Cafe Assistant

About TAFE Queensland

TAFE Queensland is proud to be the largest and most experienced Vocational Education and Training (VET) provider in the State. For more than 140 years, TAFE Queensland has delivered practical and industry-relevant training to provide students with the skills and experience they need to build lifelong careers. Our award-winning training is delivered on campus, online, and in the workplace to give people the skills they need to enrich their communities, support their industries, and strengthen their local economies.

By working at TAFE Queensland, you can be part of a highly experienced workforce that is closely connected with their industries and dedicated to delivering best practices and innovative training.

Your Opportunity

As a Café Assistant you will contribute to the overall day to day running of the Café ensuring a high standard of customer service and smooth operations.

This position reports to the Business Manager

This is a Permanent, Full-Time opportunity

The position will be based primarily at Cairns however you may be required to perform work at other TAFE Queensland campuses.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide support to educational staff within the Café environment.
• Supporting all aspects of food preparation, quality control and food display.
• Taking orders, operating cash register and POS Station
• Service of hot and cold beverages and food items.
• Ensuring adequate stock levels of supplies and consumables for Café area and stock rotation.
• Maintain cleanliness and hygiene within the Café and all areas pertaining to the Café ensuring food handling and health and safety guidelines are met.
• Remove food scraps, empty and clean Café bins, and wash, dry and store all crockery and utensils in order to provide a safe and hygienic work environment.
• Strip, clean, reassemble and maintain all food preparation and cooking appliances.
• Provide feedback to Café staff on Café matters.
• Ensure day to day activities align with business operation as directed by your supervisor.
• Contribute to improvement in business processes and practices.
• Contribute to the success of transformation and cultural change through promoting and modelling the established values of Showing Initiative, Working Together, Focusing on our Customer and Taking Responsibility.

How you will be assessed

The ideal applicant will be someone who has the following key capabilities:

1. Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of working in a Café environment including till operation, POS and cash handling.
2. Knowledge of Work, Health and Safety and hygiene regulations in a hospitality environment.
3. Demonstrated ability to undertake kitchen preparation and related cleaning duties.
4. Demonstrated ability to provide assistance and support to professional staff in a high quality, hospitality environment.
5. Well-developed interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to work both independently and as a member of a multi-disciplinary team to meet deadlines and deliver effective and timely customer service.
6. Displays the initiative, attitude and ability to thrive within a dynamic, challenging and changing environment.

Highly Desirable Requirements

• Food handling skills set including food safety and safe food handling practices.

How to apply

If you’re interested in this role, click the ‘Apply’ button to submit your application via the TAFE Queensland Recruitment Portal.  When submitting your application, please ensure you provide the following:

• A detailed resume;
• A cover letter that outlines your known skills, abilities, knowledge and experience in response to the “How you will be assessed” criteria above (maximum of 2 pages in total); and
• The contact details for two referees (one of whom is your current supervisor)

Closing date: 2 September 2026

Job Reference Number: TQ2026-830

For further information, please contact:

Contact name: Sian Cook

Role: Business Manager

Email: [email protected]