Hospitality Training & Guest Experience Manager

Sodexo Live!; Ascot; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 52,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading hospitality company is looking for a Service Excellence Manager to enhance guest experiences at Ascot Racecourse. In this pivotal role, you will drive the service culture across Food & Beverage operations, lead innovative service training, and influence service standards to create exceptional guest interactions. The ideal candidate will possess strong leadership skills, a passion for hospitality, and the ability to analyze feedback for continuous improvement. This is a unique opportunity to make a significant impact in a prestigious setting.

Benefits

Free parking

Free Raceday tickets

Access to annual Hospitality box

Unlimited access to wellbeing support

Employee Assistance Programme

Access to health and wellbeing app

Sodexo Discounts Scheme

Financial benefits via Salary Finance

Retirement Plan membership

Death-in-Service benefit

Opportunities for career growth

Cycle to Work Scheme

Volunteering Opportunities

Flexible work environment

Competitive compensation

Full training and protective uniform

Qualifications

• Proven experience in hospitality operations or guest experience.
• Proven ability to design engaging training content.
• Strong leadership skills with experience managing teams.
• Creative and observant regarding service quality.
• Comfortable analyzing guest feedback and operational data.
• Proactive problem-solver visible on the floor.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
• Willingness to work evenings and weekends around events.
• Commitment to outstanding customer service.

Responsibilities

• Champion a culture of excellence in service.
• Build online and in-person training programs.
• Coach and mentor operations teams during events.
• Assess service standards and guest journeys continuously.
• Capture and analyze guest feedback to improve service.
• Develop SOPs to boost service quality.
• Report on metrics and align with business goals.

Skills

Hospitality operations experience

Training content design

Strong leadership skills

Guest-centric mindset

Data analysis

Problem-solving

Excellent communication skills

Flexibility

Customer service passion

Job description

Job Description

• Job Title : Service Excellence Manager
• Location : Ascot Racecourse, High Street, Ascot, SL5 7JX
• Salary : Circa £45,000 plus 10% bonus
• Work Pattern : 40 Hours / working 5 out of 7days
• Free parking, Free Raceday tickets and access to an annual Hospitality box

About Ascot Racecourse

Ascot Racecourse is more than a venue; it’s a destination for extraordinary experiences. Each year, over half a million guests join us to celebrate moments of passion, elegance and tradition, brought to life by a team who care deeply about every detail.

With a heritage spanning more than 300 years, Ascot remains one of the world’s most prestigious racecourses, yet our story continues to evolve. Guided by creativity, innovation and an unwavering commitment to excellence, we are building a global lifestyle brand, rooted in world-class horseracing.

Our Conference and Events business reflects that same spirit. From high-profile conferences and large exhibitions to intimate dinners and luxury hospitality experiences, we deliver bespoke occasions that embody quality, sophistication and style.

Excellence is at the heart of everything we do. Those who join us share our ambition to create moments that inspire, connect and live long in the memory.

Job Introduction

We’re seeking a Service Excellence Manager who will elevate our guest experience from exceptional to unforgettable. In this pivotal role, you’ll shape the service culture across all Food & Beverage operations from Royal Ascot to private Events and Conferences, ensuring our teams deliver excellence with every interaction.

This is your opportunity to make a lasting impact at a globally recognised venue, leading the design and delivery of innovative service training, developing our people and championing best-in‑class hospitality. You’ll have the creative autonomy to reimagine how service looks and feels at Ascot, with the full backing of our senior leadership team.

In return, you’ll gain the opportunity to influence service standards at a venue that sets the benchmark for premium Event Hospitality, access to Sodexo Live!’s global expertise and the pride of shaping guest experiences that define a legacy.

Job Responsibilities

• Champion a culture of excellence, set and regularly review standards, so every interaction is positive and consistent.
• Build engaging online and in‑person training programmes, create training plans and steer clear development pathways for casual workers.
• Work closely with the Operations teams to coach, motivate and mentor teams, embedding best practice during live events.
• Continuously assess service standards, cleanliness, compliance and overall guest journey, driving corrective actions.
• Capture and analyse feedback from all channels related to guest feedback, respond to issues, and improve mechanisms to gather consistent insights.
• Develop and refine SOPs and best practices, to boost service quality and efficiency, leveraging modern training techniques and technology, where appropriate.
• Report on metrics, trends and initiatives; partner with HR, Operations, Marketing, Culinary and Finance to align with business goals.

What You Will Bring

• Experience : Proven experience in hospitality operations, guest experience, service training, or hospitality management, ideally within large venues, hotels, or event catering environments.
• Training Excellence : Proven ability to design engaging training content (online and in‑person), deliver impactful sessions, and embed behavioural change across diverse teams.
• Leadership & Influence : Strong leadership skills with experience coaching, managing, and motivating teams; confident influencing at all levels and challenging constructively when needed.
• Guest‑Centric Mindset : Creative, observant, and in tune with what great service looks and feels like—able to turn insights into practical improvements.
• Data‑Driven Improvement : Comfortable analysing guest feedback and operational data to spot trends and implement effective solutions.
• Hands‑On & Proactive : A problem‑solver with a can‑do attitude who’s happy to be visible on the floor and lead from the front, across multiple accounts.
• Communication : Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, capable of building rapport with guests and colleagues alike.
• Flexibility : Willingness to work some evenings and weekends around major events.
• Passion for Hospitality : A genuine commitment to outstanding customer service and continuous improvement.

What we offer

• Unlimited access to an online platform offering mental health and wellbeing support.
• Employee Assistance Programme to help with everyday issues or larger problems where you may need additional support, including legal and financial advice, support with work related issues or personal issues such as bereavement.
• Access to a free health and wellbeing app that provides rewards for maintaining a healthy lifestyle and includes access to a 24hr virtual GP and various other services.
• The Sodexo Discounts Scheme, offering great deals 24 / 7 (also open to friends and family) and / or the prepayment cashback card.
• Money Insights and financial benefits via the Salary Finance Platform.
• Save for your future by becoming a member of the Sodexo Retirement Plan
• A Death-in-Service benefit for colleagues who pass away whilst employed by Sodexo
• Opportunities to enable colleagues to grow and succeed throughout their career at Sodexo, including a variety of learning and development tools.
• Cycle to Work Scheme to help colleagues to do their bit for the environment whilst keeping fit.
• Volunteering Opportunities to enable all colleagues to help support worthwhile causes in our communities.
• Flexible and dynamic work environment
• Competitive compensation
• Full training and full protective uniform supplied.

Ready to be part of something greater? Apply today! Career progression for the caring profession.

Sodexo reserves the right to close this advertisement early if we are in receipt of a high volume of applications.

About Sodexo Live!

At Sodexo Live!, our purpose is to create a better every day for everyone to build a better life for all. As the global leader in services that improve the Quality of Life, we operate in 55 countries, serving over 100 million consumers each day through our unique combination of On‑Site Food and FM Services, Benefits & Rewards Services and Personal & Home Services.

We are committed to being an inclusive employer. We are a forces friendly employer. We welcome and encourage applications from people with a diverse variety of experiences, backgrounds, and identities. We encourage our employees to get involved with our Employee Networks such as Pride, Sodexo Parents & Carers, Sodexo Disability, Ability network, So Together, Generations and Origins.

We’re a Disability Confident Leader employer. We’re committed to changing attitudes towards disability, and making sure disabled people have the chance to fulfil their aspirations.

Click here to read more about what we do to promote an inclusive culture.