FRONT OFFICE MANAGER – VACANCY
Company Profile
Mantis EPIC Hotel and Suites is a luxury 4* hotel in Nyagatare, Eastern Province near the northern entrance of Akagera National Park, Rwanda.
With its variety of offerings, the hotel has something for everyone and the ultimate family adventure holiday destination. EPIC Hotel has 77 well appointed rooms and exceptional business facilities which include a conference centre and a banqueting venue catering to local and international clientele.
The hotel is managed by Mantis Hotels, part of the Accor group. Accor operates in 100 countries, with more than 4,800 hotels and 280,000 employees worldwide.
The hotel is hiring the right & competent candidate to fill the following vacant position:
1. FRONT OFFICE MANAGER (01), Position open to the public
JOB DESCRIPTION
POSITION: FRONT OFFICE MANAGER
DEPARTMENT: FRONT OFFICE
RESPONSIBLE FOR: FRONT OFFICE
REPORTS TO: General Manager / Operations manager
PRIMARY OBJECTIVE OF POSITION
Under the direction of the General Manager, manage and co-ordinate Front Office operations to provide efficient, prompt, courteous, trouble-free, and proactive service to guests; hence maximize room revenue and guest satisfaction. All work will be in line with the hotel’s guidelines and business plan, the departmental business plan, and the Group’s corporate guidelines and service concepts.
TASKS, DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
MANAGE AND COORDINATE FRONT OFFICE OPERATIONS TO PROVIDE THE HIGHEST STANDARD OF SERVICE
- Achieves guest satisfaction and room revenue goals by supervising the Front Office operation
- Ensures that Front Office is staffed according to need by utilizing business forecasts to schedule employees
- Oversees and participates in the prompt and courteous check-in and check-out of guests
- Addresses questions or problems pertaining to customer room accommodations and rates
- Controls open and closed dates, room availability for both events and accommodation
- Keeps effective key control and participates in matters relating to customer room security
- Ensures that guest mail and messages are delivered promptly by overseeing mail and message delivery functions
- Controls room rates, and implements approved rate changes
- Monitors advance deposit, credit procedures, and cash ups
- Responds orally to positive and negative comments expressed in comments from guests, and in comment cards, and develops strategies to improve
- Brings major needs for repair to the attention of the General Manager
- Checks the arrival list, conference guest list, and VIP list and informs appropriate individuals on returning guests, VIP’s and special guests
- Blocks rooms for VIP’s and special guests
- Is proficient in all Front Office procedures to be a resource when needed
- Challenges Front Office staff to utilize yield management, occupancy, and average room rate to maximize room revenue
- Controls and analyses departmental costs on an ongoing basis; takes action to control negative deviation
- Monitors Front Office activities regarding discounts, billing instructions, and compliance with hotel credit policies
- Analyses the rate variance report to ensure proper room rate and revenue control
- Analyses credit check report daily for possible doubtful accounts
MANAGING THE FRONT OFFICE TEAM
- Ensures rosters are done every 2 weeks in advance
- Ensures leave/absenteeism schedules are kept up to date on a daily basis
- Ensures FO checklist is completed daily and handed into General Manager at morning meeting
- Ensures that cleanliness of reception and foyer area through House Keeping
- Utilizes leadership skills and motivation to maximize employee productivity and satisfaction
- Monitors the Front Office team’s overall service and team work daily and focuses on how to improve and increase service delivery efficiency
- Recommends to General Manager how to improve guest service and efficiency in Front Office operations
- Analyses departmental financial reports, and takes corrective action and follow-up
- Helps Front Office staff increase REVPAR by increasing sales and average rate
- Checks and revises night clerk source of business report
- Co-ordinates billing with the Accounting Department
- Controls and pre-assigns rooms and arrangements for groups booked
- Provides effective sales effort at Front Office to maximize rooms revenue
- Checks Front Office equipment periodically and if in need of fixing to get authorization from General Manager to fix
- Maintains Front Office supplies
- Ensures that cleanliness of reception and foyer area through House Keeping
LAWS, REGULATIONS AND POLICIES
- Makes sure Front Office follows all applicable laws
- Makes sure that Front Office deliver quality guest services within departmental and corporate standards and guidelines
HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT
- Screens, interviews, and selects potential Front Office candidates
- Identifies training needs and develops the departmental training plan
- Trains Front Office staff appropriately and proactively
- Ensures that staff meets and exceeds guest expectations by training and inspiring staff to provide “Above and Beyond” customer service
- Makes sure staff receives skills training to provide consistent, reliable service
- Encourages, develops, and manages effective employee relations within department and throughout the hotel
- Identifies employees with potential for promotion and/or transfer and makes appropriate development plans for him or her together with the General Manager
- Works closely with the management to conduct the following Human Resources related tasks within department:
– Performance appraisals
– Coaching
– Counselling
– Discipline and grievance
– Employee relations
– Wage and salary administration
– Compensation and benefits
– Succession planning
EMPLOYEE RELATIONS
- Fosters and develops effective employee relations within department, and throughout the hotel
- Utilizes effective internal communication, including weekly meetings with Service Managers to ensure optimum teamwork and productivity
- Conducts monthly departmental meetings with all Front Office staff present
- Looks for ways to motivate and challenge employees
HEALTH AND SAFETY
- Ensures that all potential and real hazards are reported and reduced immediately
- Fully understands the hotel’s fire, emergency, and bomb procedures
- Ensures that emergency procedures are practiced and enforced to provide for the security and safety of guests and employees
- Ensures that all employees within own department work in a safe manner that does not harm or injure self or others
- Stimulates and encourages a general awareness of health and safety in tasks and activities managed within the department
- Ensures the safety of the people and property within the premises by applying hotel regulations, and adhering to existing laws and regulations
- Anticipates possible and probable hazards and conditions and either corrects them or take action to prevent them from happening
- Ensures that the highest standards of personal hygiene, dress, uniform, appearance, body language, and conduct of hotel employees is maintained by all employees in the department
MISCELLANEOUS
- Keeps updated brochures and stock for walk ins
- Maintains statistics on rooms and reservations, customer arrivals and departures, average occupancy rates, and related information
- Keeps an updated client profile and database (returning guests, birthdays, email addresses etc)
- Carry out site inspections of the property and services
- Liaise closely with other departments on all details pertaining to new and current guests
- Ensure daily arrival/welcome letters/cards are done and signed off my General Manager
- Complete statistical analysis to identify guest likes and dislikes and then working with other departments to ensure clients personal tastes are recorded on client profile in Opera and implemented
- Prepares proper follow-up and /or forecasts to aid in management decision making
- Builds clients profiles in the PMS and links Company and Travel Agent to it
- Prepares departmental budget and business plan; assures department operates within approved budget
- Analyses deviation to budget, and takes action when required
- Attends meetings and training required by General Manager
- Assists colleagues to perform similar or related jobs when necessary
- Ensures guest satisfaction by attending to their requests and inquires courteously and efficiently
- Accepts flexible work schedule necessary for uninterrupted service to hotel guests
- Maintains own working area, and materials clean, tidy, and in good shape; reports defective materials and equipment to appropriate person within the hotel
- Keeps and updated maintenance checklist
- Continuously seeks to endeavor and improve the department’s efficient operation, and knowledge of own job function
- Is well updated on, and possesses solid knowledge of the following:
– Hotel fire, bomb, and emergency procedures
– Hotel health and safety policies and procedures
– Hotel facilities and nearby sights of interest and importance (i.e. hospitals,
stations, tourist sights)
– Hotel standards of operation and departmental procedures
– Current licensing relating to own department and to the hotel
– Accepted methods of payment by the hotel
– Short and long term hotel as well as corporate marketing and promotional
programs
– Corporate clients and clients generating high business volume
– Union agreements
Required qualifications & experience
- Computer Skills
- Must be able to operate a Property Management System
- Proficient in the use of Word, Excel, and email
- Experience
- Preferable 3 years experience as a Front Office Manager in a four/five star environment.
- Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Hotel operations or related field, Masters degree is an added advantage
- Literacy
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- Must be able to do accounting and mathematical calculations to deal with Front Office reports, deal with receiving payment in acceptable forms, check guest folio accounts, calculate rates and discounts, etc.
- Language
- Must be able to communicate verbally in English for the purposes of communicating with guests and management.
- Physical
- Must be able to spend periods of time standing behind a desk, and be physically fit to respond to guests requiring assistance in an emergency situation.
SALARY/BENEFITS
Mantis EPIC Hotel offers a competitive salary in line with the industry salary range, based on experience and education as well as a comprehensive benefits package.
TO APPLY: Please send the following documents to hr@epichotelandsuites.com
- Cover letter
- Resume
- Academic papers (the successful candidate will be required to submit notarized copies)
- Service certificates proving the work experience
- 3 professional references
All attachments should be in Word or PDF form. No phone calls, please.
This position will remain posted until filled.
Mantis EPIC Hotel is an equal employment opportunity employer
Note:
- Applicants must meet the minimum requirements in terms of qualifications.
- Successful candidates will be required to submit a criminal record
- Expected starting is as soon as possible
Interested candidates should submit their applications in English not later than 20th January 2022 at 17H00.
Done at Nyagatare, on the 10th January 2021
Mr. IAN M. WILLIAMS
General Manager
