Head of Operations

Houst; London; Hybrid; GBP 80,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Houst is seeking a Head of Operations to join its Senior Leadership Team in London. In this pivotal role, you will define and implement operational strategies to enhance guest and host experiences across global markets. The ideal candidate will have a proven track record in leadership, analytical skills for data-driven decision-making, and operational excellence in high-growth environments.

Benefits

25 days holiday

Hybrid working (3 days in office, 2 days WFH)

Extra day off for your birthday

Employee discounts at restaurants, shops, gyms

Pawternity leave

Pension scheme for permanent employees

MacBook for business use

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in operations, preferably in high-growth environments.
• Proven leadership track record with globally distributed teams.
• Strong analytical ability, including familiarity with KPIs and data analytics.

Responsibilities

• Define and lead operations strategy across multiple functions.
• Create scalable and data-driven processes to enhance operational efficiency.
• Manage and inspire a global team to meet ambitious benchmarks.

Skills

Leadership

Data Analysis

Operational Excellence

Customer Empathy

Financial Acumen

Job description

As Head of Operations, you will be a key member of our Senior Leadership Team. You will own the strategy and execution across all operational functions, drive performance through data and systems, and lead a global team to deliver an exceptional guest and host experience across thousands of properties in multiple countries. This is a high-impact role for someone who thrives in ambiguity, builds for scale, and has a bias for action.

What you will do:

• Set Strategy & Drive Execution:
  Define and lead Houst’s global operations strategy across Guest Experience, Property Maintenance, Supply Chain, and Channel Management. Build the infrastructure needed to support 10x growth in both mature and emerging markets.
• Deliver Operational Excellence:
  Create scalable, data-driven processes that increase efficiency, reduce cost-to-serve, and elevate customer satisfaction. Build and implement global Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) that ensure consistency, speed, and quality.
• Build & Lead a High-Performing Team:
  Directly manage 3 senior functional leads and oversee a global team of 70+ across multiple time zones. Inspire, coach, and develop leaders capable of scaling Houst’s operational footprint and meeting ambitious KPIs.
• Champion the Customer:
  Partner with Guest Experience and Product teams to increase NPS and review scores across markets. Translate customer feedback into actionable improvements across the service lifecycle.
• Own Marketplace Performance:
  Optimize listings across Airbnb, Booking.com, and other platforms to maximize occupancy, pricing, and revenue. Lead the team responsible for real-time availability, dynamic pricing, and performance monitoring.
• Drive Cost Efficiency & Financial Discipline:
  Manage multi-currency budgets and operational P&Ls. Continuously improve unit economics by refining supplier contracts, enhancing service quality, and reducing inefficiencies.
• Collaborate Cross-Functionally:
  Work hand-in-hand with Commercial, Growth, Product, Finance, and People teams to shape Houst’s broader business strategy. Ensure ops strategy is tightly aligned with company OKRs.

• 10+ years of experience in operations, preferably in high-growth, tech-enabled environments (e.g. marketplaces, hospitality, logistics, or property tech).
• Proven leadership track record, including building and scaling high-performing, globally distributed teams.
• Obsessed with performance, you love using KPIs, dashboards, and metrics to measure success and continuously improve.
• Advanced analytical ability, you can make sense of large data sets, build models in Excel/Sheets, and ideally know your way around SQL.
• Operational success, you’ve built SOPs, optimised workflows, and implemented systems that stand the test of scale.
• Deep customer empathy, you understand what makes a great customer experience and how to operationalise it.
• Commercial & financial acumen, strong grasp of cost control, margin optimisation, and supply-side economics.
• Global mindset, experience operating across markets, with an appreciation for cultural nuances and local ops.

• 25 days holiday
• Hybrid working (3 days in our London office, 2 days WFH)
• An extra day off for your birthday - because who wants to work on their birthday?
• Employee discounts – at heaps of restaurants, shops, gym memberships, cinema tickets and more
• Pawternity - We encourage proud parents of new pets to work from home to help their new member settle in
• Pension - We provide a pension scheme for all permanent employees
• MacBook - for business use