Operations Director in Reading

Location: South West - Buckinghamshire & Berkshire

38 Days holiday inclusive of bank holidays. Birthday additional holiday. 24 weeks of enhanced maternity leave. Secondary carer leave. Wedding/commitment day leave. Pension and life insurance. Discounts available via Perk Box, from high street shops to holidays & cinemas. Access to employee assistance programme. Cycle to work scheme.

The future of hospitality will be shaped by leaders who think differently, embrace new ideas and create experiences that deliver both customer loyalty and commercial success. We're looking for an exceptional Operations Director whose career has been built across varied hospitality environments, bringing a wealth of perspectives, insights and experiences that can inspire innovation and unlock new opportunities for growth. Whether your background is in luxury hotels, stadia and arenas, premium restaurant groups, universities, independent hospitality businesses, country house hotels, private members' clubs, visitor attractions or estate management, we want to hear from you.

We're looking for someone who combines outstanding commercial acumen with an entrepreneurial mindset, someone who sees opportunities where others see constraints and who believes great hospitality is a powerful driver of business success. This is far more than an operational role. We're looking for a leader who can inspire teams to think differently, build high-performing cultures and identify new opportunities to drive revenue, profitability and customer engagement. You will have the freedom to challenge convention, introduce new ideas and help shape the next chapter of our business.

What We Stand For

We are a business built on collaboration, creativity and positivity, and believe that the best results happen when talented people work together, challenge each other constructively and bring energy, ambition and optimism to everything they do. We're looking for a leader who embodies these values:

• Wholeheartedly Positive: You lead with optimism, resilience and energy, inspiring confidence in those around you and creating cultures where people want to perform at their best.
• Creative: You constantly seek better ways of doing things, seeing innovation as a commercial advantage and a key driver of customer satisfaction.
• You think like a business owner, balancing exceptional hospitality with commercial performance and identifying opportunities to grow revenue, improve margins and deliver sustainable success.

Qualifications

You may currently be an Operations Director, Regional Director, Hotel Director, Venue Director, Managing Director or General Manager leading a significant hospitality operation. Most importantly, you will have a proven track record of:

• Driving commercial growth and improving profitability.
• Leading large, multi-site hospitality operations.
• Building and developing exceptional leadership teams.
• Delivering outstanding customer and guest experiences.
• Creating cultures of accountability, engagement and continuous improvement.
• Managing significant P&L responsibility and commercial budgets.
• Successfully leading change, transformation and business growth initiatives.
• Developing strong client and stakeholder partnerships.

You understand that hospitality excellence and commercial success go hand in hand. You are as comfortable discussing revenue strategies, margin improvement and business development opportunities as you are coaching leaders and enhancing guest experiences.

What You'll Be Responsible For

• Driving Commercial Performance: Deliver sustainable revenue growth and operational profitability. Identify new opportunities to drive sales, retention and client value. Develop commercially focused operational strategies. Ensure rigorous financial control and accountability across the portfolio.
• Leading High-Performing Teams: Inspire, coach and develop senior operational leaders. Build a culture of ownership, accountability and empowerment. Create succession plans and develop future talent.
• Creating Exceptional Hospitality Experiences: Champion guest experience and service excellence. Encourage innovation that enhances customer engagement and commercial outcomes. Ensure every location delivers memorable experiences that differentiate us from competitors.
• Building Long-Term Partnerships: Develop trusted relationships with clients and stakeholders. Act as a strategic advisor and ambassador for the business. Drive client retention through exceptional delivery and commercial value.

Additional Information

BaxterStorey Values:

• ALWAYS VISIONARY: We strive for better, we never settle, never compromise, never follow. We lead the way, blazing our own trail.
• WHOLEHEARTEDLY POSITIVE: We are up-beat, motivating and inspiring. Our love for what we do radiates through our food, and is amplified by our people.
• CREATIVELY COLLABORATIVE: We embrace our differences to push creativity and we work together to be better.
• FOREVER CONSCIOUS: We work together as a team to lead by example, protecting the planet and supporting local communities.

Interested? Even if you don’t meet all requirements, we’d like to hear from you. If you are motivated and hungry to learn, we can work together to develop your potential. We are proud to be an inclusive employer and welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds. We celebrate individuality and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We encourage applications from people of all ages, abilities, gender identities, sexual orientations, races, religions, and socio-economic backgrounds. BaxterStorey is committed to encouraging equity, diversity, and inclusion (ED&I) among our workforce and aim for our workforce to be truly representative of all sections of society, and for each employee to feel respected and able to give their best. To support our commitment to this we have set ourselves an ambition to ‘set the standard and to be recognised for having the most inclusive culture in hospitality’. Join us and bring your unique perspective to our team.