Part-time Wedding and Events Coordinator in Ashford, Kent

We are recruiting on behalf of our client who are a Private School for a part-time Events Coordinator. The role involves working Monday to Friday for 4 hours per day between 08:00 - 16:30, with some weekend work required.

Main Duties:

• Lead the planning, coordination and delivery of all events, weddings, private hires and lettings.
• Promote and develop the school's events and lettings provision to maximise revenue opportunities.
• Maintain effective liaison with internal departments, hirers, contractors and external organisations to ensure the successful delivery of events and lettings.
• Ensure that all events and lettings are delivered to the highest standards, reflecting and promoting the school's ethos and reputation.
• Manage the Bookings+ online portal and oversee all associated booking administration.
• Oversee Health and Safety compliance across all events and lettings activities, ensuring the school remains inspection and audit ready.

Key Areas and Responsibilities:

• Commercial Activity: Create an overall strategy for generating commercial income which complements the Trust's ethos. Identify opportunities for generating income, ensuring a blend and balance of high-quality activities. Meet with potential customers to show the facilities available. Manage all external events and hires, while being on site throughout specific events such as weddings. Prepare and distribute advertising information, such as brochures and literature with the school's marketing company, Enterprises website and social media, including organisation of wedding fairs. Ongoing updating of the Enterprises website. Review and update venue/food/hire costs annually, undertaking market research of local competitors. Develop the school's standing in the local community.
• Events Management: Prepare for adequate planning time and have experience in event management. Ensure appropriate levels of staff supervision at external events. Liaise with designated SLT and the Marketing team about the school's events to foresee any future clashes of the external and internal school events. Liaise with Estates, Catering and Grounds Managers as appropriate to book in events and hires. Monitor progress of event-planning to ensure efficient delivery and progress towards completion. Undertake effective evaluation and review of events to maximise sales within a competitive market. Communicate with the local registry office and parish church in logistics for wedding ceremonies. Support the continuous improvement of procedures, systems and services relating to events, lettings and venue hire operations.
• Health & Safety: Oversee all Health and Safety requirements relating to events and lettings, ensuring compliance with relevant legislation, School policies and best practice. Ensure the Schools Safeguarding Policy is adhered to when necessary for all events and hires. Complete and monitor all Health & Safety checks, inspections & statutory requirements prior to approving lettings, ensuring the school remains audit & ISI inspection ready. Ensure that risk assessments are completed in accordance with School Policy for events and hires. Ensure that all contractor, hirer and event documentation is received, reviewed and stored appropriately before events take place (DBS, insurance, RA, safeguarding policy, etc). Conduct pre & post-event inspections, ensuring facilities are safe, secure, clean and fit for purpose. Maintain accurate records and produce reports relating to lettings, events, Health and Safety compliance and income generation as required. Attend and successfully complete all relevant Health and Safety, safeguarding and compliance training necessary to fulfil the responsibilities of the role.
• Communication & Relationships: Ensure excellent communication and fast response with clients regarding events, including follow ups on enquiries to help create more bookings. Ensure discussion and communication on events issues, needs & procedures with all parties.
• Finance: Manage appropriate income and expenditure budgets and contribute to the annual budget process, including staff/food/building costs in relation to events producing revenue for the school. Liaise with accounts for invoicing and making sure payments have been paid from events and hires. Log and keep up to date information of income from external events.

Person Specification:

• Demonstrate experience in a commercial sales and marketing role.
• Evidence of a proven ability to manage events and deliver excellent customer service.
• Demonstrate the ability to create, present and implement projects with foresight and effective forward planning & organisation skills.
• Display an aptitude to be creative, generate new ideas, and develop them into successful initiatives.
• Demonstrate excellent communication and presentation skills with the ability to liaise tactfully and effectively with staff, pupils, visitors and the public.
• Demonstrate a willingness to be adaptable, flexible and to work unsociable hours as sometimes required by the job.
• Able to demonstrate a good understanding of financial constraints.
• Excellent IT skills to navigate software systems and proficiently use Microsoft Office.