Casual Conference and Banqueting Associate
Salary: £11.50 per hour

Port Lympne Hotel & Reserve is part of The Aspinall Foundation, a charity committed to protecting rare and endangered animals from extinction through captive breeding and reintroduction programs.

To be successful in this role, it is essential that you enjoy working and dealing with the public and being part of a team. You should be a confident communicator; able to stay calm under pressure and remain courteous when dealing with difficult situations. Ideally you will have had previous experience within a similar type of environment where delivering great customer service was key. This role will suit an energetic candidate as a lot of time will be spent standing and moving around the building. You will be a detailed orientated individual with excellent client facing and communication skills.

What is the main purpose of the role?
Working within the events department, you will be part of a team delivering a high-quality service to our customers, maximising on all sales opportunities. Through your professional attitude and strong knowledge of our products, you will ensure that you give full co-operation to any customer requiring attention and upsell at every opportunity.

You will be on hand to deal with guest queries and complaints and take the appropriate action to achieve total guest satisfaction whilst ensuring that you communicate any problems to senior management.

Main duties and responsibilities are subject to shift patterns:
• To prepare, set up and serve catering requirements for the meeting rooms, offering catering support to external and internal clients that provides a welcoming environment and exceeds customer expectations
• Communicate any additional meal requirements or special requests to the kitchen
• Ensure courses are properly served, cleared and crumbed in a timely fashion
• Manage the presentation of tableware so that it is accessible for the guests
• Monitor cleanliness and proper sanitisation of tables, stations and service areas
• Polishing cutlery and glassware, laying up tables and bar preparation.
• Closing the bar, careful packaging of event décor, and preparation for the next event
• Have an interest in meetings and events with a passion to develop your knowledge further
• Striving to become an integral member of a committed team, ensuring each member takes pride in their work and communicates with one another
• To have full product knowledge of hotel services/facilities, all menu items and their service, in order to maximise guest satisfaction and sales opportunities with each guest contact.
• ·To ensure your function rooms are set up as per SOP whilst maintaining exemplary cleanliness and maintenance standards.
• Meet and greet event organisers ensuring all BEO notes and timings are correct and passed to relevant departments
• Resolve complaints as they occur, taking appropriate action & informing departmental manager
• Encourage & use up-selling techniques
• Ensure all legal & statutory compliance is adhered to, COSHH, Fire training, Food hygiene, H&S audit, Cleaning schedules
• Complete all relevant paperwork in line with hotel policy and procedure
• Plan ahead for future events by completing admin work or mise-en-place
• Carry out other duties that may be necessary from time to time.

What we expect from the successful candidate:
• Previous experience in a similar role within a quality establishment
• Passionate about delivering the highest standards of service at all times to all our members and their guests.
• Warm and friendly, accommodating personality with positive attitude
• Have immaculate presentation and great attention to detail, ensuring complete consistency in our service
• Excellent spoken and written English essential
• Attentive and proactive with the ability to respond quickly to needs of the members and colleagues at all levels
• Work together with the kitchen, bar and dining room team and provide support when required
• Great conversational skills and teamwork-oriented
• Have the ability to multitask and work in a fast-paced environment
• Proven ability to run dinners, conferences and meetings, set up Audio visual equipment.

Special requirements:
• The physically ability to lift and move furniture as a team
• Shifts include a mixture of mornings, evenings, weekends and bank holidays
• Reliable form of transport required due to remote location and hours of work

The role is variable hours worked on a flexible rota basis providing cover from Monday to Sunday including weekends, bank holidays and school holidays. All applicants must have right to work in the UK.

Closing Date: Thursday 24 October 2019

To Apply – Please email your C.V and covering letter.
or send to: HR Department, Port Lympne Reserve, Aldington Road, Lympne, Kent, CT21 4PD.

Please visit our website to find out more about us.