The British Embassy in Cairo is looking to recruit for Residence Coordinator, job grade Administrative Assistant (AA).

The British Ambassador’s Residence is a historical building in Cairo and a key venue for hospitality to support the work of the British Embassy, and the official residence of His Majesty’s Ambassador and his spouse. Supported by the wider Corporate Services team and working with the Residence Manager.

The successful candidate will be expected to ensure the smooth day to day running of the Residence, ensuring the comfort of its’ occupants and guests. The role is central to the smooth running of the Ambassador and his family’s daily needs and managing key events under the guidance of the Residence manager, such as official lunches, dinners and receptions.

The ideal candidate will have previous experience in the hotel/hospitality industry, in food, beverage or housekeeping services, to ensure that guests experience a high-quality Residence service. They will lead a small team, ensuring the Residence is maintained throughout to the highest standards of cleanliness and presentation.

Role and responsibilities:

• Manage a three-person cleaning team, and a three-person team of Suffrages. This will mean ensuring that all staff have realistic and appropriate professional goals and personal development plans, and that they have the time and opportunity to deliver on these. You will be responsible for establishing duty rosters and supervising the quality and timeliness of delivery of your teams’ work, in collaboration with the Residence occupants and Residence Manager.
• Ensure proper manning and all absences of the team are fully recorded on the Oracle based HR.
• Responsible for applying FCDO procurement policies and procedures.
• Ensure all residence operations are being run according to the FCDO finance management system.
• Review holidays, sickness, and overtime of residence staff & report to Residence Manager to ensure appropriate staffing levels are maintained for the smooth running of the residence.
• Greet houseguests on arrival and show them to their rooms. Ensure all guests are looked after throughout the duration of their stay and that their accommodation is maintained to the highest possible standards. Oversee the rooms preparation in advance (e.g fresh towels, toiletries,…etc.)
• Support and arrange different aspects of functions within the Residence. This will include, but is not limited to, liaising with the Residence Manager on anticipated guests, identifying and delivering any special dietary requirements, and liaising with the chef to ensure proper table settings.
• Manage a range of operational issues to ensure the smooth functioning of the residence. These issues might include those outlined immediately above and checking the rooms to ensure a high standard of cleanliness is maintained throughout their stay.
• Support in residence admin works, including preparing invitations, menu cards, name tags, etc.
• Oversee Residence staff duties and responsibilities when working on events and acting as the point of contact for external contractors; liaising between Residence Manager and service providers.
• Identifying and reporting any maintenance issues to the Residence Manager/Technical Works team. Overseeing any remedial action. Ensuring regular pre-planned maintenance (PPM) is carried out in accordance with Estates policies.
• Manage beverage stocks. Keep account of all movements in/out of wines and spirits for official use. Maintain a stock register and conduct monthly checks. With the Residence Manager, arrange for stock replenishment as and when required.

The above list is not exhaustive, and the jobholder will be required to be flexible and take on other ad hoc tasks as required. The job description may be reviewed to meet changes in business needs.

Key behaviours:

• Communicating and Influencing – Communicate purpose and direction with clarity, integrity and enthusiasm. Respect the needs, responses and opinions of others.
• Delivering at Pace – Take responsibility for delivering timely and quality results with focus and drive.
• Managing a Quality Service – Deliver service objectives with professional excellence, expertise and efficiency, taking account of diverse customer needs.
• Working Together – Form effective partnerships and relationships with people both internally and externally, from a range of diverse backgrounds, sharing information, resources and support.

• Fluency in Arabic and English. Able to express ideas and messages clearly and concisely, both orally and in written communication.
• Minimum of 3 years’ experience in hospitality or in a relevant role.
• Strong organisational and multitasking skills with the ability to perform well in a fast-paced environment.
• High standard of personal presentation and able to demonstrate discretion, courtesy, and consideration always.
• Ability to work individually and as part of a team, with previous line management experience.
• Proven record of organisational ability. Ability to prioritise, organise own workload, and meet deadlines, while maintaining attention to detail and without compromising the quality of the work.
• Good IT skills and computer literate (especially in Microsoft Office Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook).