Estates Furnishings Assistant at British High Commission Nairobi

Main purpose of job:

The Estates Furnishings Assistant will be responsible for the safe and efficient delivery, collection, and movement of furniture and furnishings within office premises and across the wider residential estate. The individual will support Lead Drivers (Accommodation and Technical Works Group) when operational demands require additional assistance with the transportation of goods using vans or canters.

The role holder will carry out on site spot checks and oversee contractors’ activities, ensuring that all work is completed in line with requirements and that job and service cards are accurately completed. The individual will also be responsible for float preparation, property cleaning and set up, and undertaking heavy lifting and manual handling duties in accordance with health and safety procedures.

Roles and responsibilities:

Facilities and stores management (70%)

• Preparation of floats for delivery to both office and residences
• Deep cleaning and furnishing properties in line with guidance   provided through the line management chain, ensuring full compliance with all Health & Safety standards. 
• Working as part of a team to prepare properties for occupancy. 
• Working as part of the team on meeting room and event set ups. 
• Reporting any identified issues, including damaged or missing items, to the Helpdesk.
• Attending to assigned internal booking requests within the agreed Service Level Agreements (SLAs). 
• Assisting all teams across the High Commission with manual handling on an as needed basis. 
• Ensuring accurate completion and filling of all gate passes, contractor job and service cards, and inventory delivery and collection notes. 
• Supporting routine daily inspections of meeting rooms and office areas. 
• Supporting accommodation leads and drivers with loading inventory into the canter, in preparation for delivery, in line with signed gate passes. 
• Preparing floats for delivery to both office and residential properties in line with the set guidance.

Contractor Supervision & Spot-checking (20%)

• Supervise contracted suppliers during work such as waste collection, water deliveries, soft furnishings installation, utility meter readings, and tree/garden works on behalf of the estates team.
• Supervise property cleaning in preparation for occupancy.
• Conduct spot-checks of the ground’s maintenance, tree pruning and hedge trimming at the BHC properties, waste collection and guard house routine cleaning. 
• Conduct spot-checks of other contractors as required across Estates Accommodation and Technical Works.

Administrative and communication (10%):

• Keep detailed records on float and inventory issuance and collection. Ensure these records are shared with the team leader in a timely manner.
• Complete all mandatory learning and development courses on time.
• At least 3 times a week check email correspondence and all staff messages for key information and actions and updating of activities tracker.
• Actively participate in corporate activities which include the option of joining committees, staff team building, social event planning etc.
• Communicate effectively providing clear progress updates. 

Essential qualifications, skills and experience  

• Basic awareness of health and safety practices 
• Heavy lifting capability (up to 45Kg) 
• Clear written and verbal communication skills 
• Good customer service skills
• Good team player skills 
• Attention to detail 
• Basic computer skills (MS Office suite, Outlook for email) 

Desirable qualifications, skills and experience  

• Professional property cleaning experience
• Experience with inventory management systems
• Valid driving license for B-C-E class with clean driving record
• At least 3 years’ experience as a Class B Driver, driving light vehicles, minibus or equivalent
• Good knowledge of Nairobi Road routes and ability to plan journeys efficiently.
• Health & Safety training and certification to local or UK standards