Operations Manager

Recruitment Robin Ltd; Hempstalls; On-site; GBP 54,000 - 66,000; Full time

Job summary

Recruitment Robin Ltd. is seeking an experienced Operations Manager to own the day-to-day running of a Stoke-on-Trent park, leading front-of-house and back-of-house teams to deliver exceptional guest experiences.

You will oversee safety, service standards and KPI delivery across departments, plan for seasonal peaks, and drive improvements. DBS clearance and right-to-work checks will be required as part of the appointment.

Qualifications

• Experience leading large, multi-functional teams in visitor attractions, leisure, hospitality or retail.
• Proven ability to deliver against KPIs for guest experience and operations.
• Strong understanding of health and safety compliance and best practice.
• Experience with budgets, cost control and commercial reporting.

Responsibilities

• Take full ownership of day-to-day operations with staffing and high standards.
• Lead front-of-house team of ~40 staff across catering and guest services.
• Work with Supervisors to develop team structure, performance and capability.
• Collaborate with Animal Manager to ensure smooth park operations.
• Maintain high standards of guest experience, safety and service delivery.
• Resolve operational issues quickly to minimise disruption.
• Plan for seasonal peaks and events to ensure readiness.
• Monitor KPIs including guest satisfaction, safety, revenue and retention.
• Provide daily and weekly reporting to senior management.
• Drive continuous improvement across park operations.

Skills

Operations management

Team leadership

KPI management

Health & safety

Budget management

Staff development

Event planning

Job description

A growing visitor attraction in the heart of Stoke-on-Trent is looking for an experienced Operations Manager to take full ownership of the day-to-day running of the park and play a key role in shaping how the business develops as it continues to grow.

This is a highly visible, hands-on role where you will manage teams, resolve issues, and maintain high standards across the visitor experience, while overseeing front-of-house operations, leading and developing a large diverse team, collaborating closely with other departments, and driving performance against key KPIs.

As the Operations Manager, your key responsibilities will be:

• Take full ownership of the day-to-day operations, ensuring all areas are fully staffed, open, and operating to a high standard.
• Lead and manage a front-of-house team of approximately 40 staff across catering and guest services.
• Work closely with Operations Supervisors to develop team structure, performance, and capability.
• Collaborate effectively with the Animal Manager and wider teams to ensure smooth park operations across all departments.
• Maintain consistently high standards of guest experience, safety, and service delivery.
• Manage and resolve operational issues quickly and effectively to minimise disruption.
• Plan for seasonal peaks, busy periods, and events to ensure full operational readiness.
• Take ownership of key KPIs including guest satisfaction, complaint resolution, staff retention, health and safety compliance, operational efficiency, and revenue performance.
• Provide clear daily and weekly reporting to senior management, highlighting risks, performance, and improvements.
• Drive continuous improvement across all areas of park operations.

The Operations Manager will have the following skills and attributes:

• Proven experience in an operations management role within a visitor attraction, leisure, hospitality, or retail environment.
• Strong track record of leading large, multi-functional teams through managers or supervisors.
• Demonstrated ability to deliver consistently against KPIs, including guest experience and operational performance.
• Experience managing high-volume trading periods, seasonal demand, and live events.
• Strong understanding of health and safety compliance and best practice.
• Experience with budgets, cost control, and commercial reporting.
• Excellent leadership and people management skills, with the ability to motivate and develop teams.

This is a full-time, permanent position requiring flexibility to work a varied schedule based on the operational needs of the business. Working hours will include weekends, bank holidays, peak trading periods, seasonal events and other times of increased visitor demand.

The role offers competitive pay up to £60,000 depending on experience, along with the opportunity to take real ownership of park operations and progress into a senior leadership position as the business grows.

Appointment will be subject to DBS clearance, right to work checks and satisfactory references.

Recruitment Process

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to interview shortly after the closing date.

If you require any reasonable adjustments at any stage of the recruitment process, please let us know. We are committed to making our recruitment process as accessible as possible and will work with you to make appropriate arrangements.

If you have not heard from us within 5 days of the closing date, please assume that your application has not been successful on this occasion.

Data Privacy

We take the security and privacy of your personal information seriously. Information about how we collect, use and protect your personal data during the recruitment process can be found in our Applicant Privacy Notice, available here: https://recruitmentrobin.com/gdpr-policy/

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

Recruitment Robin is an equal opportunities employer. We welcome applications from suitably qualified candidates regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation.

Appointments are made on merit following a fair and objective recruitment process.