Hospitality Operations Manager

Eden Scott is delighted to be working with Penicuik Estate, a stunning 7,000-acre estate in Midlothian, cared for by the same family since 1654 and home to one of Scotland’s most original designed landscapes.

With a recent move into luxury hospitality, they are welcoming guests to Penicuik House, its cottages and houses, and its event spaces with the ambition to become one of Scotland’s most remarkable estate destinations, a place guests travel the world to experience.

They have now created a new role, that of Hospitality Operations Manager this role will run the entire hospitality operation day to day: a boots-on-the-ground leader accountable for the whole guest, property and event experience  across the estate, holding presentation and service to luxury exclusive use standards while protecting margin and the quality of the offer.

Key responsibilities of the role include:

• Own the end-to-end operational delivery of every booking, from pre-arrival readiness through in-stay service to departure and post-event review.
• Own the operational delivery of events. The sales team wins, contracts and holds the client relationship; from contract, through to delivery, with this role accountable for staffing, on-the-day execution and the post-event review across every event.
• Own the portfolio of guest activities and experiences, delivering it well with the team and the estate's partners, and growing it to create exceptional and unique guest experiences.
• Line manage the House Managers directly: recruit, induct and develop them, hold regular one-to-ones and reviews, and manage performance so each is trusted to run a shift to the estate's standard.
• Manage external delivery partners to the estate's service standard, holding them to agreed quality, presentation and turnaround expectations.
• Own the catering and food and beverage function day to day, working with the catering partner on service quality and the agreed commercial direction.
• Hold accountability for the standard to which every property interior and exterior, the grounds and the event spaces are presented before each arrival and event.
• Lead the guest-facing presentation and service delivered by this role's own Estate Assistants: laying and resetting fires, carrying luggage, driving and welcoming guests, and the arrival and in-stay touches that make the experience, smartly presented as part of front-of-house.
• Coordinate housekeeping, the Estate Assistants and facilities effort so that turnarounds, event set-ups and arrivals run seamlessly, escalating to the Owner/Managing Director where cross-team priorities need resolving.
• Deliver the operation within agreed budgets, driving performance across revenue, cost and margin.
• Control operational labour, including event and casual staff, capturing actual cost against each event so margin is
• Make confident use of the estate's operational systems for bookings, property readiness and guest communication, keeping information accurate and using it to drive standards and accountability.

Key skills and experience required:

• Senior operational hospitality experience at the luxury end, ideally in exclusive-use, private estate, boutique hotel, or high-end event environments, with a minimum
• of three years’ experience at a senior level.
• A genuine eye for presentation and service detail, with the standards to match a high-end private-hire offer.
• Proven team leadership: someone who builds, develops and brings the best out of a team, and who works alongside colleagues and suppliers as equals, warm and approachable.
• Strong commercial and financial literacy: comfortable working to budget and margin and understanding the link between operational delivery and the wider financial picture.
• Experience managing external suppliers to a quality standard.
• Hands-on and visible: willing to be on the floor, lead from the front and do whatever the guest experience requires.
• Full UK driving licence

This role offers an excellent salary within the range of £55,000 - £65,000 – this is negotiable depending on experience.

On-site accommodation may be available for the right candidate.

Eden Scott is dealing exclusively with Penicuik Estate on this vacancy so to be considered for this exciting opportunity at a truly beautiful location, please submit your CV online or to sally.rae@edenscott.com