Job description
St John’s College, one of the largest Colleges within the University of Cambridge, is seeking to appoint a Plate Wash Assistant to carry out cleaning duties within the pot wash, kitchen and associated areas.
The post holder will be responsible to the Buttery Dining Room Manager and will play an integral part in maintaining a hygienically clean and safe environment for staff to work in, including washing up all catering-related equipment. As well as cleaning the plate wash, pot wash and associated areas to pre-set schedules, you will also be essential in clearing rubbish and following Food Safety, Health and Safety and Fire Regulations.
The College is very well respected within the hospitality industry and has a high reputation for its food and service, which we are always looking to improve upon. All staff are fully trained in allergy awareness, and the College is a member of the Sustainable Restaurants Association and TUCO.
Experience in working in a busy commercial kitchen is welcome, as is allergy awareness, COSHH training and a Basic Food Hygiene certificate, however full training will be provided if required.
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 (up to a specified monetary limit), 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: Candidate Information Pack
The closing date for the receipt of completed applications is 09:00am on 31 July 2025.
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
peoplexd@accessacloud.com
recruitment@joh.cam.ac.uk
Regularly check your junk or spam folders, as emails may occasionally be filtered there.
Early applications are encouraged as we reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we find a suitable candidate.
St John’s College is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of vulnerable adults and applicants must be willing to undergo screening appropriate to the post, including checks with past employers and the Disclosure and Barring Service.
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 .