Operations Manager (Short-Term Rental Management)

We are a growing, established UK-based short-let property management company. We are looking for a highly structured, data-driven, and emotionally intelligent Operations Manager based in South Africa to oversee our day-to-day UK operations.

You will directly manage and mentor our existing remote team of 7 frontline operational staff. Your mission is to maintain our high property standards, optimise guest and landlord satisfaction, and streamline our operational workflows while working closely with the company directors.

Key Responsibilities

• Team Leadership & Accountability: Run daily team stand-ups/huddles with our team of 6 staff members. Monitor individual KPIs, manage schedules, and foster a high-performance culture.

• Property Management Software (PMS) Oversight: Serve as the ultimate administrator of our PMS, ensuring guest messaging, calendar syncing, automated workflows, and pricing adjustments are running flawlessly.

• Escalation & Problem Solving: Act as the primary point of escalation for complex guest complaints, major maintenance issues, and landlord inquiries that the frontline team cannot resolve.

• Quality Assurance & Contractor Coordination: Oversee the remote scheduling and quality auditing of UK-based field contractors (cleaners, laundry services, and maintenance technicians).

• Operational Reporting: Track and report on core weekly metrics, including occupancy rates, guest review scores, maintenance turnaround times, and unit profitability.

• SOP Optimisation: Continually audit, update, and improve the company’s internal library of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to maximize team efficiency.

What We Are Looking For

• Short-Term Rental Experience (Mandatory): Minimum 5-10 years of experience specifically within the short-term rental, Airbnb management, or boutique hospitality sector.

• Tech-Savvy Operator: Deep familiarity with modern STR tech stacks (e.g., Guesty, Hostaway, Hostfully, Breezeway, Owenrez or similar PMS platforms) and communication tools like Slack and ClickUp/Asana.

• Proven People Manager: Experience managing a team of at least 3–5 remote or virtual employees, with a track record of holding staff accountable to metrics.

• Exceptional Communication: Flawless written and spoken English, with the emotional intelligence to manage UK-based staff and handle sensitive landlord communications.

• Problem Solver: A calm-under-pressure demeanor capable of solving logistics puzzles across different time zones.

Why Work With Us?

• Stable Foreign Income: Paid reliably in British Pounds (GBP) or local currency equivalent, offering great stability against local currency fluctuations.

• Established Foundation: You are not starting from scratch; you will inherit a structured, functioning team of 6 operators who already know their day-to-day roles.

• Growth Opportunity: Work directly with the company directors with a clear path toward executive-level leadership as the portfolio scales.