About us

The Ayrshire Hospice is finishing our “once in a lifetime” Capital Build project, which will ensure that we are prepared to meet the needs of our community to provide palliative and end of life care for future generations. Everything we do is about making today matter and our patients and family's voices are at the heart of all we do.

Upon the much-anticipated move back “home”, we are looking for someone dynamic, engaging and forward-thinking who will lead our front of house operations including our Reception, Gargowan Cafe and Boutique Shop, Gargowan Gifts as well as our contemplation space called the Magnolia room.

You’ll be front and centre, a personable and professional point of contact for everyone who walks through our doors, ensuring every operational element runs like clockwork. Actively following, and exhibiting our values of being kind and compassionate, honest and inclusive at each and every interaction with our patients, families, staff, volunteers and visitors.

About the Role

We have an exciting opportunity for an individual who will lead the Front of House team, made up of our amazing volunteers. You will be at the heart of the hospice, ensuring your team welcomes every visitor from the moment they step through our doors or pick up the phone to us. Every step of our visitor journey, from the start must be seamless and consistently exceed expectations, regardless of the reason for their visit. Our vision is to create the most incredible welcome for our community, ensuring a service that’s unique, bespoke and tailored to each visitor’s requirements. Actively following, and exhibiting our values of being kind and compassionate, honest and inclusive at each and every interaction with our patients, families, staff, volunteers and visitors.

About You

This important role calls for strong organisational and communication skills with a high degree of planning and attention to detail. Significant experience in a customer service environment is essential and hospitality experience would be beneficial. The successful candidate will also have strong people skills and be able to work well under pressure, juggling competing priorities day to day. You must have the personality to be able to build rapport with all our visitors, understanding the sensitivities of the environment, so high emotional intelligence and resilience are required. A professional and courteous manner and a willingness to go above and beyond for our visitors many of which are family members of our patients as well as staff are all essential qualities. A real people person, you’ll be able to find a connection with just about anyone, from anywhere.

Job Summary

As our Front of House Manager, you will be the welcoming face of our organisation, ensuring that every visitor, no matter their reason for coming into our building are welcomed and treated in line with our values which are kindness and compassion, being honest and inclusive. You will manage and oversee all aspects of the Hospice front of house operations including reception, in house events, housekeeping, coffee shop and catering services, volunteers, and team management. You will also oversee our Contemplation space, learning and teaching events, ad hoc special events, deliveries and donations. You will create a front of house operation that is courteous, efficient, consistent, and professional whilst providing a welcoming and uplifting experience for patients, visitors, and the public. You will be a role model for hospitality throughout the Hospice ensuring a strong, positive public image is maintained by you and your team of staff and volunteers.

Main Responsibilities

Reception

• Ensure Reception staff and volunteers always provide a courteous and professional service and act with tact and empathy if encountering patients or visitors in emotional distress
• Welcome patients and visitors to the Hospice, signposting visitors, ensuring recording of some visitors/contractors and promoting a positive experience
• Occasionally handle difficult situations and conversations with visitors and resolve or escalate where appropriate any complaints to do with front of house operations
• There may be times where there are distressed visitors, and you would be expected to facilitate a private space whilst getting the relevant person to assist
• Recruit and orientate an adequate number of volunteers to operate reception including training of new volunteers to ensure consistent values led customer service for each visitor
• Oversee Reception rota ensuring adequate cover with volunteers

Boutique Shop

• Ensure that all customers are served with a smile and welcomed to peruse the stock and ask any questions of you or your team
• Ensure that the shop is fully stocked, and detail is paid to ensure that stock does not run out, in partnership with Head of Fundraising and Retail Manager
• To review and feedback on items success, with a view to tailor stock ordering in line with customer demands
• Work with above to give shop seasonal appeal and evaluate profitability testing new goods
• Sales of alcohol

Coffee Shop & Catering

• Establish the Hospice Coffee Shop and develop operating guidelines in line with strategic objectives and working with catering and housekeeping manager
• Research, negotiate and coordinate with vendors and suppliers and foster good professional relationships keeping suppliers local where possible, working within sustainability objectives and reducing food waste tailoring menus for catering provision across the whole hospice site
• Manage and support the Housekeeping and Catering Manager, ensuring that Catering teams are supported and meet the needs of both the patients and public within the Hospice
• Lead the catering team to work to Health & Safety and Food Safety policies and procedures
• Always set and maintain standards of food hygiene to include relevant completion of legal and statutory paperwork and following company policy and food safety guidelines
• Manage the coffee shop budget, working with the Finance Team to maintain monthly records of revenues and expenses, and budget forecasting
• Oversee and support the development of the Housekeeping and Catering Manager
• Recruit and induct an adequate number of volunteers to operate the Coffee Shop and organise volunteer training on drinks preparation and customer service
• Manage the day-to-day operations of the Coffee Shop including supervision of volunteers and the volunteer rota
• Understand the importance of regulatory approvals HIS for infection control
• Nurture friendly relationships with customers to increase loyalty and boost our reputation
• Establish a process to regularly gather customer feedback and act upon it where relevant

Hospitality

• Liaise with catering services to ensure food and beverages are organised for each hospitality event
• Liaise with the Estates team to ensure education suite is set up appropriate for

each event

• Ensure cleanliness of hospitality suite is managed effectively and supplies are

replenished accordingly by catering team

Housekeeping

• Manage, develop and support the Housekeeping and Catering Manager to

ensure the daily cleaning of the building is of the highest standard

Person Specification

Requirement: Essential/Desirable, Assessment (Application/Interview)

Education/Qualifications

• Educated to Degree Level, or Professional Qualification, or Equivalent Experience in a Customer Facing Management Role: Essential (A)

• Evidence of Continuing Professional Development in Customer Service: Essential (I)

• COSHH Awareness Certificate: Desirable (A)

• Food Hygiene Certificate Level 3: Desirable (A)

• First Aid Certificate: Desirable (A)

• Willing to Work Towards or Have Achieved Licensing Requirements for Sale of Alcohol: Essential (I)

Experience/Knowledge

• Minimum Two Years’ Experience of Working in a Customer Service Management Role within a Similar Environment (e.g., Healthcare, Customer Focused Environment, Hotel, or Commercial/Hospitality Setting): Essential (A/I)

• Demonstrable Experience of Building Relationships and Communication with Various Internal and External Parties: Essential (I)

• Experience of Managing a Departmental Budget and Assessing Financial Information: Essential (A/I)

• Experience of Working Closely with Internal and External Stakeholders: Essential (A/I)

• Experience of Coffee Shop/Food and Beverage Services: Desirable (A/I)

• Experience of Housekeeping or Cleaning Services: Desirable (A/I)

• Experience of Adhering to Health and Safety Procedures: Essential (A/I)

• Knowledge of Infection Control Procedures: Desirable (A/I)

Skills/Abilities

• Evidence of a Good Understanding of and Commitment to Customer Care: Essential (I)

• Ability to Manage Competing Workload Demands in a Calm, Professional Manner: Essential (I)

• Working with and Supporting Volunteers: Desirable (I)

Personal Qualities

• The Ability to Work in a Way that Upholds the Values of the Hospice: Essential (I)

• The Ability to Demonstrate Behaviours that Support the Values of the Hospice: Essential (I)