Who are we? 

The British Embassy Zagreb is the representative office of the UK Government in Croatia, representing British political, economic and consular interests in the country. The Embassy is headed by the Ambassador and we are an ambitious, engaged and motivated team that supports each other and does our best to develop and fulfil our potential. 

The British Embassy champions diversity both inside and outside the Embassy. We would welcome applications from any suitably qualified individual, whatever their gender, ethnicity, sexuality, disability or religion.

Main purpose of job:

The British Embassy in Zagreb is looking for a Residence Manager for the Ambassador’s official residence. It’s a unique workplace: the Residence is a prestigious venue for the Ambassador and the Embassy to entertain guests and host official functions, from afternoon teas, lunches and dinners to seminars, large receptions and even garden parties; it has a number of guest rooms used for official visits; but it is also the home of the Ambassador and their family.  

The Residence Manager has an important – and incredibly varied – role at its heart: responsible for day-to-day management and operations, overseeing all the official events, making sure the Ambassador and family are appropriately supported. Duties include everything from household décor and maintenance to choosing which drinks to serve with which menus for official events. You’ll often be the first-person high-profile visitors meet when they arrive, but it’s a very small team of just two people, so you’ll also need to be ready to help out the Residence Housekeeper occasionally with tasks such as baking too.  

The ideal candidate will be confident dealing with a wide variety of visitors, making guests feel welcome and taking pride in their own, and the Residence appearance, given its importance as the Embassy’s main hospitality platform. It will also be important to have good management skills with the ability to deliver through various contractors, along with resilience and organisational skills to allow you to manage the role’s wider variety of day-to-day tasks. You’ll be expected to represent the UK and its values, with attention to detail paid on certain protocols around official entertainment and procurement. Discretion and trustworthiness are paramount: those who attend meetings and events at the Residence do so with a high expectation of privacy and confidentiality; and the Ambassador and family must also be able to enjoy privacy in their home too.

Roles and responsibilities:

• Effective running of the Residence: Ensure effective planning, running, delivery, reporting and maintenance of all Residence property and services, including management of the inventories (e.g. silverware, glassware, crockery, linen, and domestic equipment, Government Art Collection and furniture) and management of staff resources (permanent and casual) through clear forward planning and scheduling, and flexible delivery in line with operational requirements.
• Official events: Responsible for planning, preparation, oversight and delivery of official events at the Ambassador’s Residence, in close consultation with the Ambassador and event leads, the respective Embassy teams and other relevant colleagues.  This includes but is not limited to, planning and sourcing of chefs or catering companies for official lunches and evening events, wine cellar management, planning table, flower and room layout and arrangements, and hiring equipment (e.g. marquee, audio visual, lighting, heating) and hiring casual event staff for significant events (1-2 per year) who work under the Residence Manager’s supervision and set-up and post-event clear up and cleaning. 
  The Residence Manager’s responsibility for preparing food is mainly limited to official working breakfasts and afternoon teas, as well as occasional cooking for the Ambassador and family within normal working hours.
• Official visitors: Co-ordinate arrangements for all official visitors staying at the Residence, ensuring that rooms are prepared for overnight guests and the highest levels of service are provided, with all visitors receiving a warm welcome and made to feel comfortable and at home. 
• Official Residence procurement: Manage relevant Residence accounts, purchasing and admin, including supplier liaison, quote management etc. Monitor Residence expenditure, including accounting for pre-approved credit card expenditure in a timely manner.  Purchase supplies for events according to FCDO procurement guidance, and purchase and manage Residence stocks (e.g. cleaning items, pantry stocks), ensuring value for money. Work with the Residence Housekeeper to ensure stocks and supplies are regularly reviewed and supervise deliveries where needed.
• Line management: Lead and manage Residence Housekeeper, and when required casual event staff, providing support and direction as necessary.  Ensure that the Residence Housekeeper receives adequate and regular training to undertake her duties.  Manage Residence Housekeeper’s performance and complete annual appraisals on time and to prescribed standards.
• Cleaning: Ensure the highest standards of cleanliness, hygiene and presentation at all times, including daily cleaning of the Residence representational area and kitchen. 
• Maintenance: Ensure the Residence and grounds are kept in optimal repair: identify and report repair /improvement work needed to Embassy Corporate Services, oversee repairs and maintenance jobs for the Residence and grounds, and liaise with Corporate Services and Ambassador to ensure contractor access to the Residence at convenient times.
• Health and safety: In conjunction with relevant Embassy colleagues, ensure the Residence and all events comply with all necessary Health and Safety rules and wider Embassy guidance such as food safety. Ensure any external contractors fully understand and comply with such rules and guidance.
• The Residence Manager will be expected to undertake other duties that may reasonably be required, in accordance with the grading and core competencies of the job.

Our Ideal Candidate shows: 

• Full professional proficiency in English and Croatian (written and spoken, minimum of C1 level for CEFR framework* or equivalent);
• Minimum 2 years of experience in customer service roles, including in the hospitality industry and working with the food and catering industry;
• Previous experience in managing budgets/financial management experience;
• Prior experience in organisation of maintenance projects or organising tradespeople;
• Ability and desire to demonstrate organisational skills, effective prioritisation, time management, and a strong attention to detail;
• Confident, discreet, trustworthy, adaptable self-starter able to work effectively without close supervision;
• Experience of working in a team;
• Flexibility in terms of working hours and duties – be prepared to work additional hours in support of events, including evenings and occasional weekends;
• Good knowledge of Microsoft Office tools;
• Valid driving licence.