Bartender job description template
A pub bar on a Friday: kegs changed mid service, a queue three deep, and a close down that runs past midnight. The parts of the job that are about alcohol are written down as plainly as the pouring.
| Section | What it says |
|---|---|
| Position | Bartender |
| Reports to | Venue manager, and the duty manager on shift |
| Employment type | Casual, with hours offered week to week and a roster published a week ahead |
| Where the work happens | The public bar, the beer garden and the cellar |
| Hours and roster | Afternoons and evenings, Wednesday to Sunday, with late finishes on Friday and Saturday. Shifts are rostered so that the break between the finish and the next start is one the award allows. |
| What the job involves | Set the bar up: ice, garnish, glassware, and the lines checked. Pour beer, wine, spirits and the cocktails on the list. Change kegs and gas, and keep the cellar tidy. Serve responsibly, including refusing service where required and telling the duty manager. Take payments and balance the till at close. Clear and wash glassware through service. Restock the fridges, log wastage, and close the bar down. |
| A typical shift | On at 16:00: lines checked, fridges stocked, ice and garnish ready before the after work crowd at 17:00. Steady until the band at 20:00, then constant until last drinks. Kegs changed as they blow. Last drinks at midnight, glasses collected, till balanced and the bar closed down by 1:00am. |
| Skills and experience | Has worked a busy bar. Pours quickly and consistently, and keeps track of a queue. Calm with a difficult customer, and knows when to hand it to the duty manager. |
| Tickets and certificates | A Responsible Service of Alcohol certificate, issued by the state or territory the venue trades in. Some venues and some states have further requirements for gaming or late trading. |
| Physical demands | Standing for the whole shift, lifting kegs and cartons, late finishes, and noise for long stretches. |
| Pay and award | Paid at the rate in your letter of engagement. Bar work is usually covered by the Hospitality Industry (General) Award, or the Registered and Licensed Clubs Award in a club, and the award’s coverage clause decides which. The classification decides the rate, and late night and weekend work is paid as the award sets out. |
| How the job is reviewed | A conversation at three months about service, stock handling and how the close down is left, then yearly. |
| Review date of this description | Reviewed each March, or when trading hours change. |
What is in the file
- Template, blank, with each section down the side and room for the answer.
- Example, the same sheet filled in for The Anchor Hotel.
- How to use, with the steps and the mistakes below.
How to fill it in
- Set the trading hours and the late finishes to your own, and say who the duty manager is.
- Record the certificate and its expiry when you sight it, rather than taking it as read.
- Check the duties against the classification definitions in the award that covers the venue.
- Go through the refusing service part with the person, not just the paper.
Common mistakes
- Leaving the close down out, which is the part that runs past midnight
- A description that does not mention refusing service, which is part of the job
- Rostering a late finish and an early start without checking the break the award requires
When a spreadsheet stops being enough
Roster Flow shows the gap between a late finish and the next start as the roster is built, so a close down on Friday and an open on Saturday is a decision rather than a surprise.
Questions
What is on the bartender job description template?
13 sections down the side, running from position to review date of this description. The example beside them is filled in for The Anchor Hotel: behind the bar from set up to close, including the responsibilities that come with alcohol.
Does the bartender job description template work anything out for you?
No. It is a document with 13 sections to answer in your own words, not a calculator. Nothing on it is a formula.
Can I use the bartender job description template in Google Sheets?
Yes. Open bartender-job-description.xlsx from Google Drive, or use File, then Import, then Upload with bartender-job-description.csv. The document and its example come across either way.
Is the wording in the bartender job description template ready to use as it is?
The bartender job description template is a starting point for The Anchor Hotel or any business like it, to adapt rather than sign. The wording was checked against the official sources on 22 September 2026, it is not legal advice, and it has not been through a workplace relations professional.