Hostel Manager

Youth Hostels Association (England & Wales); York and North Yorkshire; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 54,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

10 nights free hostel stays per year

Staff discount & cashback portal

Free YHA Membership each year

Employee Assistance Program

Job summary

Youth Hostels Association (England & Wales) York is seeking a Hostel Manager to lead one of the largest hostels in the network. The role combines hands-on leadership with people development, ensuring guests receive warm welcomes, value and memorable experiences.

The post involves managing a team, safeguarding guests, and steering operational budgets while maintaining YHA's standards and charitable mission. It is a permanent, full-time role at 42.5 hours per week in York.

Qualifications

• Proven hospitality industry experience including hotels, cafés, hostels.
• Experience in people management—recruitment, induction, development, reviews.
• Excellent customer service skills and ability to handle difficult situations.
• Ability to prioritise and manage varying pressures and workload peaks.
• Food safety level 2 and APLH level 2 qualifications are desirable.
• Basic IT skills with Microsoft Office suite (Word, Outlook, Excel).
• Experience of managing P&Ls and budgets, including cash handling.
• Understanding of YHA core purpose and HEART values.

Responsibilities

• Lead a talented team and oversee a fast-paced operation.
• Balance day-to-day hostel management with people development and performance.
• Ensure high standards across the hostel and deliver great guest experiences.
• Manage budget, expenditure, and revenue across food & beverage and services.

Skills

People management

Customer service

Budgeting / P&L

Food safety level 2

IT skills (MS Office)

Ability to work under pressure

Hospitality industry experience

Education

Food safety level 2 qualification

APLH level 2 qualification

Tools

Microsoft Word

Outlook

Excel

Job description

Hostel Manager

YHA York, 42 Water End, Clifton, York, YO30 6LP

Permanent contract

42.5 hours per week

£41,950 - £53,768 per annum

Romans, Vikings, railway pioneers... York has welcomed them all. Now YHA York is looking for a new Hostel Manager to lead one of the largest and busiest hostels in the YHA network.

With 195 beds, YHA York welcomes families, school groups, walkers, cyclists and international travellers from across the UK and around the world. Set in a city shaped by nearly 2,000 years of history, York blends ancient heritage with a vibrant modern culture. From the iconic York Minster and medieval city walls to its cobbled streets, independent cafés and thriving events scene, it’s a destination that attracts visitors throughout the year.

As Hostel Manager, you’ll lead a talented team and oversee a fast-paced operation, ensuring guests receive the warm welcome, great value and memorable experiences YHA is known for. This is a hands‑on leadership role, balancing day‑to‑day operations with developing people, driving performance and maintaining high standards across the hostel.

More than just managing a busy hostel, you’ll help bring YHA’s charitable purpose to life. Every stay helps support our mission of enabling more people to explore, learn and discover. Whether welcoming a family on holiday, a school group exploring York’s rich history, or an international traveller discovering northern England, you’ll help create experiences and memories that last a lifetime.

If you’re looking for a leadership role with scale, challenge and purpose in one of the UK’s most iconic cities, YHA York could be the perfect next step.

Why work for YHA?

Join our team and enjoy a range of exclusive staff benefits that support your well‑being and career growth:

• 10 nights free hostel stays per year for you and up to 3 friends or family
• Access to YHA’s staff discount and cash back portal
• Free YHA Membership each year
• Access to support via our Employee Assistance Program

There’s lots more benefits to working for YHA so please visit our YHA Jobs website to find out more.

What will you be doing as a Hostel Manager?

We are a friendly team and will provide the training required for you to undertake the role. However, there is plenty for you to get stuck into from day one, including:

• Achievement of targets across all aspects of the hostel operation including food and beverage. You will be accountable for maximising as well as controlling expenditure.
• Managing a team of employees and volunteers.
• Contributing to the team effort in the day‑to‑day operation of the hostel, undertaking any tasks required, e.g. housekeeping, reception, food and beverage duties.

What Skills and Experience do you need to be a Hostel Manager?

Our Hostel Managers are responsible for the line management of the teams within their own hostels, along with the management of occasional volunteers. They are also responsible for managing the operational budget and the safeguarding of all guests.

To provide this service we are looking for candidates who have:

• Proven experience of working within the hospitality industry – hotels, cafés, hostels
• Experience of people management - recruitment, induction, development, conducting reviews and managing performance
• Excellent customer service skills – experience of handling difficult situations
• Ability to manage varying pressures, include peaks in workload demands – can prioritise, able to deal with conflicting duties
• Food safety level 2 and APLH level 2 qualifications (desirable)
• Basic IT skills (ideally Microsoft Office) – able to use Microsoft Word, Outlook, Excel
• Experience of managing P&Ls (profit and loss) and budgets – cash handling, managing a budget
• Knowledge and understanding of the core purpose of YHA – what YHA does and how we do it
• Demonstration of our HEART values – they’re part of everything we do, and we look for people who bring them to life in their everyday work

For more information about the role and the skills and experience required, please refer to the job description.

At YHA, we understand the richness of life experiences, and we place just as much importance on lived experiences as we do on skills and knowledge. We provide a robust induction, ongoing training, and opportunities for personal growth. While certain roles may require specific skills, we welcome applicants from all backgrounds. For more information about how we are creating an inclusive workplace please visit our jobs website.

Who are YHA?

YHA is a social enterprise with a mission to enrich the lives of all, especially young people. YHA does this by providing brilliant hostel stays and experiences that improve physical health, mental wellbeing and life skills.

If you would like to find out more about YHA the charity, the culture, the heritage and so much more please visit our jobs website.

PLEASE NOTE

All relevant checks are in place to ensure safeguarding and legal requirements of safer recruitment are adhered to. We do reserve the right to close this advertisement early if we receive a high volume of suitable applications.

YHA Job Title: Hostel Manager