Deputy General Manager | Johannesburg | Permanent

Are you an experienced luxury hospitality leader ready to take the next step in your hotel management career? This is an opportunity to help lead a five-star hotel operation, elevate the guest experience and drive commercial performance within a well-established hospitality group.

As Deputy General Manager, you will work closely with the General Manager to oversee hotel operations, implement strategic priorities and ensure consistently high standards across all departments. You will play a key role in operational efficiency, financial performance, guest satisfaction and team development, while ensuring that the hotel delivers on its brand promise and business objectives.

This is a hands-on leadership role for a commercially astute hospitality professional who understands the demands of luxury hotel operations. You will lead through department heads and operational managers, strengthen service delivery, manage costs, identify opportunities for revenue growth and build a culture of accountability, professionalism and genuine hospitality. You will also assume overall operational responsibility in the General Manager's absence.

Our client is a leading hospitality group with an established presence in the South African hotel, gaming and entertainment sectors. The organisation operates properties that place a strong emphasis on guest experience, operational standards, commercial performance and employee development.

What You'll Do

• Support the General Manager in the overall management, strategic direction and performance of the hotel.

• Provide visible, hands-on leadership across Rooms, Food and Beverage, and supporting operational departments.

• Develop and implement short- and long-term strategies aligned with the hotel's objectives, vision and values.

• Maintain exceptional guest service standards and continuously improve the overall guest experience.

• Monitor guest feedback, satisfaction levels and online reputation, implementing corrective actions where required.

• Drive operational efficiency, profitability, cost control and effective resource utilisation.

• Contribute to budgeting, forecasting, revenue optimisation and financial performance management.

• Lead, coach and develop department heads, managers, supervisors and wider hotel teams.

• Build strong relationships with key guests, corporate clients, business partners and other stakeholders.

• Ensure compliance with company policies, brand standards, corporate governance requirements, health and safety standards and applicable legislation.

• Identify opportunities to enhance hotel products, services and the overall guest proposition.

• Take operational responsibility for the hotel in the General Manager's absence.

• Promote a professional, collaborative and performance-driven workplace culture.

• Build capable, motivated teams through confident, supportive and accountable leadership.

What You Bring

• A relevant formal hospitality qualification or extensive equivalent hospitality management experience.

• At least seven years of relevant hospitality management experience.

• A minimum of four years' experience within the five-star hospitality market.

• Proven experience in a Deputy General Manager position or a comparable senior hotel leadership role.

• Current experience at Head of Department level.

• A strong understanding of luxury hotel operations, including Rooms, Food and Beverage and supporting departments.

• Demonstrated commercial and financial acumen, including experience contributing to budgets, forecasts, cost management and revenue performance.

• A track record of managing complex hotel operations and leading teams through subordinate managers and supervisors.

• Strong leadership, communication, decision-making and stakeholder management skills.

• The ability to balance guest expectations, employee engagement, operational requirements and profitability.

• A hands-on, solutions-oriented approach and the ability to work independently while contributing effectively to the senior management team.

What Success Looks Like

• Consistently high guest satisfaction and service delivery standards.

• Strong operational performance across hotel departments.

• Improved profitability, cost efficiency and effective financial management.

• Effective execution of hotel strategies and operational action plans.

• Strong department head capability, motivated employees and a culture of accountability.

• Positive guest feedback and a well-managed online reputation.

• Consistent compliance with company standards, governance requirements and applicable legislation.

• Effective operational leadership and continuity in the General Manager's absence.