Superintendent, Laundry Shop at Kenya Airways

Job Purpose:

Reporting to the Cabin & IFE Lead, the ideal candidate will be required to oversee the laundry department’s day to day operations and ensure that all laundry services meet the highest possible standards. He/she will also be responsible for maintaining all relevant departmental records and ensure maximum comfort and hygiene to the guests by delivering the best quality of laundered aircraft furnish and linen through established standards and procedures to ascertain the quality of work performed.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

• Effectively manage the laundry department by supervising the team and ensure all laundry is cleaned in a timely manner consistent with the turnaround times.
• Supervise laundry team members to ensure duties are performed consistent with standard operating procedures.
• Supervise, develop, motivate and coach staff so as to promote and enhance team work, ensure improved performance and enhanced productivity.
• Actively promote teamwork within laundry department and maintain strong interdepartmental relations.
• Develop new methods for increasing laundry efficiency.
• Work closely with the maintenance teams to ensure routine preventive and corrective maintenance of the equipment’s are done.
• Ensure proper usage of equipment and detergents to maintain efficient management of costs.
• Coordinate with inflight, commercial store and aircraft appearance teams on the daily target requirements as per the flight schedules.
• Coordinate linen handling such as daily sorting and inventory, clean linen distribution, linen collection, and storage room organization.
• Ensure 100% availability of clean linen to improve cabin standards and avoid aircraft delays.
• Analyze and monitor laundry operation costs to ensure viability.
• Ensure daily availability of detergents/cleaning solvents to the optimum levels.
• Ensure visual inspection is carried out before every shift to detect machine failures/problems which can be solved without undue downtime.
• Ensure the laundry team keeps abreast with continually new changing aircraft furnish/linen fabrics and laundry chemicals in the marketplace to achieve and maintain high quality standards.
• Monitor and enforce safe working habits to ensure a safe, healthy and secure working environment in compliance with authority requirements, relevant industry regulatory and legislative requirements, company policies and customer airlines.
• Work closely with quality and safety departments to ensure hazards, near misses and incident occurrences are reported and dealt with as per company procedures.
• Compile and submit variety of reports and recommendations to the Cabin and IFE Lead.
• Plan for staff leave, absences and daily duty accomplishment.

Knowledge, Skills and experience:

• Diploma in laundry, housekeeping hospitality, catering or hotel management from a recognized institution.
• Minimum of 5 years relevant working experience.
• Prior experience in similar role is preferable.
• Familiarity with cleaning detergents and laundering equipment.
• Excellent communication and organizational skills.
• Excellent arithmetic, analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Must be willing to work for extended periods to ensure deliveries are made within schedule.
• Ability to work well in a team, as well as manage multiple priorities in quick time frames.
• Ability to handle pressure and difficult situations with resilience, calmly and effectively.