Operational Managers- - Salamumu Samoa

Caretaker Management Position

Please Note: Due to Visa and the overall package being offered, applicants are invited from Australia and New Zealand only.

We are a boutique. 3.5 star resort with 10 Ocean front bungalows located on the island of Upolu, Samoa. We cater for up to 45 people and we also welcome day visitors to the hotel. It has a bar and a restaurant that offers an all-day menu.  Kayaking, SUP boards and snorkelling, along with our Ocean water infinity pool make us an ideal beach holiday destination. We have been established in Samoa for almost 20 years and are a unique, remote property that caters for active families, groups of friends and couples looking for a laid-back, off the grid, island experience. We are looking for a hands-on Caretaker couple team to oversee the day to day operations of running our resort.

Please see the role requirements below:

Management of utilities and services including but not limited to;

o   Electricity

o   Gas

o   Water

o   Waste Management

o   Septic Management

We are only a small resort and have contracts in place with on-island utility companies.  Issues encountered with the above are dealt with easily by reaching out to our contacts within these companies.  Samoa is still a developing country, so we do experience power outage and water pressure issues from time to time and have systems in place to deal with these.

Management of Grounds staff who are responsible for below:

o   Weekly swimming pool cleaning

o   Grounds and gardens

o   Watersports Equipment

o   General hotel repairs and maintenance – painting / keeping the asset in good order.

We are an Ocean resort so are open to the elements of nature (corrosion / occasional storms / high winds) The Ground Staff work every day to a roster which is changeable based on occupancy, work and weather.  Caretakers are expected to make daily checks on the grounds and bungalows, a simple walk around our small property enables you to spot things up easily and then delegate daily individual / team work that is required to keep resort looking tip-top.

Asset Management and upkeep including but not limited to;

o   Furnishings and fittings

o   Kitchen equipment

o   Restaurant and bar furniture and fittings

o   Tools, plant and equipment

o   Vehicles

As Caretakers you will be expected to ensure resort assets are well maintained and any issues reported immediately to the Owners who will be on hand to assist in any way should problems occur.  You will have access to a resort vehicle which can be used for shopping, required trips to our capital city Apia, and on your time off (within reason).  We would hope that both Caretakers have full driving licenses as this makes tasks such as shopping / wages easier and are sensible, respectful drivers.

·        Management of Kitchen and bar staff. The caretakers will be responsible for;

o   Stock control and shopping.

o   Menu management – ensuring regular food specials are offered.

o   Kitchen quality control and production of meals as required, you will be required to assist in lunch and dinner services at peak times.

o   Management of kitchen staff, ensuring the kitchen assets are well maintained, cleaned and looked after. 

o   Rostering staff dependent on occupancy levels and how busy the resort is.

A person with Restaurant or Chef experience would be a bonus.  The team are all local, well trained and hard working.  They respond well to good leadership and deliver our existing varied menu to a high level.

·        Housekeeping management including but not limited to;

o   Management of housekeeping requirements through stock checks and weekly shopping.

o   Management of housekeeping team and rostering. Housekeeping are expected to ensure all bungalows are cleaned daily as per hotel policies and check in and check out cleaning procedures are followed.  Housekeeping also do all the hotel laundry. 

o   There are processes in place that specify what each Housekeeper is expected to do daily and is based on hotel occupancy / business needs.  At full occupancy they may be expected to work slightly longer hours but as we are not a huge resort it is easily manageable.

o   Again, a simple daily walk around with the team will help you identify and fix any issues or slips and maintain the excellent standards we have in place for cleanliness.

·        Human Resources & basic accounting including but not limited to;

o   Train, supervise, motivate, discipline and monitor the performance of all employees in accordance with the Local Employment Law and the company policy.  We only have a small team and work closely with them.  As a ‘hands on’ Caretakers you will work side by side with our team and build good working relationships.

o   Manage staff time cards, hours and rosters and present weekly time cards and wages to Management for approval. Facilitate payment of weekly wages every Friday.

o   Enter petty cash and payments issued for monthly utilities, shopping and wages as per pre-approved budgets. 

o   Reconcile credit card and revenue settlements, payments from suppliers and basic, general bank ledger via the Xero Accounting System.  Previous experience of Xero not essential as full training given.  On average approximately 1-2 hours a day is required to manage this efficiently and the Xero system is easy to learn.  Higher end Accounting is taken care of by the Owners.

o   Sustain and manage basic operational budgets to be reported to owners on a weekly basis.

·        Reservations and guests’ relations, including but not limited to;

o   Initiate guest interaction from time of reservation. Sending out welcome email.  Finding out needs / wants to prepare and deliver.

o   Build up a proficient knowledge of our Property Management System (RMS) Channel Manager / Online travel agent extranets, social media channels and our website management.

o   Ensure Guest check in / out experience is as seamless as possible and their expectations are met resulting in increased positive feedback / ratings. Ensure have full scope of guest travel plans – flight arrivals / departures, car hire requirements, ’bucket list’ information where possible well ahead of arrival.

o   Maintaining high-quality facilities and remedying problems quickly should they arise.

o   Managing guest relations through arranging taxis / local tours / suggesting itineraries and providing local information as and when required.

Anyone with good customer service or hospitality experience or just an outgoing friendly nature will be able to fit this role.  There is a local reception team in place already which suits the resort as most guests are looking to get to know Samoa and its culture which you will be able to compliment through servicing guests needs or just spend a little time chatting and getting to know them. Your role is to give guests the assurance that there is a management team available should they need to speak to you. 

Our RMS reservation system is easy to use and quick to learn so previous experience is not essential. 

Basic computer experience with a sound knowledge of emails, Word & Excel (training can be given on our existing Excel / Word systems that are already in place).

Other attributes from both or either:

Candidates should be able to demonstrate a stable work history, exhibiting progression within the hospitality industry along with experience in either island resorts preferred but not essential.

Experience in leading staff during service and interacting with hotel guests

Ability to maintain high and consistent standards within the team.

Understanding and implementation of basic Occupational Health & Safety principles.

Terms of employment:

Contract: 6 months Possibility to extend at the end of the 6 months (upon completion of 30 day trial period).

Start Date: Immediate – early Oct 2018.

Schedule: 6 days / actual hours based on business demand. 

This is not a difficult role for 2 people once you have a good understanding of each department and are in a daily routine.  Guests interaction is key, so spending time talking with them during their stay is essential.

Executing an excellent food service is a high priority, particularly at dinner as many as of our guests will have been out exploring during the day and have come back to the resort for some relaxing down time and a good meal.  Daily walk in guests frequent our resort to use the facilities and enjoy the food and beverage.

Salary: Remuneration is negotiable.

Expat Benefits: Housing, full board, return airfares on successful completion of contract to Australia or New Zealand (Direct flights to either country) and company paid immigration costs. This excellent package is underpinned by the rewards associated with working in a unique hotel environment, for a well-established boutique resort on a wonderful island in the South Pacific.

Special Conditions:

We seek a couple who are flexible, resilient, patient and approachable as well as having a good sense of humour, sober habits, tenacious and are generally fit and healthy witha good common sense attitude to problem solving or dealing with any issues that may arise.

Samoa is a dynamic, tropical environment where local people are extremely proud of their Polynesian culture and family heritage.  Ex-pat workers are expected to be respectful of local customs and be positive role models at the resort and within the local community.

We therefore prefer to hire professional minded team leaders who are ready, willing and able to mentor and guide staff so they may improve their skills within each department to support continual improvement of the resort’s product and the guest experience overall.

Your day off can be used to explore the many beautiful beaches in Samoa, waterfalls, and other amazing places to visit - or you may want to go and chill for the day in a relaxing beach fale and switch off.  Samoa is an amazing country to get to know and will give you great hospitality experience on a isolated island with a rich heritage and culture.

As Owners we are still involved in the overseeing of the resort and are here to support and guide you in the role even when off-island. 

We look forward to discussing applications with interested couples who fir the criteria above.

Thanks

Daniel & Alison