Commis Chef

Grade and salary scale: UE02, £24,547 per annum 

School/Department: Accommodation, Catering and Events – Catering 

Full Time: 35 Hours, 5 days over 7

Open Ended: Permanent

Vacancies: 1

The Opportunity:

Together we can do great things. Be part of something bigger. 

The University isn’t just any employer. We are part of a local community and a contributor to global thinking, progress and research. In Edinburgh, you are in one of the world’s most attractive cities with active arts and social sectors, while working in a University that has made significant contributions to society, medicine, physics and teaching for over four centuries. Our people have helped create the modern world and are working on more ground-breaking technologies and practices. 

From student accommodation to café’s restaurants and hotels, we are a 24/7 organisation that embraces the traditional and the modern in equal measure. From historical buildings to state of the art technical and research hubs our mission is to ‘enrich student learning and growth as well as impact our local communities’ and our values drive everything we do.

We are looking for a Commis Chef to assist in the smooth running of our catering outlet Levels Café & Lounge which is based at Holyrood. Levels Café has 260 seats and provides a wide range of freshly prepared food, grab and go items, salad bar, hot buffets, and functions in house as well as delivered catering to the Holyrood Campus. 

Reporting to the Kitchen Supervisor and Line Manager, the Commis Chef will assist in the preparation and service of food for the cafeteria. Main responsibilities include preparing a range of grab and go items, hot meals, soup, salads and delivered catering to pre-set recipes. You will be a team player who enjoys working as part of a team to deliver the brand standards and exceed the customer’s expectations. You will demonstrate fantastic attention to detail and a passion for food. You will currently be working in a similar role within a catering environment.

At ACE our mission is to ‘enrich student learning and growth as well and impact our local communities.’ Our values drive everything we do, therefore ask yourself: 

Are you PASSIONATE about making a difference? 

Do you like to COLLABORATE and achieve things as a team? 

Is INCLUSION at the forefront of all you do? 

Do you thrive when given OWNERSHIP? 

Are you inspired by INNOVATION and excited to bring new ideas to life? 

A career with us has a range of other benefits that can be tailored to your lifestyle: 

• Interesting work. 
• Good salary / pay rates. 
• Responsibility and autonomy. 

 

This post is full-time: 35 hours per week, 5 over 7 days

View the full job description (opens in a new browser tab) 

How to apply:

Please include the following documents in your application:

- CV

- Cover letter

As a valued member of our team, you can expect: 

• A competitive salary. 
• An exciting, positive, creative, challenging and rewarding place to work. 
• To be part of a diverse and vibrant international community.
• Comprehensive Staff Benefits, including generous annual leave entitlement, a defined benefits pension scheme, a wide range of staff discounts, family-friendly initiatives, and flexible work options. Check out the full list on our staff benefits page (opens in a new tab) and use our reward calculator to discover the value of your pay and benefits. 

 Championing equality, diversity, and inclusion

The University of Edinburgh holds a Silver Athena SWAN award in recognition of our commitment to advance gender equality in higher education. We are members of the Race Equality Charter, and we are also a Stonewall Proud Employer, actively promoting LGBTQ+ equality. 

Prior to any employment commencing with the University, you will be required to evidence your right to work in the UK. Further information is available on our right to work webpages (opens new browser tab)

The University is unable to sponsor the employment of international workers in this role. International applicants will therefore be unable to apply for and secure a Skilled Worker visa. They will only be able to take up this role if they can demonstrate an alternative right to work in the UK.  

Key dates to note

The closing date for applications is 11 November 2026

Unless stated otherwise the closing time for applications is 11:59pm UK time. If you are applying outside the UK the closing time on our adverts automatically adjusts to your browsers local time zone. 

Interviews will be held 2 weeks after posting date 

 

Accommodation, Catering and Events provides catered and self-catered residential accommodation for over 10,000 students, including community and welfare support through its Residence Life service. We also operate 17 cafes and a range of other catering products to students and staff across the University estate. Under our commercial brand, The University of Edinburgh Hospitality and Events Collection, we deliver hotel accommodation options to around 200,000 guests each year plus an extensive selection of conference, catering and event services to over 2,000 events.

Please visit our website for further information.

As a world-leading research-intensive University, we are here to address tomorrow’s greatest challenges. Between now and 2030 we will do that with a values-led approach to teaching, research and innovation, and through the strength of our relationships, both locally and globally.