Group Operations Manager

Headhunters; Gqeberha; On-site; ZAR 1,200,000 - 1,800,000; Full time

Job summary

Headhunters seeks a senior operations leader to oversee hospitality across multiple properties. You will drive daily operations, uphold standards, and partner with GMs to ensure exceptional guest experiences.

The role emphasizes budgeting, forecasting, cost control, and compliance with safety and licensing, while maintaining profitability and service across hotels, lodges, and restaurants.

Qualifications

• At least 5 years of senior operations or general management in hospitality.
• Proven hands-on responsibility across hotels, lodges, resorts, or restaurants.
• A degree or diploma in Hospitality Management or related field preferred; strong experience may be considered.
• Demonstrated budgeting, forecasting, profit-and-loss analysis and cost control.
• Strong knowledge of Property Management Systems and operational reporting; proficient in MS Office.
• Knowledge of local labour legislation, health and safety, food safety and licensing requirements.
• Valid driver’s license and ability to travel between properties; willingness to work outside standard hours.
• Support property teams with escalated guest matters and ensure timely, professional recovery.

Responsibilities

• Maintain a structured programme of regular property visits and be visible in guest areas and with staff.
• Identify operational gaps, agree corrective actions with leadership, assign ownership and deadlines.
• Provide concise visit reports highlighting standards, risks, actions and due dates.
• Set, communicate and maintain consistent service standards across the Group for each property.
• Develop and maintain exceptional food & beverage standards across all outlets; monitor quality and costs.
• Oversee daily operations across properties to improve consistency, efficiency and accountability.
• Support GMs with operating plans, staffing models and cross-property coordination.
• Lead, mentor and evaluate General Managers and senior property leaders.

Skills

Hospitality management experience

Financial management & budgeting

PMS proficiency

MS Office proficiency

Labour legislation & safety knowledge

Driver's licence

Guest issue resolution

Leadership & people management

Education

Bachelor's / Diploma in Hospitality Management

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Requirements:

• At least 5 years’ senior operations or general management experience in hospitality; multi-property or group-level exposure is strongly preferred.
• Proven hands‑on responsibility for hotel, lodge, resort, restaurant or comparable guest‑facing operations.
• A relevant degree or diploma in Hospitality Management, Business Administration or a related field is preferred; strong relevant experience may be considered.
• Demonstrated financial competence, including budgeting, forecasting, profit‑and‑loss analysis and cost control.
• Strong working knowledge of Property Management Systems and operational reporting tools, with proficiency in Microsoft Office.
• Sound knowledge of local labour legislation, occupational health and safety, food safety and hospitality‑related licensing requirements.
• A valid driver’s licence and the ability and willingness to travel frequently between properties and work outside standard office hours when operations require it.
• Support property teams with escalated guest matters and ensure recovery is timely, professional and aligned with company values.

Responsibilities but not limited to:Property Visits and Operational Presence

• Maintain a structured programme of regular property visits, including planned reviews and appropriate unannounced checks.
• Be visible in guest and back‑of‑house areas and engage directly with managers, supervisors and frontline employees.
• Observe live service delivery across relevant operating periods, including breakfasts, restaurant service, check‑ins, functions and peak trading periods where applicable.
• Identify operational gaps, agree practical corrective actions with property leadership, assign ownership and deadlines, and follow through to closure.
• Provide concise visit reports to company leadership, highlighting standards, risks, actions, responsible persons and due dates.

Service Standards and Guest Experience

• Set, communicate and maintain consistent service standards across the Group while respecting the character and needs of each property.
• Assess the full guest journey, including reservations, arrival, public areas, rooms, dining, departure and post‑stay communication.
• Review guest feedback, online reviews, complaints and service‑recovery outcomes; identify recurring issues and ensure root causes are addressed.
• Interact appropriately with guests during site visits to gain direct insight into their experience and expectations.

Food and Beverage Quality and Standards

• Develop and maintain exceptional food and beverage standards across restaurants, bars, lounges, banqueting and room service operations.
• Conduct practical quality checks covering food taste, presentation, temperature, freshness, portion consistency, menu execution and speed of service.
• Monitor beverage standards, bar controls, stock handling, waste, gross profit and responsible liquor service.
• Work with chefs and food and beverage leaders to improve menu performance, kitchen discipline, service flow, hygiene and profitability.
• Ensure food safety systems, cleaning practices, storage, traceability and allergen controls are consistently applied.

Property Condition, Cleanliness and Upkeep

• Inspect guest rooms, public spaces, grounds, kitchens, stores, staff areas and back‑of‑house facilities for cleanliness, presentation, safety and general upkeep.
• Ensure preventative maintenance plans, defect logs and capital priorities are current and actively managed.
• Follow up on repairs and recurring defects, balancing guest impact, operational risk, cost and asset preservation.
• Maintain consistent presentation standards for signage, lighting, furniture, equipment, landscaping and staff facilities.

Operational Oversight

• Oversee daily operations across all properties and departments to improve consistency, efficiency and accountability.
• Support General Managers with operating plans, staffing models, standard operating procedures and cross‑property coordination.
• Review operating data and property reports, identify exceptions and intervene early where performance or standards are slipping.
• Lead implementation of operational best practices and ensure improvements are embedded, not treated as once‑off initiatives.

Financial Performance

• Develop and manage operating budgets and forecasts in collaboration with Property and Company leadership.
• Review property profit‑and‑loss performance, revenue, payroll, cost of sales, utilities, procurement, stock, waste and other controllable expenses.
• Drive commercially sound actions that improve profitability without compromising safety, quality or the guest experience.
• Strengthen operational controls, purchasing discipline, stock management and accountability for variances.

People Leadership and Employee Engagement

• Lead, mentor and evaluate General Managers and Senior Property Leaders; provide clear expectations, feedback and support.
• Build constructive relationships with employees at all levels and create safe opportunities for them to raise concerns and improvement ideas.
• Assess staffing, capability, conduct, morale, training and succession needs during property visits.
• Promote a culture of hospitality, ownership, respect, discipline and continuous improvement.
• Support fair and consistent performance management in line with company policy and labour legislation.

Compliance, Risk and Governance

• Ensure compliance with food safety, occupational health and safety, labour, liquor licensing and all other applicable business and operating requirements.
• Confirm that required licenses, inspections, registers, training records and supporting documentation remain valid and audit‑ready.
• Monitor incident reporting, emergency readiness, security, cash handling and other operational risks; elevate material issues promptly.
• Coordinate corrective action arising from internal reviews, external inspections or regulatory findings.

Strategy and Business Improvement

• Collaborate with Company Leadership to translate business objectives into practical property‑level plans.
• Contribute operational insight to refurbishments, new concepts, openings, acquisitions and growth initiatives where required.
• Identify opportunities for revenue growth, better resource use, shared services, procurement benefits and improved systems.
• Lead selected Group‑wide projects and report clearly on progress, benefits, risks and required decisions.

Please note: If you do not receive a response within 2 weeks of submitting your application, please consider your application unsuccessful.