Head Host

Eastlands Venue Services Limited; Manchester; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 52,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Private Medical Insurance

Group Life Assurance

Birthday Day Off

Complimentary Meals on Shift

Employee Assistance Programme

Company Pension Scheme

Generous Holiday Allowance

Career Development Opportunities

Job summary

Eastlands Venue Services Ltd in Manchester is seeking a Head Host to lead the guest arrival and hosting experience across our premium restaurant environments, shaping the first and last impression of our brand.

This role combines elevated hospitality with high-volume, VIP matchday operations. You will lead the host team, coordinate with Restaurant Managers, Reservations and Front of House to deliver refined dining and exceptional guest experiences.

Qualifications

• Experience in a senior host or maître d’ role within premium hospitality.
• Familiar with reservations platforms (OpenTable, SevenRooms).
• Strong understanding of front-of-house operations and guest journey management.
• Proven ability to lead and develop teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead hosting across restaurant venues with a warm, polished welcome.
• Own and manage SevenRooms for reservations, pacing, waitlists, cancellations, and guest communications.
• Lead matchday and event operations, ensuring seamless guest experience at scale.
• Collaborate with Restaurant Managers, Events, Bars, Marketing and Guest Experience teams.
• Recruit, onboard, train and develop the host team.

Skills

Senior host leadership

Reservations platforms

Front-of-house operations

Interpersonal skills

Team leadership

Calm under pressure

Tools

OpenTable

SevenRooms

Job description

Description

Department: Hospitality

Location: Medlock Square

Medlock Square marks a bold new chapter in the evolution of the Etihad Campus - a vibrant, year-round destination for culture, leisure and entertainment, set alongside two global icons: the Etihad Stadium, home of Manchester City Football Club, and the landmark Co-op Live arena.

Named after the River Medlock that runs beneath the site, the development celebrates Manchester’s industrial heritage while shaping its next era of city-defining experiences. Manchester is known worldwide for its sport, music and entertainment - and Medlock Square will build on that legacy, creating a landmark home for exceptional shared moments and elevating the city’s position as one of Europe’s most dynamic, fast-growing destinations.

At the heart of this new district will be an extraordinary food and beverage offer: from relaxed coffee houses and all-day dining to flagship restaurants and premium culinary experiences.

Designed to serve both everyday visitors and major event audiences, Medlock Square will deliver high-quality hospitality all week long and across the events calendar.

About The Role

As Head Host, you will lead the guest arrival and hosting experience across our premium restaurant environments, shaping the first and last impression of our brand.

This is a role rooted in elevated, lifestyle-led hospitality - creating a sense of welcome that feels personal, intuitive and effortless. You will set the tone from the moment a guest arrives, curating a seamless journey that reflects the quality and ambition of our venues.

However, this role also requires agility. On event and matchdays, the environment transforms - shifting into a dynamic, high-volume VIP hospitality operation. You will lead this transition, ensuring that even at scale, the experience remains polished, controlled and guest-focused.

Working closely with Restaurant Managers, Reservations, and Front of House teams, you will balance precision and personality - delivering both refined dining experiences and exceptional large-scale service.

You Will Be Responsible For

Guest Experience & Hosting Leadership

Lead the hosting function across restaurant venues, delivering a confident, warm, and highly polished guest welcome. Act as the face of the venue, creating a strong sense of arrival while building meaningful guest relationships and delivering personalised experiences for both returning and VIP guests.

Reservations & Guest Flow Management

Own and lead the SevenRooms platform as a key commercial and operational tool, ensuring effective management of reservations, table configurations, pacing, waitlists, cancellations, and guest communications. Use data and reporting to forecast demand, maximise covers, enhance guest experiences, and support wider business objectives.

Matchday & Event Operations

Lead the transition from premium dining to high-volume VIP hospitality during matchdays and major events, ensuring guest experience remains seamless in fast-paced environments. Maintain strong floor presence while coordinating with operational teams to manage guest flow, service standards, and operational delivery.

Leadership, Training & Culture

Lead, coach, and inspire the host team to deliver consistently high standards while embedding a modern luxury hospitality approach. Support recruitment, onboarding, training, and development, acting as a role model for service excellence, professionalism, and brand representation.

Standards, Presentation & Environment

Maintain exceptional presentation standards across all guest arrival points while creating a welcoming and energetic front-of-house environment. Drive consistency in service style, communication, and overall guest interaction.

Collaboration, Commercial Awareness & Compliance

Work closely with Restaurant Managers, Events, Bars, Marketing, and Guest Experience teams to deliver a joined-up guest journey and support activations, loyalty initiatives, and commercial performance. Ensure all guest data, reservations, and front-of-house operations are managed in line with GDPR, health & safety, and company procedures.

Essential

Skills, Knowledge & Expertise

• Experience in a senior host, maître d’, or guest experience leadership role within premium or lifestyle hospitality environments


• Familiarity with reservations platforms (e.g. OpenTable, SevenRooms or similar)


• Strong understanding of front-of-house operations and guest journey management


• Exceptional interpersonal skills, with a natural presence and ability to engage a diverse guest profile


• Highly organised, with the ability to manage reservations, flow, and pressure in fast-paced environments


• Proven experience leading and developing teams


• Calm, composed, and solutions-focused, particularly in high-pressure service moments

Desirable

• Experience within luxury, lifestyle, or members’ club environments (e.g. Soho House-style service)


• Experience in high-volume, event-led or stadium hospitality environments


• Experience managing VIP guests and premium service environments

Why Join Us?

• Private Medical Insurance (Vitality) - including Virtual GP access and rewards


• Group Life Assurance - 4x salary paid to your nominated beneficiary


• Birthday Day Off - an extra day to celebrate


• Complimentary Meals on Shift - breakfast, lunch, fruit and hot drinks


• Employee Assistance Programme & Wellbeing Platform - including counselling support


• Company Pension Scheme


• Generous Holiday Allowance - plus bank holidays


• Career Development Opportunities - with progression across the campus

Eastlands Venue Services Ltd is committed to protecting your personal data. Information provided will be used for recruitment purposes only and handled in accordance with the UK GDPR and our Candidate Privacy Notice. Candidate data is retained for 18 months unless you request removal sooner. For details, contact [e-mail].