Director of Operations in London

Job Title: Head of Operations

Reporting to: Managing Director

Professional Reporting Line to: Director of Operations

Direct Reports: Head Chef, Housekeeping, Hospitality Supervisor, Lifestyle Partner and Maintenance Technician

Role Purpose

The Head of Operations is a senior leadership role responsible for the operational delivery, standards and performance of all non-clinical functions across the residence.

The role brings together the disciplines of a five-star hotel with the operational responsibilities and standards required within Loveday.

The Head of Operations will ensure that every aspect of the member experience - from the presentation of the residence and quality of dining to housekeeping, lifestyle, maintenance and hospitality - is delivered consistently, efficiently and to an exceptional world-class standard.

The Head of Operations will provide visible leadership to the Heads of Department and create a culture in which exceptional hospitality, attention to detail, commercial awareness and operational discipline are embedded throughout the residence.

This role will also work in partnership with subject experts being the Executive Chef and Director of Property.

The Head of Operations will have overall responsibility for the performance and day-to-day leadership of the non-clinical operation, ensuring departments work collectively rather than as individual functions.

This role will oversee the complete member and family experience outside of direct clinical care, including arrival and welcome, concierge and reception, dining, housekeeping, lifestyle and events, maintenance, environmental standards and the overall presentation and atmosphere of the residence.

The role will ensure that operational standards reflect those expected within the finest hotels and private members' clubs, while recognising the additional regulatory, safeguarding, health and safety and operational responsibilities of a care home environment.

Clinical and care functions remain under the leadership and accountability of the relevant clinical leadership structure.

Key Responsibilities

Operational Leadership

Provide leadership, direction and accountability to all non-clinical Heads of Department.

Establish clear operating standards, departmental objectives, KPIs and accountability across each function.

Lead daily operational meetings and ensure effective communication and coordination between departments.

Maintain a highly visible presence throughout the residence, regularly inspecting member areas, back-of-house operations and service delivery.

Identify operational issues quickly and ensure appropriate corrective action is taken.

Ensure departmental rotas, resources and working practices are aligned to occupancy, member requirements and business needs.

Create a culture of ownership in which Heads of Department are accountable for the performance, presentation and financial management of their areas.

Ensure complaints are managed within the complaints policy framework and work to resolve to reduce/remove negative brand impact

Ensure a 5* rating on Doctify and a minimum of 9.5 on Carehome.co.uk

Five-Star Member Experience

Take ownership of the non-clinical member journey and ensure an exceptional, highly personalised experience is delivered consistently.

Ensure service standards reflect luxury hospitality and are aligned with our brand positioning and reputation for the best in class

Develop a culture in which colleagues anticipate members' preferences and requirements rather than simply responding to requests.

Ensure individual member preferences are understood, recorded and communicated effectively between departments.

Oversee VIP arrangements, family visits, events, celebrations and other significant member experiences.

Work closely with clinical colleagues to ensure hospitality and operational services complement each member's individual care requirements.

Hospitality & Front of House

Oversee reception, concierge and hospitality services, ensuring an exceptional welcome for members, families, professionals and guests.

Ensure front-of-house colleagues demonstrate outstanding presentation, communication, discretion and service.

Establish and maintain service standards for guest management, telephone handling, member requests, dining reservations, transport and concierge arrangements.

Dining Experience and Beverage Experience

Provide operational oversight of the kitchen and food and beverage functions.

Work with the Executive Chef and Head Chef to ensure outstanding food quality, presentation, choice and service.

Ensure the dining experience reflects luxury hospitality standards across our restaurant, private dining, room service and events.

Monitor member feedback, menu quality, dining participation and service standards.

Ensure food costs, purchasing, waste and labour are effectively controlled within budget and without compromising quality.

Ensure all food safety, allergen, hygiene and regulatory requirements are consistently maintained.

Housekeeping & Laundry

Ensure suites, communal spaces and back-of-house areas are maintained to exceptional standards of cleanliness and presentation.

Implement robust room inspection and quality assurance processes.

Ensure housekeeping standards are appropriate to a luxury residential environment, with meticulous attention to detail.

Ensure departmental productivity and staffing levels are appropriately managed against occupancy and budget

Lifestyle & Programming

Oversee the development and delivery of an exceptional lifestyle and engagement programme.

Ensure activities are personalised, meaningful and appropriate to members' interests, abilities and aspirations.

Move beyond a traditional care-home activities model towards a programme comparable with a luxury private members' club, incorporating culture, wellbeing, dining, entertainment, education and social experiences.

Work with the sales team to further engage the prospective member pipeline creating a calendar of meaningful activities to advance towards a decision.

Develop external partnerships and experiences that enrich the member proposition.

Develop a volunteer programme to achieve greater community connections

Maintenance, Facilities and Environment

Oversee maintenance and facilities management to ensure the residence is safe, compliant and maintained to an exceptional standard.

Ensure planned preventative maintenance programmes are robust and completed within required timescales.

Maintain oversight of statutory testing, servicing, contractor management and maintenance records.

Ensure defects affecting member experience are identified and resolved quickly.

Work closely with relevant colleagues on fire safety, emergency preparedness, business continuity, health and safety and environmental compliance.

People and Leadership

Ensure Loveday ethos and values are always demonstrated by the Head of Operations and wider team

Lead, coach and develop Heads of Department, setting clear expectations for leadership and performance.

Ensure departments recruit and retain colleagues who demonstrate both technical competence and a genuine luxury service mindset.

Develop succession plans and identify future departmental leaders.

Support Heads of Department with performance management, absence, conduct and capability issues in conjunction with HR.

Champion colleague engagement and create a culture of professionalism, collaboration and pride.

Ensure departmental training is completed and that colleagues remain competent in both their functional responsibilities and wider care-environment requirements.

Quality, Compliance & Risk

Ensure all non-clinical functions operate in accordance with organisational policies, regulatory requirements and relevant legislation.

Work collaboratively with key stakeholders and the clinical team to support CQC compliance and organizational standards

Maintain clear operational audit programmes covering areas including food safety, housekeeping, maintenance, health and safety, fire safety and environmental standards.

Support investigations, complaints and incidents where operational or hospitality functions are involved.

Recognise that while the role is non-clinical, every operational function contributes to members' safety, wellbeing, dignity and quality of life.

Commercial & Financial Performance

Take responsibility for departmental payroll, expenditure and controllable operating costs across the functions reporting to this role

Ensure staffing structures and rotas reflect occupancy and operational requirements.

Monitor agency and overtime usage and challenge unnecessary expenditure.

Manage departmental purchasing, stock control and supplier performance.

Identify opportunities to improve productivity and efficiency while protecting member experience and quality.

Support revenue-generating opportunities including private dining, events, guest services and other relevant services where appropriate.

Work collaboratively with sales and leadership teams to ensure the residence presents exceptionally for prospective members and families.

The Head of Operations should operate as the custodian of the member experience and operational standards within the residence.
They should be equally comfortable inspecting the presentation of a member suite, reviewing food costs with the Chef, challenging a maintenance programme, reviewing housekeeping productivity, discussing an individual member's lifestyle preferences or welcoming an important family or professional visitor.

This is not a traditional facilities or care-home operations role. It requires an individual who combines the service mentality and attention to detail of five-star hospitality with the discipline, accountability and understanding required to operate within a highly regulated care environment.

Key measures of success

Member and family satisfaction

Reviews on Doctify, Carehome.co.uk and Google My Business

Hospitality and service quality

Environmental and presentation standards

Food and dining satisfaction

Lifestyle engagement and member participation

Housekeeping audit performance

Maintenance and statutory compliance

Health and safety performance

Departmental labour and payroll control

Food, housekeeping and operational cost management

Agency and overtime control

Staff engagement and retention

Completion of operational audits and actions

Complaints and service recovery

Consistency of standards across all operational departments

Experience & Attributes

The successful candidate will ideally have significant senior operational leadership experience within luxury hospitality, five-star hotels, private members' clubs, premium senior living or another high-touch service environment.

They will demonstrate:

Exceptional operational leadership and attention to detail

Experience managing multiple Heads of Department

Strong knowledge of luxury hospitality and service standards

Commercial and financial acumen

Experience managing payroll, budgets and departmental costs

Strong understanding of facilities, maintenance and health and safety

Experience of food and beverage operations

Excellent people leadership and coaching capability

Confidence managing demanding and discerning customers

Strong problem-solving and decision-making skills

The ability to balance exceptional service with operational efficiency

An understanding of regulated environments, ideally including health or social care

High personal standards, discretion and professionalism

A visible, hands-on and highly accountable leadership style

Above all, the Head of Operations will understand that luxury is created through consistency, personalisation and attention to detail - and will ensure that every non-clinical aspect of the residence is to world class standard