Operations Manager in Manchester

Manchester Full-Time On-site

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We are looking for an experienced hospitality leader with a genuine passion for luxury service to join us as Operations Manager. This is a senior leadership role for a current Operations Manager, or an established Food & Beverage or Rooms Division Manager ready to step up, who thrives in a busy, fast-paced, hands-on hotel and is committed to driving operational excellence and revenue growth. The role is designed as a stepping stone: our aim is for you to be ready to step into a hotel manager position within two years.

We are a growing brand with seven hotels and our next opening in York in 2028. For candidates who are mobile, that growth means real opportunities to progress faster by moving within the group.

THE ROLE AT A GLANCE

Reporting to: Hotel Manager
Direct reports: Duty Managers, Reception Manager, Head Concierge and Housekeeping Manager
Contract: 45 hours per week, working 5 days on, 2 days off
Shifts: a mix of operational shifts and 12-hour Duty Manager shifts (8am–8pm), including evenings, weekends and bank holidays

PRIMARY ROLE RESPONSIBILITIES

As Operations Manager, you will:

Lead and inspire our team across all departments, acting as the senior operational leader within the hotel, deputising for the Hotel Manager in their absence and supporting the delivery of exceptional guest experiences.
Manage and develop all your direct reports (Duty Managers, Reception Manager, Head Concierge and Housekeeping Manager), providing coaching, guidance, and accountability through regular 1:1s, appraisals and clear objectives to drive performance and team engagement.
Oversee the day-to-day operation of the hotel, ensuring seamless service delivery across Rooms Division and Food & Beverage.
Take ownership of Food & Beverage performance, coaching and developing the Food & Beverage Manager while driving revenue, profitability, service standards, and guest satisfaction across the hotel, with direct accountability for covers, average spend, gross profit and labour cost percentage.
Act as a hands-on, visible, floor-based leader during peak service times and on Duty Manager shifts, personally greeting guests, checking the quality of service and setting the standard for luxury, personalised hospitality at every touchpoint.
Collaborate with the Hotel Manager to deliver commercial objectives, including achievement of budgeted payroll, revenue, and profitability targets, and lead monthly departmental P&L reviews.
Oversee departmental rotas, labour costs, and resource planning against weekly business forecasts to ensure operational efficiency and strong financial performance.
Act as the hotel's on-site Health & Safety contact and driver, maintaining the highest standards of health & safety, food safety, licensing compliance, and operational best practice throughout the hotel, including risk assessments, team safety training, incident reporting and regular audits.
Review guest feedback and online review scores weekly, agree clear action plans with each Head of Department and report progress to the Hotel Manager monthly.
Lead the operations briefings and meetings, coordinating with the kitchen, sales and events teams so that arrivals, VIPs, groups and events are planned and delivered without gaps.
Follow a structured development plan agreed with the Hotel Manager, taking increasing ownership of the full hotel operation in preparation for a Hotel Manager role.

APPLICANT REQUIREMENTS

The successful applicant will have/be:

Currently working as an Operations Manager in a 4* or 5* hotel (preferred), or at least 2 years as a Food & Beverage Manager or Rooms Division Manager in a hotel of similar calibre. [required]
At least 5 years’ experience in luxury 4* and 5* hotels. [required]
Previous experience operating in a number two position (Operations Manager, Deputy General Manager or equivalent) in a similar calibre of hotel, with responsibility for supporting and influencing overall business performance. [highly desirable]
Food & Beverage leadership experience of at least 2 years, with a proven track record of driving guest satisfaction, operational standards, revenue growth and profitability, evidenced by measurable results such as growth in revenue or covers, improved GP% or labour cost %, and higher guest review scores. []
A minimum of 2 years’ senior management experience at Head of Department level or above, including line managing other managers (such as Heads of Department or Duty Managers), with clear examples of how you have coached managers to improve their performance. [required]
A confident decision-maker with experience of acting as senior manager on duty, who can effectively lead the hotel operation in the absence of the Hotel Manager. []
Strong commercial acumen, including hands-on experience in monthly P&L reviews, departmental budgets, rota and labour cost management, and KPI setting, with examples of improving a department’s revenue or margin. [required]
Demonstrable experience managing both Rooms Division and Food & Beverage operations, with the ability to oversee all aspects of the guest journey. If your background is mainly Food & Beverage, you will need a sound working knowledge of Front Office and Housekeeping operations.
A sincere love for luxury hospitality with a guest-focused, hands-on, floor-based leadership style, and a working knowledge of recognised luxury service standards (such as Forbes Travel Guide, LQA or AA). [required]
A Personal Licence, Level 3 Food Safety, Level 3 Health and Safety (or IOSH Managing Safely) and an SIA licence are highly desirable.
A full UK driving licence, to support valet parking and airport transfers. [highly desirable]
An enthusiastic individual who will promote our culture of positivity.
Be task oriented with a great pride for the work they do and attention to detail.
Fully flexible to work a 45-hour week on a 5 days on, 2 days off pattern, including 12-hour Duty Manager shifts (8am–8pm), evenings, weekends and bank holidays. [required]
Successful candidates must demonstrate having researched our brand and a genuine desire to be part of our team.
The ambition to become a Hotel Manager within two years.

WHAT WE OFFER

In addition to being part of a culture infused with positivity and opportunity for ongoing development, tangible benefits you could enjoy when you join our team include:

FINANCIAL

Special discounts on stays and dining at any Dakota
Bonuses to recommend a friend to join our team and every time you are mentioned on Trip Advisor
Additional holiday day on the first anniversary of your employment
Meals on duty and uniforming

WELLBEING

Access to our Employee Assistance Program which includes free private mental health support and counselling sessions, video GP consultations and private prescription services, as well as access to daily rewards to be cashed out for shopping vouchers
Support from our inhouse Mental Health Champions
Family-friendly flexible working options
Participation in meaningful initiatives such as Macmillan Cancer Support Coffee Morning and the Walk for Wellbeing, Supporting causes that matter while connecting with colleagues

CAREER DEVELOPMENT

Accredited, certified compliance training given on employment
Access to a suite of external, certified resources via our Learning Management System
Supportive continuous professional development culture with an annual appraisal and objectives, or a Personal Development Plan
Opportunities to undertake both internal and external training courses, including potential for in-house Apprenticeships

Full terms on our benefits can be found in our Handbook.

HOW TO GET HERE

Dakota Manchester Airport is at 7 Enterprise Way, Manchester, M90 4AD

Train: About a 10 minute walk from Manchester Airport station, with frequent direct services from Manchester Piccadilly and across the North West.
Tram: Metrolink Blue Line runs from Victoria via Central Manchester to the airport main station (approximately 10 minute walk away)
Bus: Bee Network routes (43, 103, 130, 199, 248, 288, 313, 368) serve the airport; some stop a few minutes from the hotel, others at the main station (approximately 10 minutes walk away)
Car: For those whose journeys cannot reasonably be completed using public transport, a pre-registered team parking scheme is available at £5 per day, billed monthly by our Finance Team. The car park is located a short 5-10 minute walk from the hotel. Spaces are allocated on a first come, first served basis upon each entry, and parking is not guaranteed. The same parking process and payment arrangement applies to all team members, regardless of role.
Cycling: Good local routes; secure bike storage available at the team entrance.

ABOUT DAKOTA HOTELS

Dakota is a growing UK-based lifestyle brand, known for our stylish hotels, bustling brasserie Grills and upscale cocktail Bars. Dakota’s story started with two boutique hotels on the outskirts of Edinburgh, in South Queensferry, and Glasgow, in Eurocentral. We have now expanded into prime city centre locations in Glasgow, Leeds, Manchester, and Newcastle with more in our pipeline.

Dakota is synonymous for delivering attentive and genuine guest service. We attract hard-working individuals who are passionate about working to the highest standards and have been voted within The Caterer’s Top 15 Best Employers in Hospitality for the last five years in a row. We were also featured within the Top 10 employers in the 2024 Sunday Times Best Places to Work in the UK, as well as being awarded the Spotlight Award for Best Places to Work for LGBTQIA+ employees.

As recent winners of The Cateys ‘People Team of the Year’, we have award-winning internal training programmes within Dakota Academy fostering continuous development and ongoing training. As a result, over 75% of our leaders have been promoted internally and, for four consecutive years, a member of our team has won a prestigious Acorn Award awarded by The Caterer to the ‘Top 30 under 30’ in the industry, demonstrating our success in developing talent.

Please send us your up to date CV.