New Restaurant Opening jobs in Oxfordshire

Safari Play is a genuine family-run, award-winning business, and we're looking for a new Duty Manager to become a big part of the team running our Safari MK venue.

Our aim is simple: to create somewhere families genuinely enjoy spending time together – somewhere children can have an amazing time while parents can relax, enjoy a coffee or have a meal. We need you to help ensure this happens.

Safari is busy, fun and fast-moving, so this definitely isn't a management job where you'll spend your day sitting in an office. You'll be out in the venue, leading the team, helping customers, solving problems and making sure everything is running as it should.

And there's another big advantage compared with many hospitality and leisure management roles: no late nights. Our latest normal finish is 8.00pm, apart from a handful of special events during the year.

The Role

Working alongside and supporting our Operations Manager, you'll take responsibility for the day-to-day running of Safari MK when you're the Duty Manager on shift.

You'll lead the team, make decisions, deal with customers and make sure our standards are being maintained throughout the venue.

It's a hands-on management role. We're a family-run business and believe that good managers lead from the front. If something needs doing, we all get stuck in.

You'll need to be someone who can think on their feet, stay calm when we're busy and, most importantly, get things done.

What we're looking for

We're looking for someone who:

• Has excellent people and customer service skills
• Can confidently lead and motivate a team
• Has superb attention to detail
• Takes pride in maintaining high standards
• Can make sensible decisions in a fast-paced environment
• Remains calm and positive when things get busy
• Is organised and able to prioritise
• Is comfortable dealing with customer queries and resolving problems
• Doesn't walk past something that needs doing
• Is happy to roll their sleeves up and help wherever needed
• Has good basic computer skills
• Enjoys working as part of a team and having some fun along the way!

Previous supervisory or management experience would be advantageous. Experience within hospitality, leisure, retail, restaurants, family entertainment or another busy customer-facing environment would also transfer really well to Safari.

You don't need to know everything about Safari on day one – we'll train you – but you do need the right attitude, confidence and willingness to learn.

Key responsibilities

Your responsibilities will include:

• Leading and managing the team on shift
• Taking responsibility for the venue during your duty shifts
• Opening and closing the centre
• Allocating jobs and making sure they are completed properly
• Maintaining excellent customer service standards
• Dealing confidently and professionally with customer queries and complaints
• Monitoring cleanliness and presentation throughout the venue
• Ensuring our opening, closing and operational checklists are completed
• Maintaining health & safety standards and procedures
• Ensuring food hygiene standards are maintained
• Supporting the café and other areas of the business when required
• Stock monitoring and ordering
• Supporting parties, events and busy periods
• Helping train and develop members of the team
• Working closely with the Operations Manager and other Duty Managers
• Identifying problems and taking responsibility for getting them sorted

Above all, we want someone who cares about the venue and the customer experience. We have clear systems and standards in place, but we need our managers to make sure they happen every day.

Hours

This is a permanent position and can be either full-time or part-time.

Weekend working is required because weekends are naturally some of our busiest times.

However, one of the big benefits of this role compared with many hospitality management positions is the working hours.

Our latest normal finish is 8.00pm, so you won't regularly be working until 11pm, midnight or later.

There are only a small number of special events each year which may require a later finish.

What you'll get

We genuinely value the people who work for us. When you join the Safari family, you'll benefit from:

• Up to £13.75 per hour (depending on experience)
• Permanent contract
• No regular late-night working
• Discounted food and drink from our Watering Hole Café
• Quarterly team events
• Reduced-price play sessions at selected times
• Opportunities for additional shifts when available
• Training and development
• Team rewards
• Branded Safari shirts
• Budget to work cover tousers and shoes
• Company pension
• Free on-site parking

Interested?

If you're the sort of person who enjoys being busy, likes working with people, takes pride in doing things properly and wants a management role where you can make a real difference, we'd love to hear from you.

Job Types: Full-time, Part-time, Permanent

Pay: £13.00-£13.75 per hour

Expected hours: 30.0 – 40.0 per week

Benefits:

• Company events
• Company pension
• Discounted or free food
• Employee discount
• Free parking
• On-site parking

Application question(s):

• Why are you looking for a new job?
• What is your notice period?
• What makes you stand out compared to other people who may apply for this role?
• Where do you live and how would you get to work at Safari MK in Kiln Farm e.g. car/ bus / bike walk etc
• How many hours would you ideally be looking to work each week? (This is a permanent role so hours are guaranteed)
• Are you available to work at weekends? Our latest shift ends at 8pm but this role. Do you have any times you can not work at weekends?

Work Location: In person