Key Responsibilities:
Coordinate events, seminars, conferences and meetings and support hosted institutions activities, including venue booking, logistics, technical support, caterer coordination and guest services
Coordinate visitor programmes for individuals and groups, including preparation of information packages, accommodation, meeting room allocations, catering arrangements and campus support services
Maintain and regularly update the Kenya events calendar and Google calendar to ensure accurate scheduling and visibility of all hospitality-related activities
Liaise with internal service units such as Supply Chain, Transport, Liaison and Protocol, Security, ICT, CAKM, Engineering and outsourced Catering to ensure seamless planning and delivery of events and visitor programmes in alignment with the required standards
Build and maintain strong stakeholder relationships to anticipate service needs and enhance client experience and revenue opportunities
Lead daily pre-function and operational briefings with hospitality staff to review upcoming events, service requirements and operational risks
Monitor service delivery, resolve operational issues, respond to emergencies and ensure activities are implemented according to approved plans
Oversee hotel and conferencing front office desks, housekeeping, campus housing maintenance coordination, use of recreational facilities and overall guest services to ensure efficient, high quality and client-centric services
Supervise hospitality staff and contribute to the performance review of the Director General's domestic staff
Apply effective reservation and inventory control practices to optimize facility utilization, occupancy and events revenue
Undertake targeted client engagement and business development activities (internal and approved external clients), in consultation with the Head of Operations, to promote hospitality services within the scope of the established institutional campus guidelines
Maintain accurate records of bookings, revenue, expenditures, client feedback, declined business, advance bookings and occupancy forecasts
Verify contracted-service provider invoices and prepare periodic or monthly reports for review and approval
Ensure compliance with ILRI policies on credit, billing and revenue-collection
Provide regular updates and reports to the Head of Operations on key developments, risks, client feedback, revenue performance and service-delivery issues
Perform any other related duties as may be assigned
Requirements
Bachelor's degree in hotel and catering management, hospitality management, business administration, or a related field
Relevant professional certification
Seven years' relevant experience in hospitality, conferencing, guest services, hotel/accommodation, events management or related operations
Strong communication skills
Excellent interpersonal and networking abilities
Self-starter, able to work independently against agreed priorities and deliverables
customer-service orientation with a focus on delivering high-quality service experiences
Good planning and coordination skills, with attention to detail
Proficiency in revenue tracking and records management
Ability to work under pressure and manage competing priorities
Strong stakeholder engagement and relationship management capability
Proficiency in the use of digital systems/tools for bookings, calendar management and reporting