Head Host

Clays; London; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading entertainment venue in London is seeking a Head Host who will ensure exceptional guest experiences. This role requires a charismatic individual with strong organizational skills and a passion for delivering 5-star service. Responsibilities include welcoming guests, managing booking flows, and building relationships with both guests and local businesses. Ideal candidates will have at least 3 years of experience in a similar role, along with a strong commitment to contributing to a positive environment.

Benefits

Competitive salary

32 working days’ holiday

50% discount during off-peak periods

Health Care Cash Plan

Career Growth opportunities

Paid Breaks

Recognition and Incentives

Qualifications

• At least 3 years of experience in customer relations or hospitality.
• Strong work ethic and ability to work with senior teams.
• Passionate about creating lasting experiences.

Responsibilities

• Lead front-door operations, welcoming guests.
• Manage booking flow to maximize guest capacity.
• Build relationships with guests and local businesses.
• Ensure exceptional service and guest satisfaction.

Skills

Customer relations

Front of house hospitality

Organizational skills

Communication skills

Team player

Tools

Sevenrooms

Salesforce

Tevalis

Job description

LIFE AT CLAYS

Welcome to Clays, the ultimate indoor clay shooting experience and cocktail bar! We bring the thrill of a British clay target shooting weekend to the heart of the city. Our unique twist on Olympic clay shooting makes thesport safe, fun, and accessible for everyone.As we expand locally and globally, we're excited to share our love for British charm and competitive gaming with the world. Whether you're after a thrilling day with friends or a lively evening with colleagues, Clays is the perfect spot for adrenaline-pumping, fun-filled experiences.

As we expand locally and globally, we’re excited to announce our newest venue in Soho—our most thrilling location yet! This is your opportunity to help shape the future of Clays in the UK’s most vibrant city. We're bringing the energy, excitement, and signature Clays experience to Soho, and we need passionate individuals to join us on this exciting journey.

Careers at clays are loaded with possibilities. As we grow our brand, we are equally dedicated to the growth of our team. We offer ample opportunities for personal development and top-notch training. Our team is a vibrant mix of independent thinkers who are passionate about crafting unforgettable experiences for our guests. If you're seeking a workplace that values integrity, fun, and teamwork, Clays might just be the place for you!

We’ve been named one of the UK’s Best Workplaces 2025 by Great Place To Work UK! That’s right – we’re all about creating an awesome place to work, with plenty of fun, growth, and top-notch vibes.

CLAYS VALUES

At Clays, our venues are for everyone, and so is our workplace. We believe that to serve our diverse audience, we must first celebrate and nurture diversity within our team. That’s why we’rededicated to creating an inclusive culture. Different perspectives spark creativity and drive innovation. So, if you're passionate about making a positive impact, we’d love to hear from you!

And of course, we’re looking for someone who embodies our Clays values. That’s why we’ve framed them as key questions that guide everything we do:

SAFE- Is it Safe?Safety first. It’s our responsibility to protect our people, our guests, and our business. We make decisions that create an environment where everyone feels safe, respected, and supported.

AMAZING EXPERIENCE- Will it deliver an amazing experience?We deliver an amazing experience by going above and beyond what's expected, obsessing over the detail, making thoughtfulness a priority, and ensuring every guest and colleague feels seen, valued, and truly celebrated.

LASTING- Is it lasting?Lasting means creating impact that goes beyond the moment. At Clays, the choices we make must meaningfully contribute to a lasting impression, for our guests, our people, our planet, and our brand.

SUMMARY OF POSITION

We’re on the hunt for aHead Hostwith serious personality, presence, and people skills. This role ensures that every guest feels like a VIP and that all Clayers are inspired by their example. This person is key to the success of our flagship venue, leads with pride, and lives the Clays ethos. Provides exceptional hospitality and has the sole focus of making every guest feel 10/10, starting the service wheel and closing it at the end of a visit.

Clays is looking for someone who thrives on making guests feel special, is extremely organised, creative, strategic and is the ultimate team player. The goal of our Head Host is to ensure every guest leaves our venue with a smile and a story to tell. This is an operational, fast-paced, guest-facing role ideal for someone who enjoys coming to work with a smile, who has natural charisma, exceptional communication, and the ability to balance a buzzing door with best-in-class floor presence.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

Your role will include but may not be limited to the following responsibilities;

• Be the face of Clays Soho.Lead front-door operations alongside our security team, greeting every guest like a VIP, making arrivals seamless and memorable
• Live in the diary.Work closely with management and the floor team to assess real-time booking flow, manage turnarounds, and respond to walk-ins. Ensuring maximum guest capacity while also keeping the flow of the venue seamless
• Relationship management.Build strong relationships with guests & local businesses alongside the Business Development function
• Be the eyes and ears.Roam the venue - checking in with guests, reading the room, and helping with game play tips and tricks - an on-hand Games Master who can take an experience at Clays fromgreattoamazing&memorable
• Deliver 5* service.Anticipate needs, respond to requests, and ensure every guest interaction feels thoughtful and elevated. Championing execution and holding colleagues to account when applying the Clays Perfect Service
• Upsell with charm.When required to support the main floor, take additional payments, sell walk-in bookings, and encourage F&B tables. Ensure guests feel looked after and the venue space is maximised
• Work alongside venue operations to increase dwell time and test ideas to exceed guest expectations
• Manage venue communications.Direct any sales enquiries via the correct channels (ensuring we don’t miss out on any key bookings), have a strong relationship with the sales team and know when to escalate an enquiry
• Connect and convert.Working on daily and weekly KPI’s to convert walk-ins into bookings at the venue. Engage with guests to create a personal relationship, capture golden nuggets of insight about our guests, ask about their experience and escalate when required
• Spearhead reviews and repeat visits, ensuring the venue has consistent 5* Google Reviews each week
• Supportwith medium & large group arrivals or corporate events, working with the events team to ensure seamless execution
• Support with daily run sheets or function sheets when required
• Organisation.Collate, order and brainstorm on experience merchandise, ensuring the venue is kept stocked and new opportunities to be best in class are proposed and executed
• Driving Experience.Delivering experience in the venue, ensuring the in-venue offering outperforms expectations:
• Arrival - Venue Positioning: welcomed into a warm embrace of polished elegance and genuine hospitality, we bring the outdoors in. It’s the sort of new venue where the maître d’ greets you not as a guest, but as an old friend
• Ensuring booking notes are passed on to venue teams andClays Momentsare created for special occasions
• Roaming the venue and elevating experiences with encouragement & support of game play
• Disbursing merchandise on departure
• Collating feedback & reviews in a productive manner, creating learning opportunities for colleagues
• Departure - engaging with guests, closing out their time at Clays with excitement and joy, ensuring the guests leave with a delightful memory at Clays & using every opportunity to capture Google Reviews or take on feedback from guests

SKILLS, DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS & ATTRIBUTES

• At least 3 years of experience working in a similar role in customer relations, front of house hospitality or events
• Always looking for opportunities to improve your knowledge and abilities
• Self-directed with a strong work ethic and ability to work with senior teams
• Passionate about hospitality and creating amazing, safe and lasting experiences
• Honest with strong moral principles
• Have the initiative to problem-solve and propose creative and better ideas to be more efficient as we grow as a team and company
• Possess a positive, motivated and trustworthy outlook whilst at work
• Be polite and helpful to guests and colleagues and receptive to feedback
• Punctual and reliable with a flexible approach to working hours
• Adept in Sevenrooms, Salesforce & Tevalis. Me&U desired but not required
• Excellent verbal and written English and proficiency in other languages desired but not required

WHAT YOU’LL GET IN RETURN

We value our colleagues greatly and want everyone to feel rewarded.

Our great benefits include:

• Competitive Salary: A base salary of £30,000 with on target earnings of up to £40,000 made up of a performance-related bonus andweekly service charge paid as Tronc
• Holiday: 32 working days’ holiday pro rata each year, including bank holidays, with an increasing allocation up to a maximum of 36 days with length of service
• Colleague Discounts: Enjoy a generous 50% discount during off-peak periods and 25% during peak periods for you, your friends, and family
• Paid Breaks: We value your time and ensure you’re compensated for your breaks
• Health Care Cash Plan: Up to £995 for reclaimable appointments & treatments, and access to a Virtual GP
• Career Growth: Advance your career with Clayers Academy, our online learning platform, and seize opportunities for growth within our expanding business. Plus, earn globally recognised qualifications funded by Clays
• Celebration Day: An additional paid day off each year to celebrate something meaningful to you
• Parental Leave: Market-leading policies with 13 weeks at 100% pay for maternity, adoption, paternity, and partner leave after 12 months of service
• Employee Assistance: Access a 24/7 support service and up to 8 counselling sessions through our Employee Assistance Programme
• Volunteer Day: A paid day off annually to give back to your local community
• Birthday Gift: Choose a special gift to celebrate your birthday
• Pension Scheme: Join our non-contributory pension scheme with a minimum 3% contribution from us and 5% from you
• Recognition and Incentives: Enjoy team recognition and rewards through our Shooting Stars programme
• Hospitality Discounts: Access exclusive discounts via Hospitality Rewards
• Meals Provided: Free meals for colleagues working operational shifts