Hospitality and Guest Relations Coordinator

Hospitality And Guest Relations Coordinator

Baker Botts is a leading international law firm recognized for its deep understanding of the industries it serves. With offices across major global markets, the firm delivers sophisticated legal services while cultivating a collaborative, inclusive culture where both attorneys and professional staff contribute to client success and organizational excellence.

The Houston office of Baker Botts LLP is currently seeking a Hospitality and Guest Relations Coordinator to join our Guest Relations team. With limited supervision, the Hospitality and Guest Relations Coordinator is responsible for the smooth day-to-day operations of our Guest Relations Center along with overseeing the supervision of our Guest Relations Attendants and Guest Relations Assistants to professionally represent the firm at the point of first impression for all clients and visitors; in addition, provides excellent customer service in facilitating all arrangements for meeting rooms and coffee bars. This is a full-time, non-exempt position resident in our Houston office with excellent benefits. The position requires a five-day work week; flexibility for additional hours is required when necessary.

Primary Responsibilities

• Utilizes creative thinking for meeting arrangements and special events, solves potential and real conflicts for annual meeting room uses and group meals, creates and maintains database for attendee preferences, creates room diagrams to maximize space.
• Researches alternate venues for meetings that require more than Guest Relations Center can accommodate.
• Evaluates, recommends and cultivates relationships with caterers for preferred and alternate vendor lists. Designs and organizes menus for all daily food service while accommodating special dietary restrictions, averaging 10 groups dining per day for groups varying in size from 2 to 125 people. Keeps up-to-date on alcoholic beverage serving rules for Texas, hire bartenders as required. Devises tools and sets guidelines and monitors Guest Relations staff to ensure correct food safety practices.
• Coordinate event operations while providing guest service support for corporate events.
• Worked closely with event coordinators, kitchen staff, and management to ensure smooth event execution and timely service.
• Orchestrates high profile meetings and events for Partner in Charge, Client Relations and Recruiting and plans and executes Firm appreciation events, works with committee to host creative events for 500+ employees, schedules and coordinates all logistics.
• Collaborates with other support staff managers to devise plans for providing efficient service. Disseminates pertinent information to support staff departments through check requests, confirmations, daily reports, E-mail communication and pre-event meetings. Coordinates with meeting contacts for speakers' needs.
• Coaches and counsels staff, keeps personnel files, evaluates staff annually.
• Administers meeting planning software including customization, system upgrades and trains staff.
• Accomplishes maximum efficiency in use of meeting room space by forecasting use and controlling reservation requests, reports statistics of meeting room use.
• Establishes and maintains professional and high standards for all aspects of meeting rooms, coffee bars, reception area and catering kitchen. Ensures proper protocol is followed when guests arrive and attorneys are contacted.
• Maintains inventory of consumable goods, meeting room accessories and kitchen items. Sets exceptional guidelines for food and beverage selection and presentation.
• Responsible for monthly reconciliation of American Express bill and other vendor invoices.
• Works with Office Administrator and Manager to coordinate and monitor time and attendance, prepares schedules, coordinates vacation and holiday preferences, devises and implements plan for work coverage, arranges training opportunities, holds daily and weekly meetings, orients new employees in the Guest Relations Department.
• Responsible for maintaining department budget within Firm guidelines.
• Responsible for facilities maintenance of common areas.
• Coordinates Guest Relations staff to manage requests for, plan and execute flawless meetings, maintains presence on conference floor directing process for immediate, single, multi- day, recurring and/or extended meetings which may occur during working hours or after hours.
• Assists as needed with front desk "concierge-like" services for guests, including sitting at front desk and answering phones.
• Assists with other departmental duties as needed. This includes but is not limited to working with Guest Relations Attendants to ensure proper meeting room set up, breakdown, and operational organization (food preparation, cleaning and staging) while maintaining quality guest experiences.
• Responsible for coordinating menus with vendors and uploading them to intranet.
• Special projects as assigned by Partner in Charge, Office Administrator and Manager.

Other Duties & Responsibilities

• Maintain and update Conference Room files, as needed.
• Maintains and orders medicine inventory for Houston office.
• Monitors Guest Relations Attendants and Guest Relations Assistants, all non-exempt employees.
• Other duties as assigned by Office Administrator and Manager.

What You'll Bring

Required

• Bachelors Degree in a related field strongly preferred; certification as a Meeting Professional desirable.
• 2-5 years meeting planning and some supervisory experience.
• Requires extensive experience and training in customer service and hotel catering operations, ability to prioritize multiple tasks, creating solutions under strict deadlines in a fast paced, formal, professional, high-profile environment.
• Requires knowledge of Microsoft Office, Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook and event management software.
• Excellent customer service skills and ability to work well independently, as well as in a team environment.
• Ability to prioritize tasks associated with conference room schedules and events.
• Must be pro-active self-starter, with desire to provide first-rate customer service.
• Must have strong organizational, decision-making skills and problem-solving skills.
• Must be reliable and a self-starter.
• Must have professional demeanor.
• Uniform is required

How You'll Work

Extent of Contact

• Extensive and constant contact with clients, visitors, Partners, lawyers, senior staff, managers, secretaries, support staff, and vendors. Extensive and constant contact with clients, visitors, attorneys, directors, managers, secretaries, support staff, and vendors.
• High degree of contact with clients/visitors, lawyers, support staff, managers, and members of other offices or departments requiring filtering of questions and scheduling meeting room space and ordering food for meetings.
• Daily contact with internal clients/visitors.
• Daily contact with IT department for audio visual equipment needs.
• Daily contact with Guest Relations Attendants, Guest Relations Assistants and facilities.

Physical Requirements

• Must be able to lift up to 40 pounds.
• Must be able to operate kitchen, catering appliances and sinks.
• Must be able to walk or stand for at least 2 hours at a time.
• Must be able to manage a cart in hallways, elevator and tight spaces.
• Must be able to effectively communicate in person and via telephone with clients and external vendors and building management.
• Must be able to routinely lift and carry items weighing up to 10 pounds.
• Must be able to sit or stand for long periods of time.
• Must be able to lift, squat, kneel and bend.
• Must be able to climb stairs.

Working Conditions and Environment

• This role is 100% performed in the Houston office.
• Office and kitchen environment.
• Job tasks may require more than standard work week, including flexible work hours and availability on weekends.
• Work is performed in an office environment.
• Professional appearance a must and dress code requires a black suit and professional blouse or shirt at all times.
• Position is full-time and requires a five-day work week and standard hours as outlined in the firm policy manual. Must be available to work overtime, to perform the essential duties of the position.

Baker Botts L.L.P. is an equal opportunity employer and considers all qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, gender, sex, age, religion, creed, national origin, citizenship, marital status, sexual orientation, disability, medical condition, military and veteran status, gender identity or expression, genetic information, or any other basis protected by federal, state, or local law.