Centre Assistant – Cafe at RSPB, Port Clarence, Stockton-on-Tees

We’re looking for a Cafe Centre Assistant to join our friendly team at RSPB Saltholme working 4 hours per week, on Fridays plus some additional hours.

Centre Assistant Café
Location: RSPB Saltholme, TS2
Contract: Permanent
Hours: Part Time, Min 4 Hours per week
Salary: £13.45 - £14.35 Per Hour
Benefits: Pension Scheme, Life Assurance Scheme, 26 days' Annual Leave (Pro Rata)

Are you passionate about providing excellent customer service and creating a welcoming experience for visitors? Would you like to work for an organisation dedicated to protecting and restoring our natural world?

Whether you already have experience in hospitality or you’re looking to develop your skills in a busy visitor environment, we’d love to hear from you.

About RSPB Saltholme

RSPB Saltholme is a welcoming, family-friendly wetland nature reserve, offering accessible trails, a visitor centre, café, play area, wildlife hides and viewing areas.The reserve provides an opportunity for people of all ages and backgrounds to connect with nature and enjoy the outdoors. Throughout the year, Saltholme supports a wide variety of wildlife, including wetland birds, seasonal flowers and a range of important habitats.

Our café plays an important part in the visitor experience, providing a friendly place for people to relax, enjoy refreshments and make the most of their visit.

Every day can be different, and you’ll need to be comfortable working flexibly as part of a team. Full support and training will be provided.

About the role

As a Café Centre Assistant, you’ll help provide a friendly and welcoming experience for our visitors while supporting the day-to-day running of the café.

Your duties will include:

• Serving customers and providing friendly, helpful service.
• Preparing and serving food and refreshments.
• Handling food safely and maintaining high standards of cleanliness and hygiene.
• Operating the till and processing customer payments.
• Supporting general café and kitchen duties.
• Keeping the café and surrounding areas clean, safe and welcoming.
• Working closely with colleagues to ensure the café runs smoothly, particularly during busy periods.

We’re looking for someone who:

• Able to work reliably and flexibly across a range of café and visitor-facing tasks.
• Able to provide friendly, helpful and inclusive customer service, responding appropriately to different visitor needs.
• Able to organise tasks and respond appropriately to changing priorities during busy periods.
• Able to communicate clearly and work effectively with colleagues, supporting the team when needed.
• Able to follow food hygiene, cleanliness and safe working procedures, with training provided where required.
• Able to process customer payments accurately and follow till and cash-handling procedures, with training provided where required.
• Able to use basic digital systems and learn the systems and procedures required for the role.

Previous café or hospitality experience would be helpful, but a positive attitude, willingness to learn and commitment to providing great customer service are just as important.

Additional Information

We are recruiting for a Café Centre Assistant working 4 hours per week, on Fridays also additional hours to provide cover for annual leave and sickness, so flexibility is beneficial).

The role involves daytime working, including weekends and Bank Holidays. There may also be opportunities to work additional hours to provide cover for annual leave and sickness, so some flexibility is essential.

We’re keen to appoint as soon as suitable candidates are identified, so please don’t delay in applying.

Closing date: Sunday December 6th, 2026 at 11:59 PM
N.B. We reserve the right to close the vacancy once sufficient applications have been received.

Interested?

If you would like to find out more, please click the apply button. You will be directed to our website to complete your application for this position.

We are committed to developing an inclusive and diverse RSPB, in which everyone feels supported, valued, and able to be their full selves. To achieve our vision of creating a world richer in nature, we need more people, and more diverse people, on nature’s side. People of colour and disabled people are currently underrepresented across the environment, climate, sustainability, and conservation sector. If you identify as a person of colour and/or disabled, we are particularly interested in receiving your application.

The RSPB is an equal opportunities employer. This role is covered by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.

The RSPB is a licenced sponsor. this role is not eligible for UK Visa Sponsorship - the successful applicant will need to have a pre-existing Right to Work in the UK in order to be offered an employment contract.

To apply you will be required to complete a short application form. In the application form we recommend explaining to what extent you meet the set criteria.

Contact us to discuss any additional support you may need to complete your application.

No agencies please.