Operations Manager | Pretoria | Permanent

Lead large-scale hospitality operations where customer experience, operational excellence, and commercial performance intersect. This is a high-impact leadership role for a seasoned professional ready to shape strategy while driving execution across multiple service areas.

This role is responsible for the strategic and operational leadership of a complex hospitality environment, spanning food and beverage, conferencing, hotel operations, and retail. You will align business unit plans with broader group strategy, optimise performance, and elevate service delivery across all customer touchpoints. The position requires a balance of hands-on operational oversight and forward-thinking strategy to ensure sustained growth, efficiency, and compliance.

You will take ownership of governance, financial performance, and people leadership, ensuring that operations meet the highest standards while adapting to evolving market demands. From driving innovation to managing risk and compliance, this role sits at the core of delivering a seamless and premium hospitality experience.

Our client is a well-established leader in the hospitality and leisure sector, known for delivering high-quality customer experiences across diverse service offerings. The organisation operates in a dynamic, fast-paced environment with a strong focus on operational excellence, innovation, and people development.

What You’ll Do

• Align operational plans with overall business strategy
• Drive performance across F&B, hotel, conferencing, and retail functions
• Oversee service delivery and ensure consistent quality standards
• Implement and maintain operational policies, procedures, and compliance standards
• Manage budgets, forecasts, and financial reporting
• Identify revenue growth opportunities and improve cost efficiencies
• Lead operational audits, risk assessments, and governance initiatives
• Enhance customer experience across all service touchpoints
• Build and maintain relationships with key stakeholders and clients
• Drive innovation and continuous improvement across operations

What You Bring

• Degree in Business or Hospitality Management
• 10+ years’ experience in the hospitality industry
• At least 4 years in a senior management role
• Strong experience in hotel operations or food and beverage environments
• Solid understanding of rooms division and hospitality operations
• Proven leadership and people management capability
• Strong financial and commercial acumen
• Knowledge of labour legislation and SHE regulations
• Excellent problem-solving and decision-making skills

What Success Looks Like

• Consistently high customer satisfaction and service ratings
• Strong financial performance with controlled costs and growing revenue
• Efficient, compliant, and well-governed operations
• Engaged, high-performing teams with clear succession pipelines
• Continuous improvement and innovation embedded in operations