Purpose of the post
•Ensure that the people of Gwynedd are at the centre of everything we do.
•Act as a Business Officer on behalf of the Education Catering and Cleaning Service.
•Manage and monitor school contracts associated with the catering and cleaning service level agreements.
•Responsibility for the day-to-day management of the Education Catering and Cleaning Service's budget.
•Provide value for money by purchasing, prioritising, managing and monitoring effective use of resources and recognising that knowledge, ability and skills are also resources.
•Provide operational support to the Catering and Cleaning Service to assist them to undertake their daily role, leading, managing and taking ownership of duties.
•Understand and work effectively within the Council's political framework and have awareness of issues that impact on the service provision at different levels. Foster links with others to benefit from good practice in order to improve provision for service users.
•Share and listen to information, views and ideas without prejudice by using appropriate communication methods.
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Responsibility for functions
•Managing, monitoring and reporting on budgets.
•Responsibility for kitchen and cleaning equipment.
Main duties
Business Support
•Acting as the Service's main point of contact for various business matters by taking responsibility for communicating the Manager's needs for support and cooperating with other Departments on matters such as information management, procurement and health and safety.
•Continuously search for opportunities to improve the Service and identify issues that prevent the Service from achieving effectively and efficiently and take action to resolve those issues.
•Lead on implementing Service Level Agreements, fostering a positive working relationship with school headteachers, to ensure their satisfaction with all aspects of the services provided for them.
•Collaborate with the Schools Catering and Cleaning Contract Technical Officer to ensure that the standard of our services fully comply with the standards set.
•Lead and coordinate complex work packs, providing support to the rest of the team as required.
•Preparing minutes of meetings and submit reports as required.
•Contribute to a wide range of strategic developments and projects, leading and implementing.
•Contribute to the departmental self-evaluating arrangements, promoting and nurturing a culture of reviewing the quality of services and performance on a regular basis.
•Ensure the work is completed and presented on time (including at busy times) by prioritising work effectively.
•Clear and effective communication by adapting the method to the situation as appropriate.
•Support the team with Human Resources matters that arise as required.
•Update guidance to staff in the catering and cleaning field to ensure that staff work in a secure and safe environment, and provide safely and appropriately for their customers.
•Coordinate and update the Service's risk assessments and support the Service to present and deliver the mitigation measures.
•Monitor the Service's training strategy, including administration and arrangements.
•Act as the first point of contact source for internal and external data enquiries, including leading and coordinating applications for information, including applications under the Freedom of Information Act.
•Support the Manager to respond and investigate into complaints in accordance with the corporate complaints procedure.
•Operate and participate in meetings on behalf of and with the Service Manager's authority where the need arises.
Finance
•Manage day-to-day catering and cleaning contracts and budgets to ensure customer satisfaction with every aspect of the service, including additional occasional contracts as required.
•Coordinate and ensuring effective budgetary management of the service.
•Monitor the Service's resources, debts and finance.
•Coordinate, monitor and report on any grants received by the Service.
•Draw up grant applications and income rights.
•Report on the financial situation to the Service Manager regularly.
Research, information and data
•Lead, coordinate and gather all essential data, ensuring that the Service is able to access current and relevant data in order to manage performance efficiently.
•Undertaking research and recognising key trends in various areas, providing support and regular updates.
•Support with performance challenge procedures, gathering data consistently.
•Implement various procedures to gather the views of stakeholders, including the views of headteachers, children and young people on the service, considering, adapting and responding to the observations received as needed.
•Promote free school meals, encouraging more families to take advantage of the offer.
•Lead on communication, marketing and public consultation matters, ensuring that we raise awareness on progress in the individual work fields.
•High-level understanding of IT systems to establish and implement suitable systems for the Service.
•Understanding of school IT systems in the field e.g. School Comms, Parent Pay, Bromcom.
•Assist and contribute to drawing up business cases in collaboration with the Manager.
General
•Responsibility for self-development, undertaking further professional training, essential for the effective and efficient running of the Service, in accordance with the professional development plan.
•Ensure compliance with Health and Safety rules in the workplace in accordance with the responsibilities noted in the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Council’s Health and Safety Policy.
•Operate within the Council’s policies in relation to equal opportunities and equality.
•Responsibility for managing information in accordance with the Council’s information management standards and guidelines. Ensure that personal information is treated in accordance with Data Protection legislation.
•Responsible for reporting any concern or suspicion that a child or vulnerable adult is being abused.
•Commitment to reducing the Council’s carbon emissions in accordance with the Carbon Management Plan, and to encourage others to act positively towards reducing the Council’s Carbon Footprint;
•Undertake any other reasonable duty which corresponds with the salary level and responsibility level of the job.
Special circumstances
•This post is on permanent terms.
•The Council’s official working hours is 37 hours per week.
•The Council operates hybrid working arrangements, with the expectation to work from the office at least two days per week. 
•The post is based in the Headquarters of Cyngor Gwynedd, in Caernarfon.
•The ability to communicate through the medium of Welsh and English is essential.
•Occasionally, some meetings will take place outside normal working hours.