, and tips to stand out. We strongly encourage all applicants to read this guidance before applying. You can find it here: Functions Assistant Candidate Information Pack

The closing date for the receipt of completed applications is 9am on Friday 23 January 2026.

Please be advised that you will receive system-generated updates regarding the status of your application after it submitted directly through our recruitment system to the email address you provided. To ensure you receive all communications without interruption, we kindly ask that you:

• Add the following email address to your safe sender list
• [e-mail]
• [e-mail]
• Regularly check your junk or spam folders, as emails may occasionally be filtered there.

In applying for this role, you will provide personal data which the College will process in accordance with its data protection obligations and its Data Protection Policy.