Download Pack:

Application Form cafe and bar staff.docx

Cafe Bar Assistant Job description.docx

Equal opps monitoring form.docx

Please download Application Form and Equal opps Form and return to:ChelseaR@thepoly.org by 9am on Mon 9th November 2026

Post Title: Cafe/Bar Assistant (part time)

Salary: £13.45 p/hr (Real living wage employer)

Hours: 15 hrs* to include evening and weekend working. (*There is likely to be additional overtime hours available)

The cafe/bar is open 5 days a week 10am-4pm Tues, 10-8pm Weds/Thurs and 10am-10pm Fri/Sat around our diverse events programme.

Reports To: Café/Bar, manager

Introduction

The Royal Cornwall Polytechnic Society (The Poly) is a Falmouth-based charity, promoting engagement in the arts, sciences and Cornish history through film, live events, exhibitions, lectures and workshops. The Poly’s roots are in artistic and technological innovation and local industry, and it is based in an iconic, Grade-II* listed building in the heart of the community. Facilities include galleries for exhibition and hire, a 164-seat theatre, a bar and adjoining library for events and hire, and a community pottery. We also have The Poly Guild, a successful art and design retail outlet for local artists. The bar and library are currently used as a cafe during the day and a bar during the evening, drawing a new audience in to The Poly.

Job Purpose: 

We are looking to appoint an enthusiastic and capable individual to work in our café/bar.

The Café assistant will be responsible for the smooth running of the Poly’s hospitality offer, including providing excellent customer service to our patrons and visitors.

Duties include:

·        Creating a welcoming environment for customers.

·        Ensuring consistent, high-quality beverages and snacks are served.

·        Dealing with customer feedback and providing adequate solutions to customer complaints.

·        Ensuring high standards of cleanliness at all times and paying attention to possible health hazards and regulation violations

·        Creating a positive work environment.

·        Working closely with the wider Poly staff team and trustees to support the development of the hospitality offer, explore cross-selling opportunities between other areas of The Poly’s operations.

·        Working independently serving customers; depending on capacity of the events, the counter is sometimes staffed with one member of staff during a shift, or 2 during busy periods. (There would be other team members in the building working on Box office etc).

General

·        Work in line with The Poly mission, vision, priorities and values.

·        Work in line with the Poly policies including Code of Conduct and safeguarding at all times.

·        Work flexibly to meet the needs of the organisation including occasional evenings/weekends as required.

·        Provide excellent customer service and care at all times.

·        Work closely with colleagues as a team to deliver The Poly’s activities in line with our mission and priorities.

·        Undertake training to develop as agreed in personal development plan.

·        Undertake additional duties when required to ensure the smooth running of The Poly.

·        The Poly is a Grade 2* listed building and many of its spaces are accessed by stairs with no lift or level access. Applicants should also be comfortable with manual handling stock etc.

Person Specification

Experience/Skills/Qualifications

Essential:

• Excellent customer service skills including responding to customer feedback
• Knowledge of alcohol and service laws and the confidence to enforce them. (Applicant should be over 18 and able to legally serve alcohol)
• Basic level of IT literacy, using till systems etc

Desirable:

• Practical barista and bar skills, including pouring drinks and changing barrels
• Hospitality, or catering qualifications
• Previous knowledge or experience of The Poly 
• An active interest in the work that The Poly presents from film, arts and live performance.