Who we are

Wivenhoe House is a four star country house hotel on the outskirts of Colchester. The hotel has 40 bedrooms, conference and event facilities for up to 120 guests and a 100 seater brasserie restaurant. The Hotel is also home to the Edge Hotel School. The first hotel school of its kind in the UK, the Edge Hotel School, equips its Hotel Management and Events Management degree students with the professional and managerial skills, as well as the academic theory, to prepare them for their future career as leaders in the industry.

Why work for us?

• We offer competitive salaries
• We are committed to providing excellent training and development for all staff
• Generous holiday allowance of up to 36 days depending on grade
• Discount of 50% on overnight stays and food and 20% on beverages
• Free overnight stay for two people including dinner for every year of service
• Dry cleaning service for staff uniform
• Monthly employee recognition programme
• Employee discounts on retail items, sports centre and day nursery through the University of Essex

CURRENT VACANCIES

Housekeeping Manager

The successful candidate will have experience of managing a team of Housekeepers and be able to focus cleaning aspect of the Night Porters’ duties.  You will be able to supervise the cleaning of guest rooms and public areas whilst keeping the Hotel’s high standards.  This will include liaising with all other departments regarding cleaning of other hotel areas. You will also be working with students of the Edge Hotel School and assisting with their training.

If you have previous experience at the desired level, can work flexibly, which could include working some late shifts, have an attention for detail and can deliver excellent customer service this could be the opportunity for you to be part of this unique and exciting operation.

Duties of the Post:

• To organise and supervise the cleaning of all guest rooms and public areas, ensuring the highest standards of cleanliness of bedrooms, bathrooms and public areas as laid down in the SOP manual and to ensure that WH meets the standards set in the AA report.
• To manage and be responsible for all hotel linen and ensure that the linen supplied always meets the hotel’s standards for all areas.
• To ensure adequate stock levels, including were appropriate stationery, linen, toiletries and tea and coffee supplies as per the SOP manual.
• To ensure that décor and maintenance of guest rooms are kept in good order; liaising with the Maintenance Assistant and Painter/Decorator as appropriate.
• To liaise with the Edge Hotel School to ensure that all students receive appropriate training to the highest standards in all Housekeeping duties.
• To ensure, along with the Housekeeping Supervisor, that all student PCRs are completed within the required time frame.
• To ensure that the whole department engages with Edge Hotel School students as per the requirements of their degree programme.
• To ensure that lost property is managed professionally liaising with all department heads.
• To maintain the security of guests and their possessions by ensuring appropriate procedures are in place and to report any suspicious circumstances to the Duty Manager.
• To report any maintenance faults, and ensure that faults are recorded.
• To ensure the Housekeeping team follow Health & Safety, Fire and COSSH Regulations as required and Risk Assessments are managed and updated as appropriate.
• To carry out Duty Management shifts when required.
• To maintain effective liaison between housekeeping and all other departments (e.g. Reservations, Front of House, Food and Beverage, Conference and Events).
• To ensure that regular On-the-Job training is taking place to agreed standards.
• To hold regular meetings with members of your department.
• To ensure that staffing levels are correct and these are not exceeded without the permission of the General Manager / Deputy General Manager.
• To prepare and submit on the required format annual budgetary information and updates as required.
• To manage the holiday process for the Housekeeping team ensuring that these are spread out across the financial year and that all holidays are taken without disruption to the business.
• To ensure that all staff are appraised at least once per year, identifying areas of strong performance, development and training needs and ensuring that this training is effected.
• To attend Management Meetings as required including monthly HOD and Health and Safety meetings.
• To undertake any reasonable task as requested by the General Manager or designate.

Skills/Experience Required:

• Educated to GCSE/O Level standard
• NVQ Level to in Customer Care/Hospitality Management
• COSHH Training
• Manual Handling Training
• Previous housekeeping experience in a supervisory role or higher
• Experience of working in a four or five-star business
• Knowledge of good Health & Safety standards and practices
• Experience in managing a team
• Experience in managing consumables and budgets
• Excellent communication skills
• Good Organisational skills
• Ability to work under pressure
• Excellent attention to detail
• Ability to train and share knowledge with staff and student practitioners
• Excellent people skills
• Experience of working with computerised systems

Application Information:

• Closing Date: 28 February 2019
• Job Type; Full Time/Permanent
• Salary £23,256 per annum plus a full range of staff benefits
• This role is shift based on a notional 40 hours per week (worked 5 over 7) and includes some late finishes and weekend work.
• Please apply with full CV and covering letter.  Please note that applications without full detail may not be considered.

• WHH Application coversheet (.doc)

Wivenhoe House Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of the University of Essex.

Kitchen Porter

The successful candidates will be part of a large brigade of chefs working with students of the Edge Hotel School. You will be responsible for general kitchen duties, cleaning catering areas, crockery and equipment, accepting deliveries. The successful candidate will ideally have previous portering and cleaning experience and must have a flexible approach to work.

The role includes manual handling and lifting heavy items. This role is shift based on a notional 40 hours per week (worked 5 over 7) and includes some late finishes and weekend work.

Duties of the Post:

• Operating dishwasher, and hand washing small equipment, crockery and other items
• Cleaning catering areas and equipment
• Manual duties including lifting heavy goods, and disposing of rubbish
• Accepting, checking and storing of deliveries
• Complying with health and safety legislation and requirements
• Maintain the standards expected at Wivenhoe House
• Coaching and mentoring students from Edge Hotel School to ensure they get the most out of their time in the hotel
• Any other duties as may be assigned from time to time by the Head of Department or his/her nominee

Experience/Skills Required:

• Have a level of English and Maths sufficient to understand written instructions and accept/check-in deliveries.
• Food handlers basic certificate
• Previous catering experience preferably within high-quality restaurants
• Previous experience of portering and cleaning work
• Ability to organise and prioritise
• Attention to detail
• Flexible approach to work
• Ability to work in a team environment
• Ability to effectively respond to instructions and liaise with the Chefs in the kitchen
• Passion for excellence in customer service
• Be able to undertake the manual aspects of the post, some of which will require physical effort
• Meets the food handlers health clearance requirements
• Ability to meet the requirements of UK ‘right to work’ legislation

Application Information:

• Closing Date: 24 February 2019
• Job Type; Full Time/Permanent
• Salary £16,330 per annum plus a full range of staff benefits
• This role is shift based on a notional 40 hours per week (worked 5 over 7) and includes some late finishes and weekend work.
• Please apply with full CV and covering letter to swilson@wivenhoehouse.co.uk. Applications without full detail may not be considered.

(Please note that although this post has a closing date of 24 February 2019, we reserve the right to close the post for applications and withdraw it from the website at any time).

• WHH Application coversheet (.doc)

Wivenhoe House Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of the University of Essex.

Conference & Event Operations Team Leader

The successful candidate will join a busy and dynamic Conference & Events team. The main duties of the post will include the setting up and running of conferences, events, weddings and parties making sure guest expectations are met and service excellence is delivered in accordance with hotel standards at all times.

In addition, you will also be required to assist with training of students, coaching and mentoring them in tasks required by the Conference & Events Department, and to lead and be hands on in day to day front and back of the house duties, holding regular team meetings and pre and post event briefings with the delivery team.

Application Information:

• Closing Date: 24 February 2019
• Job Type; Full Time/Permanent
• Salary £18,354 per annum plus a full range of staff benefits
• This role is shift based on a notional 40 hours per week (worked 5 over 7) and includes some late finishes and weekend work.
• Please apply with full CV and covering letter to swilson@wivenhoehouse.co.uk. Applications without full detail may not be considered.

(Please note that although this post has a closing date of 24 February 2019, we reserve the right to close the post for applications and withdraw it from the website at any time).

• WHH Application coversheet (.doc)

Receptionist/Reservationist

The main duties will include responding to enquiries, taking reservations and checking guests in and out. Previous experience within the hospitality industry is essential and you will need to be highly organised with a smart and professional demeanour. You will need to be IT literate and have experience of working with booking systems.  You will also have past experience of training staff and be enthusiastic about working with the students of Edge Hotel School.

Duties of the Post:

• Ensure that guests are greeted, checked in and allocated rooms promptly and courteously
• Follow Company check-in procedures and ensure that the correct details are taken from each guest
• Deliver excellent customer service at all times, face to face, over the telephone and via email
• Show guests to their bedrooms and the facilities of the hotel, upselling hotel products and services when appropriate
• Maintain up to date guest history, profiles and marketing databases
• Liaise with Housekeeping to ensure that rooms have been serviced and are ready for arriving guests in a timely manner
• Respond to guests enquiries
• Take reservations correctly adhering to the company guidelines and policy
• Liaise with all other departments in the hotel, building good working relationships with colleagues and ensuring relevant information is communicated in a timely manner.
• Ensure that all charges are correctly entered on the guest’s bill and that this is up to date at all times
• Adhere to credit control procedures
• Check out guests effectively following the hotel’s procedure
• Ensure that all enquiries, messages and concierge enquiries are dealt with courteously and efficiently
• Mentor and coach Edge Hotel School students to ensure they maximise their training in Front of House
• Administer all reservations, cancellations and no-shows, in line with company policy
• Keep up to date with current promotions and hotel pricing, to provide information to guests, on request, while maximising bedroom sales opportunities
• Fulfil all reasonable requests from guests to ensure their comfort, satisfaction and safety
• Report any maintenance issues immediately to line manager, including all furniture, fittings and equipment
• Provide systems reports, as required, for housekeepers and management
• Keep Front of House areas tidy at all times
• Ensure that newspapers and deliveries are delivered to rooms without delay
• Manage all telephone calls coming into the hotel
• Ensure that the hotel entrance is easily accessible to cars and taxis at all times
• Any other duties as may be assigned from time to time by the General Manager or his/her nominee.

Skills/Experience Required:

•  Previous experience in the hospitality industry
•  Previous guest services, reception or concierge experience
•  IT literate with experience of using computerised booking systems
•  Experience of working in a 4 or 5 star establishment
•  Experience of training/coaching new staff
•  Ability to convey information effectively both orally and in writing to guests, colleagues and students
•  Good sales and negotiation skills – ability to up-sell
•  Professional demeanour and the ability to engage effectively with customers and students
•  Highly organised with a flexible approach to work

Application Information:

• Closing Date: 27 February 2019
• Job Type; Full Time/Permanent
• Salary £16,765 per annum plus a full range of staff benefits
• This role is shift based on a notional 40 hours per week (worked 5 over 7) and includes some late finishes and weekend work.
• Please apply with full CV and covering letter to swilson@wivenhoehouse.co.uk. Applications without full detail may not be considered.

(Please note that although this post has a closing date of 24 February 2019, we reserve the right to close the post for applications and withdraw it from the website at any time).

• WHH Application coversheet (.doc)