Assistant Housekeeping Manager

Lotte Hotels Americas; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

LOTTE New York Palace is seeking an Assistant Housekeeping Manager to support the Housekeeping Manager in directing daily operations for a 191-room hotel in a fast-paced urban setting. You will lead supervisors and hourly staff, ensure cleanliness standards, and coordinate with Front Office and Engineering to maximize guest satisfaction.

Ideal candidates bring 1-2 years of leadership in high-end hotels, strong staffing and coaching skills, and familiarity with Opera Cloud or similar PMS tools.

Qualifications

• 1-2 years progressive housekeeping leadership experience in an upper-upscale hotel preferred.
• Proven success managing 25+ staff and multiple shifts; labor control in a CBA framework.

Responsibilities

• Assist the Housekeeping Manager in planning, directing, and overseeing all housekeeping operations for guest rooms, corridors, public areas, back-of-house areas, and linen operations.
• Supervise daily housekeeping activities and ensure work is completed according to hotel standards and productivity goals.
• Support daily staffing plans, work assignments, and schedules based on occupancy and business demand.
• Conduct daily shift meetings and communicate priorities, guest requests, VIP arrivals, and service expectations.
• Serve as department leader in the absence of the Housekeeping Manager and ensure seamless operation.
• Monitor labor productivity and staffing levels while maintaining service and quality standards.

Skills

Housekeeping leadership

Staff scheduling

Coaching & communication

Union/CBA awareness

Guest service mindset

Education

Hospitality degree or equivalent

Tools

Opera Cloud

HotSOS

PMS

Job description

The Assistant Housekeeping Manager supports the Housekeeping Manager in directing the daily operations of the Housekeeping Department and ensuring the highest standards of cleanliness, presentation, and guest service are maintained throughout the hotel. This role helps oversee daily staffing for approximately 30 team members across a 191-room hotel, supports compliance with the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), partners closely with Front Office and Engineering teams, and drives guest satisfaction, cleanliness scores, and productivity while maintaining a safe, respectful workplace. The Assistant Housekeeping Manager provides leadership to Housekeeping Supervisors and hourly team members, oversees day-to-day departmental activities, and serves as the department leader in the absence of the Housekeeping Manager. Candidates with strong housekeeping operations experience who are ready to take the next step into management are encouraged to apply.

Responsibilities to include some and/or all the following:

Operational Leadership

• Assist the Housekeeping Manager in planning, directing, and overseeing all housekeeping operations for guest rooms, corridors, public areas, back-of-house areas, and linen operations.
• Supervise daily housekeeping activities and ensure assigned work is completed according to hotel standards and productivity goals.
• Support the preparation of daily staffing plans, work assignments, and schedules based on occupancy, arrivals, departures, and business demand.
• Conduct daily shift meetings and communicate operational priorities, guest requests, VIP arrivals, and service expectations.
• Serve as the department leader in the absence of the Housekeeping Manager and ensure seamless operation of the department.
• Monitor labor productivity and staffing levels while maintaining service and quality standards.

Quality & Compliance

• Inspect guest rooms, suites, public areas, corridors, stairwells, and back-of-house areas to ensure compliance with hotel cleanliness and presentation standards.
• Perform inspections of vacant, occupied, checkout, and VIP rooms and document deficiencies requiring correction.
• Ensure guest amenities, supplies, furnishings, and equipment are properly maintained and functioning.
• Follow up on maintenance concerns and coordinate with Engineering to expedite repairs and return rooms to service quickly.
• Monitor departmental quality scores and implement corrective action plans when standards fall below expectations.
• Partner with Front Office to align room status (vacant and clean, out of order, out of service, early arrivals, late checkouts, room moves); resolve discrepancies in Property Management System (PMS) and dispatch systems in real time.
• Respond to guest requests, service recovery, and cleanliness concerns with urgency and empathy; document cases and follow through to resolution.
• Coordinate with Engineering on preventive maintenance and corrective work orders; prioritize rooms to return to inventory quickly.
• Ensure VIP rooms, special requests, and priority arrivals are prepared and inspected before guest arrival.

Safety, Compliance & Asset Protection

• Ensure compliance with hotel policies, safety procedures, and applicable Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requirements.
• Monitor proper handling, storage, and usage of cleaning chemicals and personal protective equipment (PPE).
• Maintain departmental key control, Lost and Found procedures, and asset protection standards.
• Assist with accident investigations, incident reporting, and corrective actions as required.

People Management & Culture

• Lead a safe, respectful, and inclusive workplace, model the hotel’s service culture and values.
• Train, coach, and evaluate supervisors and hourly team members; provide skills training (room cleaning sequence, chemical use, time standards), cross training, and certification.
• Manage attendance, performance expectations, and corrective action consistent with the CBA; support union management relations and participate in grievance meetings when required.
• Recognize achievements and celebrate wins; solicit feedback and continuous improvement ideas from the team.
• Monitor inventory levels of linens, guest supplies, cleaning chemicals, uniforms, and equipment.
• Assist with ordering, receiving, stocking, and inventory control to maintain established par levels.
• Review daily room status reports, inspection results, productivity reports, and other operational documentation.
• Maintain accurate records for inspections, Lost and Found items, safety incidents, and departmental inventories.
• Utilize Property Management System (PMS) and housekeeping software to update room status, track work orders, and maintain operational data.
• Champion sustainability initiatives—waste reduction, responsible chemical usage, water/energy conservation—and support brand/municipal programs.
• Complete other duties and special projects as assigned by the Housekeeping Manager, Assistant General Manager, or General Manager.

Systems & Reporting

• Utilize PMS/Housekeeping systems (e.g., Opera Cloud, HotSOS) for dispatch, room status, inspections, and work orders; ensure data accuracy and timely updates.
• Produce daily reports: room status summary, out-of-order tracking, VIP readiness, staffing roster, inspection results, Lost and Found (L&F) log, injury and incident log, and supply consumption.
• Prepare weekly and monthly performance dashboards: cleanliness scores, guest survey results (Medallia), minutes per room, cost per occupied room (CPOR), inventory variances, and quality assurance (QA) readiness.
• File all daily reports in the file cabinet.
• Complete any other assigned tasks or projects by the Assistant General Manager.

Requirements

• 1-2 years progressive housekeeping leadership experience in an upper ‑ upscale hotel (Supervisor, Lead or similar role) preferred; union environment experience strongly preferred.
• Proven success managing 25+ staff and multiple shifts; adept at scheduling and labor control in a CBA framework.
• Working knowledge of PMS and housekeeping applications (Opera Cloud, HotSOS) and MS Office.
• Strong coaching, communication, and conflict ‑ resolution skills; able to build trust with union representatives and management alike.
• Ability to read and apply brand standards, safety regulations, and hotel policies, high attention to detail and urgency.
• Flexible schedule, able to work mornings, nights, holidays and weekends when needed.
• Hospitality degree or equivalent experience, preferred
• Bilingual (English/Spanish or other) are helpful but not required.

LOTTE New York Palace is an Equal Opportunity employer.