View Vacancy – Residence & Events Manager (Panama City)

Main purpose of job:

Managing the Ambassador’s Residence, making sure that the Residence is both a professional workplace and venue for official events, and a comfortable living space for the Ambassador and family. Organising high-quality official entertainment and events in coordination with different Embassy teams to enhance the Embassy’s reputation and support delivery of the UK’s objectives in Panama. Leading a team of three Residence staff, taking responsibility for their performance, delivery, development and wellbeing. Managing the Ambassador’s entertainment budget and ensuring financial records and inventories are kept up-to-date. 

Events: planning and delivering official entertainment and events at the Residence (lunches, dinners and receptions), ensuring that guests feel welcome, drinks and food served are of a high standard and well-presented, and that the public spaces of the Residence are kept clean, comfortable and well-maintained. 

Finance, budgeting and stock control: manage the Ambassador’s entertainment budget, ensuring value for money and efficient use of funds, in accordance with Embassy policies and processes. Maintain good financial records, stock control and inventories (alcohol, Government Art collection and official furniture and fittings), accounting for expenditure and consumption in a timely and accurate manner. 

Staff Management: lead a team of three Residence staff (1 housekeeper/cook, 1 maid and 1 butler), ensuring that all members of the team have clear roles, responsibilities and tasks, drawing up weekly staff rosters and schedules and contracting casual staff to assist with events. Maintain a positive and supportive working environment for all staff, the Ambassador and his family, with a focus on wellbeing, learning and development and teamwork. 

Maintenance and admin support: ensure the Residence is kept clean, well-stocked and well-maintained, in accordance with health and safety standards and Embassy policies, liaising with the Embassy Estates Team, suppliers and contractors as required. Provide ad hoc personal support for the Ambassador, family, and official guests, in conjunction with the Ambassador’s Private Office.  

Roles and responsibilities: 

• Effective management of all aspects of the Ambassador’s Residence
• Planning and delivering official entertainment and events, including revenue generating events
• Leadership of a team of Residence staff and oversight of casual labour, suppliers and contractors
• Effective budget and resource managment, stock control and inventories
• Maintain a strong working relationship with the Ambassador and family, the Deputy Head of Mission, the
• Corporate Services Team, Ambassador’s Private Secretary and external suppliers and contractors

Resources managed (staff and expenditure): 

Budget Management and stock/inventory control:
•    Ambassador’s Entertainment Budget
•    Petty cash
•    Alcohol stocks and inventories

Line Management:
•    3 Staff:1 Maid, 1 Housekeeper/Cook, 1 Butler
•    Casual Labour staff

• Significant professional work experience in events management and/or hospitality
• Significant professional work experience in leading a team (with at least 2 staff)
• Significant professional work experience of managing budgets and/or inventories
• Flexibility to work different schedules, including occasional evening and weekend work
• Proven ability to plan and deliver successful and sometimes concurrent events
• Ability to solve problems, propose solutions and prioritise effectively
• Strong communication skills, including experience of working with VIPs
• Ability to work collaboratively with others to get results
• Advanced MS Office skills (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint);

Language requirements: 

Language:  Spanish and English

Level of language required:  Native Spanish Speaker, and Expert/Advanced English

The successful candidate must be Panamanian, or have a valid and current Work Permit through Ministry of Labour, and be able to provide it when requested by Embassy.  The British Embassy – Panama City does not sponsor work permits.