Senior Workforce Optimisation Manager - IMEA

IHG; United Arab Emirates; Hybrid; AED 250,000 - 350,000; Full time

Job summary

A global hospitality company is seeking a strategic leader with hotel operations experience to manage workforce optimisation across IMEA Hotels. This role focuses on developing workforce strategies, leading capacity planning, and driving performance improvements in operational settings. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in hotel operations, the ability to influence senior leadership, and a willingness to travel extensively. This role offers a unique opportunity to impact guest experiences and operational success.

Benefits

Impressive room discounts

Recharge days

Volunteering days

Qualifications

• Proven background in hotel operations with hands-on experience across multiple departments.
• Experience working across multiple time zones and culturally diverse hotel markets.
• Strong ability to coach, influence, and build trusted relationships with senior leaders.
• Skilled in leading change initiatives in operational settings using structured methodologies.
• Ability to interpret HR and financial data to diagnose trends and link insights.
• Familiarity with workforce optimisation systems is advantageous.
• Willingness to travel extensively (50%+) across IMEA Hotels.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute long-term workforce strategies to support operational excellence.
• Lead the design of accurate workload forecasts across hotel departments.
• Oversee the creation of efficient and service-driven schedules.
• Implement agile tools for real-time decision-making within hotel operations.
• Guide and empower teams to deliver consistent workforce strategies.
• Evaluate and optimise workforce management tools.
• Deliver actionable insights through performance dashboards.

Skills

Hotel Operations Expertise

Global Perspective

Influential Leadership

Change Management

Analytical Acumen

Tech-savvy

Mobility

Tools

UKG

Job description

Role Purpose

We’re looking for a strategic leader with hands‑on hotel operations experience to ensure the right people are in the right place at the right time—every time. This role offers the unique opportunity to travel extensively across our IMEA Hotels, working directly with property teams to drive workforce excellence, elevate guest experiences, and deliver operational impact where it matters most.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Workforce Planning

Develop and execute long‑term workforce strategies that directly support hotel operational excellence and align with our business objectives. Collaborate with senior leadership and hotel GMs to model staffing needs based on occupancy forecasts, seasonal trends, and business growth, ensuring alignment with property‑level service delivery goals.

Forecasting & Capacity Planning

Lead the design and implementation of accurate workload forecasts across hotel departments (e.g., Front Office, Housekeeping, F & B). Apply deep operational understanding to ensure capacity plans reflect the dynamic nature of hotel environments and guest expectations.

Scheduling & Resource Management

Oversee the creation of efficient, fair, and service‑driven schedules. Ensure optimal resource allocation across hotel functions to meet service level targets, drive cost efficiency, and maintain brand standards.

Real‑Time Management

Spearhead real‑time decision‑making processes within hotel operations, implementing agile tools and processes that enable rapid response to fluctuating guest demand and operational challenges.

People Leadership

This role does not come with a large direct team, but success will depend on your ability to lead through influence. You’ll work closely with Workforce Optimisation Analysts, Planners, and Coordinators embedded within hotel operations and above‑property functions. Your focus will be on guiding, aligning, and empowering these teams to deliver consistent, high‑impact workforce strategies. Building trust, fostering collaboration, and driving a culture of continuous improvement across a matrixed environment will be key to your impact.

Technology & Process Optimisation

Evaluate and optimise workforce management tools (e.g., UKG, Team Planner) with a focus on hotel applicability. Drive automation and innovation that enhances operational efficiency and staff engagement across properties.

Reporting & Insights

Deliver actionable insights through performance dashboards and operational reports. Present findings to hotel and corporate stakeholders to inform strategic decisions and improve workforce agility.

Stakeholder Engagement

Partner closely with Hotel Operations, HR, IT, and Finance teams to align workforce strategies. Act as the subject matter expert in workforce optimisation with a strong operational lens, ensuring solutions are practical and impactful at the property level.

What You Bring

• Hotel Operations Expertise: Proven background in hotel operations, with hands‑on experience across multiple departments and a deep understanding of service delivery in dynamic, guest‑facing environments.
• Global Perspective: Experience working across multiple time zones and culturally diverse hotel markets.
• Influential Leadership: Strong ability to coach, influence, and build trusted relationships with senior hotel and corporate leaders.
• Change Management: Skilled in leading change initiatives within operational settings, using structured methodologies and tools.
• Analytical Acumen: Ability to interpret HR and financial data, diagnose trends, and link workforce insights to hotel performance outcomes.
• Tech‑Savvy: Familiarity with workforce optimisation systems such as UKG, with a focus on hotel‑specific applications is advantageous.
• Mobility: Willingness to travel extensively (50%+) across IMEA Hotels to engage directly with property teams and drive operational impact.

Who We Are

At IHG Hotels & Resorts, we work together to deliver True Hospitality for Good on a global scale. With corporate offices and over 6,000 hotel destinations worldwide, a career at IHG is the perfect way to broaden your horizons. You’ll experience our unique culture and brilliant colleagues who will support and inspire you. With a host of corporate opportunities to choose from, wherever you are on your career journey, and whatever you want to achieve there’s Room for You at IHG.

Over recent years, we’ve transformed our company. We have bold ambitions to drive performance and maintain our relentless focus on growth in order to be the hotel company of choice that guests & owners love.

We are a hospitality business at our core and value connections and being together helps us foster a unique sense of belonging that also supports productivity. That’s why here at IHG, we give our colleagues flexibility and balance – working in a hybrid way, blending office and remote working collectively. We recognise that every role is different, that’s why leaders work with teams to determine how and when they collaborate.

We provide a wide range of benefits designed to help you live your best work life. These include impressive room discounts across our many properties, recharge days and volunteering days throughout the year. Through our myWellbeing framework, we are committed to supporting wellbeing in your health, lifestyle, and workplace. We offer a unique and inclusive culture, where there is always Room for You to belong, grow and make a difference.