Venue Manager | Barrenjoey House

Boathouse Group; Sydney; On-site; AUD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Bonus structure

Autonomy with group support

Collaborative culture

Job summary

Boathouse Group's Barrenjoey House in Palm Beach is seeking a dynamic Venue Manager to lead day-to-day operations across restaurant, accommodation and function trade. You will own P&L performance, shape reinvestment, and work with marketing, events and group operations to deliver exceptional guest experiences.

The role requires hands-on leadership, heritage venue experience, and strong commercial acumen. You will roster and develop teams, manage guest feedback, and ensure licensing and safety

Qualifications

• Experience leading hospitality operations with dining and accommodation.
• Strong P&L and budget management skills.
• Excellent guest-facing communication and attention to detail.

Responsibilities

• Shape reinvestment and refresh with ownership.
• Deliver exceptional experiences across restaurant, accommodation and events.
• Lead and develop a high-performing front and back-of-house team.
• Manage venue P&L, labour, cost of goods and budgets.
• Oversee accommodation bookings and guest experience.
• Support weddings and events with Group Sales & Events.
• Collaborate with Marketing on local activity and promotions.
• Ensure licensing, WHS, food safety and heritage obligations.
• Uphold Boathouse Group culture with local flair.
• Report trading performance and guest feedback to Group Operations.

Skills

General Manager experience

Venue leadership

P&L management

Hospitality operations

Team leadership

Job description

The Boathouse Group is a collection of unique and iconic hospitality venues located in picturesque locations around Sydney and on the NSW Central Coast, Australia. We offer dining, accommodation, weddings, events and homewares. Our vision is to create the most iconic collection of venues through family culture and exceptional hospitality. We do this through high quality products and ingredients, as well as offering a fun and genuine service along the way.

Barrenjoey House is one of our most treasured properties: a heritage-listed guesthouse and restaurant in Palm Beach, offering relaxed yet sophisticated surroundings, seven boutique guesthouse rooms, and a restaurant with a long-standing culinary tradition, loved by locals and visitors alike.

About Us

The Boathouse Group is a collection of unique and iconic hospitality venues located in picturesque locations around Sydney and on the NSW Central Coast, Australia. We offer dining, accommodation, weddings, events and homewares. Our vision is to create the most iconic collection of venues through family culture and exceptional hospitality. We do this through high quality products and ingredients, as well as offering a fun and genuine service along the way.

Barrenjoey House is one of our most treasured properties: a heritage-listed guesthouse and restaurant in Palm Beach, offering relaxed yet sophisticated surroundings, seven boutique guesthouse rooms, and a restaurant with a long-standing culinary tradition, loved by locals and visitors alike.

About the Role

This is an exceptional time to join Barrenjoey House. We're investing significantly in the venue, and we're looking for a dynamic, ambitious leader to help shape and usher in its next chapter. The Venue Manager is responsible for ensuring an exceptional guest experience while driving commercial performance during an exciting period of reinvention. The role takes full ownership of day-to-day operations, team leadership, and P&L performance, working closely with Group Operations, Sales & Events, and Marketing to deliver memorable guest experiences. This is a genuine opportunity to help redefine what one of Palm Beach's most iconic venues can be, working closely with the wider team to bring a bold new vision to life.

Key Responsibilities

• Work closely with ownership and Group Operations to shape and deliver the venue's reinvestment and refresh.

• Deliver consistently exceptional experiences across restaurant, accommodation, and function and event trade.

• Lead, roster, and develop a high-performing front and back-of-house team.

• Manage venue P&L, including labour, cost of goods and budget performance against targets.

• Oversee accommodation bookings, guest experience, housekeeping standards, and rate management.

• Work with the Group Sales & Events team to support weddings, private functions, and event bookings.

• Partner with the Marketing function on local venue-level activity, promotions, and community engagement.

• Maintain compliance with licensing, WHS, food safety, and heritage-property obligations.

• Champion the Boathouse Group culture and brand standards, while bringing a local flair and vision.

• Report regularly to Group Operations on trading performance, guest feedback, and opportunities.

About You

• Experience as a General Manager, Venue Manager or senior hospitality leader across combined dining and accommodation operations.

• Strong commercial acumen: comfortable owning budgets, rosters, and P&L accountability.

• Hands-on leadership style with a genuine passion for developing people.

• Experience in a heritage-listed, boutique, or high-profile hospitality venue highly regarded.

• Understanding of NSW liquor licensing and hospitality compliance requirements.

• Excellent guest-facing communication skills and an eye for detail across service and presentation standards.

• Flexibility to work across weekends, evenings, and peak periods, in line with venue trade.

• A genuine connection to the Palm Beach / Northern Beaches community and lifestyle is a plus.

What We Offer

• The chance to lead an iconic heritage venue with a strong local reputation into a new era, backed by real investment.

• A seat at the table in shaping the venue's future direction; not just running the playbook, but helping write it.

• Autonomy under a decentralised model, backed by group-level support in marketing, sales & events, and operations.

• Competitive salary plus performance-based bonus structure.

• A collaborative, values-driven team culture across the wider Boathouse Group.

The Boathouse Group is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.