Events/ Food & Beverage Manager

The Aga Khan Academy Maputo is hiring a Events/ Food & Beverage Manager.

Purpose

The Event/Food & Beverage Manager is responsible for coordinating the schedule of major events and overseeing all aspects of the daily kitchen operations in the academy. She/He is responsible for ensuring the highest level of service during operating hours; coordinating events; ensuring compliance with health and safety regulations and meeting all accounting requirements as specified by our Finance Department. The post holder will have oversight of all matters related to hygiene, service, safety, and quality in terms of food preparation, and line manage our two chefs.

Context

The AKDN

The Aga Khan Academy Maputo, is part of the Aga Khan Development Network which is “… dedicated to improving the quality of life of those in need, mainly in Asia and Africa, irrespective of their origin, faith, or gender… We offer healthcare, education, and parental support to help people flourish.” To fulfil the above mission, 200 schools and four academies were established by His Highness the Aga Khan and his predecessors mainly in Africa and India. Our school opened in 2013 and follows the highly successful model established by academies which opened in Mombasa, Kenya in 2003 and in Hyderabad, India in 2011.

Mozambique

The 1998 agreement signed between the AKDN and the government of Mozambique aims “…to bring sustained benefits and improve the quality of life for the people of Mozambique.” According to the Mozambique Government and USAID (2023) “…less than half of the population finishes primary school, and of those who do finish, only 8 percent transition to secondary school… Among children who finish primary school, nearly two-thirds leave the system without basic reading, writing, and math skills”. https://www.usaid.gov/mozambique/education.

The Aga Khan Academy Maputo

Our school is a non-denominational, co-educational day and residential IB World School for primary and secondary students. Located in Matola, Maputo Province, Mozambique, our Academy is dedicated towards its mission of providing educational excellence.

Our Mission is to “Identify and nurture exceptional young people from any background with the potential to become effective and ethical leaders. Admission is based on merit and not on a student’s socio-economic background nor a family’s ability to pay.”

The school is focused on the following ‘strands’: ethics, pluralism, cultures, governance and civil society, and economics for development, which helps to distinguish us from other IB World Schools. AKA Maputo is currently authorized to offer the IB PYP, MYP and DP. We provide a bilingual education in Portuguese and English for students in our kindergarten and primary school, and students in the senior school are expected to develop two first languages, English plus Portuguese, Arabic, Farsi, or French, and thus aim for a bilingual diploma. Currently around 60% of our students receive some form of financial assistance.

To fulfil our mission and vision, we offer the IBPYP, MYP and DP programmes. We also plan to offer the IBCP to help more local students to enter university or to follow a career path, and where their knowledge, experience and preference for learning and assessment would be catered for better than via the IBDP. We believe that this new program will move us closer to the spirit of the agreement we have with the government of Mozambique.

Duties and Responsibilities

In collaboration with the chef(s):

• Oversees all food and beverage requirements on campus.
• Ensures that the kitchen and staff are licensed as per Mozambique requirements.
• Ensures that the kitchen staff are aware of the AKA safeguarding requirements.
• Liaises with the Polana Serena Hotel or other third-party caterers when required.
• Liaises with the Head of Residential Life in relation to events, dietary requirements of students, and the needs of students/staff during trips and visits.
• Provides the facilities manager/Head of Academy with suggestions for changing the organizational chart of the kitchen and takes part in the recruitment process and Appraisal for Growth.
• Monitors inventory and cost control, supervises the purchasing of supplies and negotiates for the best pricing.
• Ensures that all staff live up to the AKA Maputo expectations for high standards in terms of ethics as per the Employee Code of Conduct. Makes sure that all members of the kitchen staff are aware of the requirements of the Code of Conduct as per the current approved policy.
• Supervises the daily setup for all meals.
• Ensures the proper room/area preparation, including cleaning, set up of tables and chairs, provision of water, waste disposal.
• Creates, maintains, and distributes weekly schedules for staff and communicates changes as needed.
• Communicates with service and kitchen staff regarding any events.
• Maintains consistency of service by being aware of, and prepared for all events that may affect the operations in the kitchen.
• Oversees the development of menus to maintain quality standards and to reflect and adapt to the diverse cultural requirements and expectations of stakeholders.
• Communicates and collaborates with other departments (e.g. Transport, SS, JS, cleaning staff).
• Attends and participates in weekly Facilities meetings.
• Oversees staff training.

Event Management:

• Has oversight of all visitors and dignitaries to the campus. Liaises with the Facilities Manager, Head of Security and the Head of Academy as needed.
• Manages all major event details; both for JS and SS and annual community events across the academy, including Graduation, Africa Day, Donor visits, and visits of other dignitaries.
• Works with the Dean of Admissions and Marketing to ensure stakeholders are aware of events/rationale.
• Coordinates with facilities, transport and other key personnel as required.
• Plans events with attention to financial expenditure, staffing, timelines.
• Ensure compliance with insurance, legal, health & safety obligations, school policies & procedures.
• Proactively handles any arising issues and troubleshoots any emerging problems on the day of the event.

Essential qualifications and experience

• Fluency in English and Portuguese, both in spoken and written communication.
• Qualification and experience required in food and beverage industry, personnel management.
• Proficient in computer software including Microsoft Word and Excel.
• Event planning experience preferred.

Required attributes:

• A team player with the ability and willingness to develop effective skills and attitudes in other adults, including colleagues.
• Self-starter, able to initiate ideas and act proactively.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and the capacity to interact well and communicate effectively with students, parents, and colleagues within a diverse multi-cultural community.
• Demonstrates excellent problem solving/decision making and conflict resolution skills.
• Attention to detail, discretion, and the highest standards of integrity.
• Time management, organization, and follow-up.
• Ability to prioritize, anticipate situations, and take quick action.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and recommend/implement effective solutions.
• Ability to work independently and proactively.

Valued Additional assets:

• Intercultural awareness, appreciation, and sensitivity.
• Able to appreciate diverse cultural contexts and perspectives and use them to enrich the experiences of students, teachers, and parents.

Application

• Submission of Presentation letter explaining your strengths and suitability for the position and CV.

Department: Administration

Reporting Line: Head of Facilities

Position Location: Maputo, Mozambique

Status: Full-time