Restaurant Reservations Manager AELTC Wimbledon

Location: All England Lawn Tennis Club, Wimbledon, London (SW19 5AG). Some remote working is available from August to March, with onsite working required from April to July.

Contract: Permanent, with a recurring part-time and full-time working pattern. Start date: As soon as available.

Be part of Wimbledon's Iconic Championships. The Championships, Wimbledon is one of the world's most prestigious sporting events, renowned for its sporting excellence, tradition and exceptional hospitality. In 2027, we'll celebrate an extraordinary milestone: 150 years of The Championships, making this an exciting time to join our team.

We're looking for an organised, proactive and guest-focused Restaurant Reservations Manager to lead our reservations function across Wimbledon Food & Drink's onsite restaurants and dining venues. This is an opportunity to join our team in a permanent role, making a lasting contribution to the success of our hospitality operation.

You'll play an important part in delivering exceptional guest experiences, developing our reservations processes and maximising restaurant bookings and capacity, both during The Championships and throughout the year. Working closely with our Restaurant Lead, you'll take ownership of the reservations operation, combining outstanding customer service with strong organisation, commercial awareness and a focus on continuous improvement.

The role:

• Lead the reservations operation: Oversee the end-to-end reservations process across our restaurants and dining venues, ensuring a seamless, efficient and professional guest experience.
• Manage guest requests and communications: Handle guest enquiries, bookings and amendments promptly and professionally, maintaining consistently high service standards.
• Champion guest satisfaction: Take ownership of guest feedback, ensuring issues are recorded, managed and resolved effectively while maintaining the high standards associated with the Wimbledon brand.
• Develop and maintain procedures: Establish and maintain clear procedures, standards and policies to ensure the reservations function operates efficiently and consistently.
• Oversee payments and client bookings: Ensure payment processes are followed accurately, working with our Finance Business Partner, and coordinate reservations for key client groups in collaboration with relevant stakeholders.
• Own and optimise SevenRooms: Take responsibility for the effective use of our reservations platform, supporting system set-up alongside the technical team and identifying opportunities to maximise its functionality.
• Deliver system training: Train colleagues on the use of SevenRooms, including restaurant management teams and hosts, ensuring consistent and effective use of the platform.
• Drive commercial performance: Identify opportunities to increase booking volumes and maximise restaurant capacity utilisation through a proactive, target-driven approach.
• Produce accurate reports: Compile and maintain accurate reservations and booking reports to support operational planning and performance monitoring.
• Build strong stakeholder relationships: Develop effective working relationships with internal teams, key client groups, AELTC clients, partners and booking agents.
• Support and develop the team: Train, manage and develop a small Reservations team, encouraging high standards, collaboration and continuous improvement.
• Support the delivery of The Championships: Help resolve day-to-day guest queries relating to reservations and provide operational support during peak periods.
• Undertake additional duties: Support the Restaurant Lead and Finance Business Partner with other duties as required.

What we're looking for:

• You'll be an organised, commercially minded and customer-focused professional who thrives in a fast-paced environment and enjoys balancing exceptional guest service with operational efficiency.
• Proven experience managing a reservations function or working with a reservations management platform, with the ability to oversee booking processes and deliver an excellent guest experience.
• Experience managing customer enquiries and service operations, with a strong focus on guest satisfaction.
• Experience using SevenRooms or a comparable reservations management platform is essential.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with excellent written and spoken English.
• Excellent organisational skills and attention to detail, with the ability to manage competing priorities effectively.
• Strong IT skills, including proficiency in Microsoft Office.
• Analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to interpret booking information and identify opportunities to improve performance.
• Commercial awareness and an understanding of how reservations management can support booking volumes and capacity utilisation.
• The ability to build effective relationships with colleagues, clients and external stakeholders.
• A proactive, solutions-focused approach, with the confidence to work independently, take initiative and think strategically.
• The ability to train, support and develop colleagues while maintaining consistently high standards.
• Experience in hospitality, restaurants, events or premium guest experience environments would be beneficial.

Contract and working pattern:

This is a permanent position with a recurring annual working pattern, combining part-time hours from August to March with full-time hours from April to July. This structure supports the ongoing operation of Wimbledon Food & Drink throughout the year, including the preparation for and delivery of The Championships each summer.

August to March: Part-time, approximately two days per week, with a combination of remote and onsite working as required.

April to July: Full-time, averaging 40 hours per week, Monday to Friday, based onsite at the All England Lawn Tennis Club, Wimbledon, London (SW19 5AG). During The Championships: Additional working hours will be required during the peak four-week period spanning the end of June and the first two weeks of July, including weekends, in line with the needs of the business. These additional hours are factored into the pro-rata salary arrangement. This working pattern will repeat annually as part of the permanent role.

What's in it for you?

• The opportunity to contribute to Wimbledon's iconic Championships, including the landmark 150th edition in 2027.
• A permanent opportunity to make a lasting contribution to a prestigious hospitality operation.
• The chance to develop your leadership and operational experience within a premium hospitality environment.
• Career development opportunities and ongoing training.
• Complimentary onsite parking and meals during shifts.
• Medicash: Healthcare benefits, including dental, optical and therapy treatments, covering up to four dependent children.
• Aviva Digicare: A free annual healthcare check.
• Access to the exclusive Benefits & Wellbeing site (Perks at Work).
• Entertainment discounts: Up to 55% off cinema tickets.
• Health and wellbeing discounts: Discounts at Nuffield Health (20%) and PureGym (10%).
• Travel discounts: Discounts with holiday companies such as TUI and Expedia.
• Shopping discounts: Save up to 15% at selected high-street and online stores through Shopping Cards.
• Vodafone discounts.
• Pension scheme and life assurance.
• Employee Assistance Programme.
• Annual leave plus bank holidays, with an additional day off for your birthday (pro rata).
• Two additional days of leave following return from maternity leave during the first year back.
• Competitive and supportive family benefits.
• A day off for your baby's first birthday.
• Holiday purchase scheme.
• Professional subscriptions paid.
• Financial wellbeing programme and preferred rates on salary finance products.

As part of Compass you'll help to feed people, fuel progress and forge connections in around 6,000 venues. Join us to grow your career with the industry leader, and get competitive pay, great perks and unrivalled opportunities for learning and development, at one of the UK's biggest businesses.