Housekeeping Manager

YHA (England and Wales); Ambleside; On-site; GBP 17,000 - 21,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Staff accommodation

Discounted hostel stays

YHA Membership

Employee Assistance Program

Job summary

YHA Hawkshead, part of the Youth Hostels Association (England & Wales), is seeking a Housekeeping Manager for a seasonal January to November 2027 role. The position supports the Hostel Manager in daily operations and guest service across a Grade II listed building set in Beatrix Potter country.

The role requires leadership of housekeeping teams, budget monitoring, and hands-on cleaning across all areas, with staff accommodation available at a weekly rate.

Qualifications

• Experience in hospitality and delivering quality service.
• Experience of leading a team.
• NVQ Level 3 within Customer Services, Hospitality, Tourism (desirable).
• Ability to manage varying pressures and priorities.
• Basic IT skills with Microsoft Office.

Responsibilities

• Leading the housekeeping team to deliver excellent cleanliness to YHA standards.
• Monitor and control expenditure within housekeeping.
• Clean in all areas of the hostel including bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchens and public areas.
• Manage linen stock levels and order cleaning materials from YHA suppliers.
• Manage staff rota to ensure appropriate levels in housekeeping.
• Support with guest-facing duties across the hostel to deliver great guest experiences.
• Deputise for Hostel/Deputy Manager in their absence.

Skills

Hospitality experience

Team management

Microsoft Office

Customer service focus

Budget awareness

Education

NVQ Level 3 in Customer Services/Hospitality/Tourism

Tools

Microsoft Word

Outlook

Excel

Job description

Housekeeping Manager

YHA Hawkshead, Hawkshead, Ambleside, Cumbria, LA22 0QD

Seasonal, flexible contract - January to November 2027

Minimum 25 hours per week

£13.63 per hour

Staff accommodation is available at a rate of £74.62 per week

YHA Hawkshead are looking for a Housekeeping Manager to lead their housekeeping operation! Set in a beautiful Grade II listed building in the heart of Beatrix Potter country, YHA Hawkshead is a family‑friendly destination and an ideal base for affordable breaks, school trips and activity holidays. Popular with walkers and cyclists, the hostel is close to Grizedale Forest, home to some of the country’s best mountain biking trails.

As a Housekeeping Manager you’ll support the Hostel Manager with the day-to-day management of the hostel. You’ll create a great place for our teams to work and ensure our guests have a great experience in our hostels.

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 are many more benefits to working for YHA so please visit our YHA Jobs website for more information.

What will you be doing as a Housekeeping 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:

• Leading the team in providing excellent and consistent levels of cleanliness to agreed YHA standards
• Monitor and control expenditure within the housekeeping function
• Cleaning in all areas of the hostel - bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchens and public areas
• Managing linen stock levels and ordering cleaning materials required using YHA suppliers
• Managing the rota to ensure correct levels of staffing in housekeeping
• Supporting with a wide range of customer facing duties across the hostel, delivering an excellent service to all guests and visitors, giving them a great experience of YHA
• Deputising for the Hostel/Deputy Manager, managing the daily hostel operation in their absence

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

Our Housekeeping 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:

• Experience in hospitality and hospitality best practice, including the management and delivery of a quality service
• Experience of managing a team – experience of leading others, providing guidance to members of your team
• NVQ Level 3 within Customer Services, Hospitality, Tourism (desirable)
• Ability to manage varying pressures, include peaks in workload demands – can prioritise, able to deal with conflicting duties
• Basic IT skills (ideally Microsoft Office) – able to use Microsoft Word, Outlook, Excel
• 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: Housekeeping Manager