Hospitality Support Manager

PRIMARY PURPOSE

Reporting directly to the Operations Manager, the Hospitality Manager provides leadership and management for service and standards to high performance teams in the Kenyan camps in order to deliver high quality outcomes for customers and ensure consistency in customer experience across Wilderness Kenya. As part of the Operations Management Team, the Hospitality Manager works closely with operations to plan, develop and implement strategies to maintain the Wilderness brand and attain quality and efficiency in hospitality at all lodges/camps through the Wilderness Way.
*This position is based in Maasai Mara.

Detailed Responsibilities

Strategy, Policy and Quality

• Cascade the Wilderness Kenya strategy and plan throughout the department to guide the service and standards throughout Kenya.
• Develop, review and update the operational policies and procedures for the Hospitality services to ensure efficiency in managing customer needs and expectations.
• Integrate the Wilderness values and principles into the operational policies and processes for a unique customer experience.
• Drive process of a guest centric organization throughout Wilderness Kenya.

Leadership & people management

• Provide leadership, oversight and direction to the Hospitality and Service teams to maintain a motivated and engaged team.
• Recruit and retain staff for the hospitality department and Implement succession plan guidelines and process.
• Identify skills and competency gaps within the hospitality department and organize, coordinate and oversee on the job skills and competency development to achieve business requirements in line with the human resources development strategy and plan.
• Build and establish high performance teams, teamwork and a culture of support the Wilderness Way.
• Ensure a culture of open and transparent communications throughout the hospitality services. Work with HR to identify, groom, train and accelerate up and coming key performers and future talent.
• Manage the performance of the staff in the department in line with Wilderness Kenya performance management system.
• Delegate responsibilities to ensure staff members grow as capable participants.
• Lead implementation of initiatives for entrenchment and sustainability of the Wilderness ecotourism values, culture principles and experience in the day-to-day provision of the hospitality services, to staff and guests.
• Undertake to address findings from staff engagement and collaborate with the management team to address such findings.

Training and competency development

• Review staff performance in the department to identify skills and competency gaps.
• Oversee skills and competency development program to align it to the service requirements.

Customer Service and Guest relations

• Work with Camp Managers to develop, implement and review customer service standards and align them to the Wilderness Kenya standards.
• Liaise with the sales and marketing team to provide input on initiatives to market the business.
• Assess guest expectations prior to arrival and during their stay to ensure these are exceeded for the attainment of the finest possible guest experience.
• Monitor and evaluate the efficiency and quality of the Spas services.
• Monitor and evaluate the company’s products to make sure they are market leading to the satisfaction of the customers.
• Analyze and evaluate NPS Stats and customer feedback to identify trends and ensure corrective action is taken to meet customer needs.
• Monitor trends in the response time to customer requests to ensure standards are met and engage with Camp Managers to ensure continuous improvements.
• Be available to meet, host and travel with members of the media or agents as requested.
• Proactively and pre-emptively drive the company’s operating delivery (including systems) to surpass customer experience expectations and company goals.
• Establish and manage the company relationship with products suppliers (Amenity, Décor and Food & Beverage etc.). Keeping our impact pillars front of mind.

Finance Management

• Prepares hospitality department budget forecast.
• Manages and controls hospitality operations expenditure.
• Work with Camp Managers to aid in compiling Style and Appearance CAPEX needs for Camps.
• Suggest and implement cost saving strategies without compromising quality.

Service Standards, Style, Décor, Branding

• Work closely with Group Operations Quality Standards Manager to ensure Regional SOP`s are set and upheld
• Set annual service goals and facilitate their achievement.
• Provide input in the design and development of Wilderness Kenya offerings based on customer feedback and research on trends in the hospitality industry to ensure sustainability.
• Research in the high-end safari hospitality market to keep abreast with developments and drive initiatives to keep above the competition and aligned with group standards.
• Define and constantly expand on the appearance and style standards per camp. Establish a creative process to ensure style and appearance standards are maintained at camp level.
• Establish a creative process to enhance service in each camp relative to company framework.
• Commission regular service audits at each camp and follow up corrective actions on all audit findings.
• Engage with regional Project/Interior Managers ensuring new refurb projects are compliant with company standards and standards are updated.
• Monitor and ensure company brand compliance across the region.
• Manage the guest recognition and appreciation program, repeat guest monitoring and gifting and acknowledgement thereof.
• Ensure our service offering concentrates on a personal approach and emphasis to service.
• Responsible for uniform management in camps. Work with Procurement dept and Camp Managers to ensure Standards are upheld.

Food and Beverage Service

• Oversee the food and beverage experience and engage with Food Experience Manager.
• Incorporate food into the camp standards audits and follow up findings and implementation of corrective measures.
• Align the food and beverage service to the Wilderness group standards and monitor adherence to standards.
• Formalize offering and menus to a group standard.
• Ensure our wine offering is married with our food offering.

Spa and Wellness

• Work closely with the Group Operations Quality Standards Manager in constantly seeking best product for our Wellness program
• Management of the Wellness offering program in the lodges and liaising with therapists and suppliers.
• Ensure that the product and offering is in the best interest of the business, relevant and innovative.
• Ensure relevant training is done with therapists in line with offering

Training and development

• Work closely with the Food Experience Team, Hospitality and Guide trainer to develop the in-house training strategy and annual training plans for the Camps.
• Review and evaluate development strategy and plan for continuous improvement.
• Initiate strategies to ensure an engaged, aligned, collaborative and professional culture within the Camps.
• Develop and maintain the Wilderness culture, service quality standards, ethical and customer service conduct throughout the Camps.
• Develop and implement strategies, policies and processes that promote and embrace cultural diversity within Wilderness Kenya.
• Develop with the help of the HR team, an effective internship program aimed at movement from within the business.

Measure & Reporting

• Net Promoter Scores – analyze guest feedback through Net Promoter Score reporting/statistics and put corrective action in place to manage any problem areas and ensure sub-standard feedback is avoided. Reports to be generated monthly and disseminated accordingly.
• Follow through on audit findings in the department to ensure continuous improvement.
• Monitor and evaluate compliance with service quality standards and internal policies throughout the Camps.
• Follow up customer suggestions and ensure implementation of corrective action.

CANDIDATE PROFILE

Qualification:

• Degree in Tourism/Hospitality/business or relevant field with a postgraduate qualification diploma in business administration.

Experience:                    

• Solid experience in the high-end, luxury safari hospitality market. Minimum of ten (10) years in the eco-tourism industry, of which at least five (5) is at a senior management level
• Experience and in-depth knowledge of dealing with travel trade partners, as well as comfort with interacting with guests from around the world.
• Lodge Management background and knowledge of the Safari lodge business is preferable.

Skills:           

• Strategic and analytical thinking and numerical skills.
• Leadership and people management skills.
• Verbal and written communication skills.
• Influential; ability to motivate and direct teams for excellence.
• High integrity.
• Ability to manage diversity in terms of gender, sociocultural diversity.
• Analytical and numerical skills: understanding of business numbers and financial models.
• Results orientated.
• Passion for the wilderness/conservation and people.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite or related software.
• Organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Decision-making, and problem-solving skills.
• Emotional intelligence.