Assistant Front Office Manager

Overview

Over the past two decades, The First Group has forged a reputation as one of the hospitality industry’s leading innovators, providing groundbreaking investment opportunities to clients and partners, while delivering exceptional, memorable experiences to hotel and leisure guests. Our corporate ethos and unique vision for the future of hospitality is encapsulated in our fast-growing portfolio of award-winning hotels and residences, exciting F&B outlets and lifestyle venues, and delivered through our array of complementary third-party hotel and asset management services.

Core to our vision for the future of hospitality is The First Collection, our award-winning hotel brand that reflects the rich culture, innovative spirit, and unparalleled refinement for which Dubai is famous. The First Collection’s urban lifestyle resorts, situated in prime locations across Dubai, are renowned for their unique blend of world-class hospitality and modern flair, as well as their cutting-edge guest facilities and services, which include exclusive access to the stunning Soluna Restaurants and Beach Club, located on the world-famous Palm Jumeirah.

Every hotel in our fast-growing portfolio reflects our ambition to capture the essence of urban living, blending it seamlessly with the tranquillity of a serene getaway. The First Collection echoes the city’s heartbeat, ensuring all our guests are made to feel a part of the magnificent tapestry of Dubai, the world’s most exciting metropolis.

Job Description

The primary responsibility of this role is to structure/align the Front Office Department policies and procedures to deliver exceptional behaviour and create the right environment that will help them to be responsive, respectful, deliver great guest experience and build customer service culture.

Under the direction of the Cluster Director of Rooms, and in full support and alignment with Direct reports of Duty Managers, Supervisors, is responsible for directly managing a team in order to deliver the highest level of service to all guests, support the Guest experience team in day to day operation and will be responsible for managing the department in the absence of the Department Head.

Overseeing the Front Desk, Telephone Operators, Bell Desk and CIDs, the Assistant Front Office Manager must ensure that proactive action is taken to ensure the needs of all guests are met and that additional measures are taken to create lasting experiences. Particular attention must be given to the implementation and delivery of the brand standards and recognition of VIP guests.

In the Role of Assistant Front Office Manager, you will be required to work closely with all interacting departments to ensure all Front Office operations run in an efficient and effective manner.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Ensure brand standards, policies and procedures are adhered to at all times.
• Review existing policies and procedures on a regular basis to ensure they facilitate operations.
• Implement new policies and procedures as required in order to standardise service delivery and task completion.
• Perform on-the-job training and coaching to ensure all colleagues are capable of delivering the required standards.
• Ensure standards and procedures are in place to ensure all team members, guests and other VIPs receive special attention and recognition.
• Ensure that all group arrivals/check-ins are handled quickly and efficiently, ensuring that their rooms are inspected and prepared prior to arrival, by proper coordination with the housekeeping team and proper allocations of rooms.
• Drive the enrolment of members ensuring enrolments are in line with the required targets as set by Head Office.
• Proactively look for ways of providing better service and exceeding guest expectations. When glitches occur, ownership is taken to implement service recovery and ensure action is taken to address the issue to prevent its reoccurrence.
• Reply to guest reviews on social media platforms on behalf of the Hotel Manager in line with the Guest Relations team.
• Be knowledgeable, and ensure all direct reports are knowledgeable, on all hotel room types, outlets and facilities and be aware of all in-house functions and events taking place.
• Work closely with the Director of Rooms & Revenue/Reservation team to control room availability, room types, accuracy of room count and correct rate grid applied in alignment with the hotel’s business strategy. Maximise occupancy, revenue and average rate while maintaining high service standards.
• Review room allocations and upgrades provided to ensure they meet the specific requirements of the guest and that they are in line with hotel policy.
• Drive up-selling at the point of check-in to increase overall room revenue and increase the REVPAR uplift.
• Manage guest and stationary supplies to reduce cost and wastage.
• Ensure that good relations are maintained with all internal departments e.g. Housekeeping, Food & Beverage and meet with them regularly to discuss opportunities and any internal challenges.
• Be aware of credit policies and procedures and liaise closely with the Finance Department to ensure that credit procedures are properly carried out and Paymaster’s are managed. Closely monitor PMs and exceeded limit guests reports on a daily basis.
• Deal with “book outs” during periods of high occupancy; and manage guest expectations within company policies and procedures.
• Ensure all work areas, both front and back of house, are well maintained and fully stocked with required operational items and safe.
• Ensure colleagues maintain appropriate standards of conduct, dress, hygiene, uniforms, appearance and posture of departmental employees.
• Attend the required meetings in the absence of the Cluster Director of Rooms, organise and drive monthly FO team meetings and outings in addition to the daily briefings.
• Promote inter-hotel sales and in-house facilities.
• Drive the guest experience through service quality and continuous improvement, and comply with company Quality Audits.
• Ensure implementation and compliance of the Company’s Fire, Life and Safety requirements, by adhering to Risk assessment procedures of the department.

Finance

• Work collaboratively with the Cluster Director of Rooms in preparing the expenses budget, and ensure that there are measures in place to manage each expense line within our budget through efficiency in operation.
• Ensure vacation, public holidays and lieu days are used to the needs of the business.
• Ensure that the payroll is submitted to HR on time.
• Ensure upselling report is submitted to HR on time.

Management

As a Manager, you are expected to demonstrate the following behaviours consistently:

• Hold self and others accountable for achieving results. Deliver by meeting tough deadlines and use specific performance measures to track progress and improve future performance.
• Take steps to follow through, ensuring tasks are fully completed; independently check to ensure accuracy and quality.
• Develop a detailed understanding of the market and guests’ needs, challenge the way things are done; identify areas requiring change and suggest ideas to support the change.
• Identify opportunities to improve profitability of own area, implementation and maintenance of brand standards and standard operating procedures.
• Train and develop the team and provide support when required.
• Ensure all direct reports have a Personal Development Plan to achieve their goals.
• Ensure that effective communication flow is maintained at all times.
• Actively participate in community involvement projects and initiatives together with the hotel’s management team.
• Maintain a business environment based on the Code of Conduct and Company Vision.

Desired Skills & Expertise

• At least 4 years of experience in a similar role in a 4/5* property.
• Thorough knowledge of customer service, office management and basic bookkeeping procedures.
• Possess good English communication skills along with strong interpersonal and problem-solving abilities.
• Able to work a flexible schedule in order to accomplish all major responsibilities and tasks.
• Excellent communication and people management skills.
• Must have the ability to handle a multitude of tasks and guest requests.