Residence Operations & Hospitality Assistant

British High Commission in India; Chennai District; On-site; INR 300,000 - 420,000; Full time

Job summary

British Deputy high Commission, Chennai seeks a Residence Operations & Hospitality Assistant to provide day-to-day administrative, operational, housekeeping and hospitality support to the Residence Manager cum Chef, ensuring a guest-ready operation across the Cottingley Residence and wider BDHC Chennai activities.

The postholder will work across both the Cottingley Residence and, where operationally required, wider BDHC Chennai activities.

Responsibilities

• Purchase groceries, food items, beverages, hospitality supplies, cleaning consumables and general Residence provisions in accordance with approved budgets and procurement procedures.
• Undertake routine purchases using the Government Procurement Card (GPC), where authorised, and within delegated limits and local controls.
• Maintain complete GPC records, receipts, supporting evidence, expenditure trackers and audit trails.
• Support monthly GPC reconciliation, invoice follow-up, receipting and correct coding of expenditure.
• Monitor routine Residence expenditure, flag emerging pressures and support value-for-money purchasing and supplier comparisons.
• Support event costing records and basic management information for hospitality and Residence activity.
• Maintain accurate inventories for food and beverages, linen, crockery, cutlery, kitchen equipment, service equipment, furniture and other Residence assets.
• Conduct regular stock checks, record consumption, identify shortages or damaged items and initiate replenishment or replacement action.
• Maintain stores in an organised, safe and auditable condition.
• Support annual and periodic asset verification and maintain evidence for audit and assurance purposes.
• Maintain simple inventory, stock and usage reports for the Residence Manager and Corporate Services.
• Support the delivery of official meetings, working meals, lunches, dinners, receptions and representational events.
• Prepare meeting and dining spaces, lay tables, arrange service materials and support front-of-house hospitality delivery.
• Provide practical service support during meetings and events, including refreshments, meal service and post-event reset.
• Coordinate event checklists, supplies, equipment and event readiness in liaison with the Residence Manager.
• Support guest lists, event records and lessons learned where required.
• Assist with surge arrangements and work alongside contracted or temporary event staff during larger events.
• Prepare guest rooms and hospitality areas to the required presentation standard before arrivals and official use.
• Undertake bed making, room turnover, linen preparation, restocking of guest supplies and guest-readiness checks.
• Carry out routine and light cleaning tasks where operationally required, including dusting, surface cleaning, pantry upkeep and maintaining the presentation of occupied and guest-facing areas.
• Support post-occupancy room reset and report maintenance, repair or deep-cleaning requirements promptly.Coordinate with the contracted housekeeping service and check that agreed cleaning, laundry and room-readiness standards have been met.
• Provide practical housekeeping support during peak periods, increased guest occupancy and official visits.
• Maintain operational calendars, booking records, task trackers, contractor attendance records and service logs.
• Coordinate daily requirements with housekeeping, cleaning, laundry, maintenance and event-support contractors as directed.
• Carry out basic quality checks, record service issues and elevate underperformance to the Residence Manager or Corporate Services Manager.
• Support Residence security, health and safety, food-safety and compliance records, including checklists and evidence retention.
• Report maintenance issues and follow up routine service requests with the relevant teams.
• Provide operational support across both the office and Residence where required, ensuring flexibility and service continuity.
• Assist the Residence Manager cum Chef with food preparation, kitchen organisation, ingredient mise en place and meal-service preparation.
• Prepare simple food items, refreshments and agreed basic meals within capability limits and in accordance with food-hygiene requirements.
• Maintain kitchen readiness, pantry organisation, equipment cleanliness and basic stock availability.
• Support plating, reheating and service of agreed items during routine Residence activity and events.
• Provide limited catering continuity support during planned or unplanned absence of the Residence Manager, within agreed menus and capability limits.
• Escalate requirements that exceed the role’s capability and support arrangements for an approved relief chef or external caterer.

Job description

British Deputy high Commission, Chennai is looking for Residence Operations & Hospitality Assistant to provide day-to-day administrative, operational, housekeeping and hospitality support to the Residence Manager cum Chef, helping to maintain an efficient, well-controlled and guest-ready Residence operation. The role combines procurement and GPC administration, inventory and asset management, guest-room readiness, housekeeping support, kitchen assistance, hospitality service and event delivery.

The postholder will work across both the Cottingley Residence and, where operationally required, wider BDHC Chennai activities. The role is designed to flex between administrative and practical support priorities and may undertake other related tasks, consistent with the grade and role purpose, as directed by the Residence Manager, Corporate Services Manager or other authorised managers.

Roles and responsibilities / what will the jobholder be expected to achieve:

• Purchase groceries, food items, beverages, hospitality supplies, cleaning consumables and general Residence provisions in accordance with approved budgets and procurement procedures.
• Undertake routine purchases using the Government Procurement Card (GPC), where authorised, and within delegated limits and local controls.
• Maintain complete GPC records, receipts, supporting evidence, expenditure trackers and audit trails.
• Support monthly GPC reconciliation, invoice follow-up, receipting and correct coding of expenditure.
• Monitor routine Residence expenditure, flag emerging pressures and support value-for-money purchasing and supplier comparisons.
• Support event costing records and basic management information for hospitality and Residence activity.

Inventory & Asset Management - 15%

• Maintain accurate inventories for food and beverages, linen, crockery, cutlery, kitchen equipment, service equipment, furniture and other Residence assets.
• Conduct regular stock checks, record consumption, identify shortages or damaged items and initiate replenishment or replacement action.
• Maintain stores in an organised, safe and auditable condition.
• Support annual and periodic asset verification and maintain evidence for audit and assurance purposes.
• Maintain simple inventory, stock and usage reports for the Residence Manager and Corporate Services.

Hospitality Service & Event Delivery - 20%

• Support the delivery of official meetings, working meals, lunches, dinners, receptions and representational events.
• Prepare meeting and dining spaces, lay tables, arrange service materials and support front-of-house hospitality delivery.
• Provide practical service support during meetings and events, including refreshments, meal service and post-event reset.
• Coordinate event checklists, supplies, equipment and event readiness in liaison with the Residence Manager.
• Support guest lists, event records and lessons learned where required.
• Assist with surge arrangements and work alongside contracted or temporary event staff during larger events.

Guest-Room Readiness & Housekeeping Support - 15%

• Prepare guest rooms and hospitality areas to the required presentation standard before arrivals and official use.
• Undertake bed making, room turnover, linen preparation, restocking of guest supplies and guest-readiness checks.
• Carry out routine and light cleaning tasks where operationally required, including dusting, surface cleaning, pantry upkeep and maintaining the presentation of occupied and guest-facing areas.
• Support post-occupancy room reset and report maintenance, repair or deep-cleaning requirements promptly.Coordinate with the contracted housekeeping service and check that agreed cleaning, laundry and room-readiness standards have been met.
• Provide practical housekeeping support during peak periods, increased guest occupancy and official visits.

Residence Operations & Contractor Coordination - 20%

• Maintain operational calendars, booking records, task trackers, contractor attendance records and service logs.
• Coordinate daily requirements with housekeeping, cleaning, laundry, maintenance and event-support contractors as directed.
• Carry out basic quality checks, record service issues and elevate underperformance to the Residence Manager or Corporate Services Manager.
• Support Residence security, health and safety, food-safety and compliance records, including checklists and evidence retention.
• Report maintenance issues and follow up routine service requests with the relevant teams.
• Provide operational support across both the office and Residence where required, ensuring flexibility and service continuity.
• Assist the Residence Manager cum Chef with food preparation, kitchen organisation, ingredient mise en place and meal-service preparation.
• Prepare simple food items, refreshments and agreed basic meals within capability limits and in accordance with food-hygiene requirements.
• Maintain kitchen readiness, pantry organisation, equipment cleanliness and basic stock availability.
• Support plating, reheating and service of agreed items during routine Residence activity and events.
• Provide limited catering continuity support during planned or unplanned absence of the Residence Manager, within agreed menus and capability limits.
• Escalate requirements that exceed the role’s capability and support arrangements for an approved relief chef or external caterer.