Summary
Full-time 37.5 hours per week over 5 days
£35,000, increasing to £37,000 related to performance after 12 months
Living within 40 minutes of The Hideaway Experience office (DD3 0RA)
Role Overview
Responsible for the overall day-to-day management and smooth operation of The Hideaway Experience, ensuring consistently exceptional guest experiences, strong commercial performance and effective operational delivery.
Working closely with the owners and senior manager, the General Manager will take responsibility for customer relations, sales, operations, financial performance, compliance and staff management, while ensuring the Hideaway Experience operates effectively as a luxury agritourism business.
The role requires a hands-on, commercially focused manager who can take full operational responsibility for the business when the owners are off-site, including planned on-duty weekends (one weekend per month) and overnight support periods (up to six weeks per year).
Key Focus of the Role
The General Manager will be responsible for ensuring that guests receive an outstanding five-star experience, the business operates efficiently, staff perform to high standards, and the business remains commercially successful and profitable.
What we offer
Due to an internal promotion, we are seeking a full-time General Manager to lead and manage The Hideaway Experience. We offer a green and nature based working environment on our family farm within a small, close-knit team who enjoy working together in a positive office environment. Our business has won several awards and achieved many business milestones, and our team celebrate success together. Our focus is on the well-being of our staff, providing an optional weekly personal trainer workout on-site. We provide complimentary Hideaway stays to mark positive staff contributions.
Key Responsibilities - Detail
1. Guest & Customer Experience
- Act as a key ambassador for The Hideaway Experience and deliver the exceptional service expected of a five-star tourism business.
- Manage the complete guest journey, from initial enquiry and pre-arrival communication through to the stay and post-stay follow-up.
- Ensure guest preferences, special occasions and additional requirements are organised and delivered to a high standard.
- Personally welcome guests on arrival and maintain proactive communication throughout their stay.
- Manage complaints and issues promptly, professionally and effectively.
2. Sales & Revenue
- Convert enquiries into bookings through excellent customer service and effective sales communication.
- Respond promptly and professionally to telephone, email and live-chat enquiries.
- Manage bookings, discounts, gift vouchers, refunds and customer communications through the website and booking systems.
- Develop repeat business by understanding and engaging with loyal and key guests.
- Manage website pricing, manual dynamic pricing and availability across third-party booking platforms.
3. Operations Management
- Coordinate the day-to-day operational delivery of the Hideaways, ensuring properties are consistently presented to the highest standard. Create and manage daily, weekly and monthly operational priorities.
- Produce housekeeping rotas, communicate shift requirements and monitor housekeeping performance.
- Carry out daily property inspections and provide timely feedback to housekeeping staff.
- Ensure maintenance issues are identified, recorded and resolved according to their urgency and impact on the guest experience.
- Oversee hot tub maintenance, cleaning and record keeping.
- Schedule deep cleaning, routine maintenance and seasonal operational requirements.
- Coordinate suppliers and contractors, including massage therapists, gardeners, pest control and maintenance providers.
- Manage stock levels, purchasing and monthly stocktakes.
- Maintain clear operational manuals and procedures for management, housekeeping and other key roles.
- Ensure compliance with relevant health & safety, food safety, hot tub safety and other regulatory requirements, with support from senior management.
4. Financial & Commercial Management
- Maintain a strong focus on profitability by maximising revenue, controlling operational costs, and identifying opportunities to improve efficiency and reduce expenditure.
- Support budgeting and monitor financial and operational performance against budget, including occupancy, sales trends, profitability, staffing costs and other key performance indicators.
- Responsible for budget delivery within 12 months of post
- Use Xero and relevant business systems to maintain accurate financial information, support decision-making, and produce concise monthly management reports.
- Liaise with the bookkeeper and senior management to ensure accurate financial records and effective financial oversight.
5. People & Team Management
- Manage team of housekeepers/gardener. Monitor staff performance and provide support, guidance and feedback to team members.
- Ensure all employees have appropriate contracts, inductions and receive regular performance reviews.
- Identify training requirements and ensure staff training is planned, completed and recorded.
6. Marketing
We have a dedicated person who manages the Marketing & Communications for the business, however there would be some aspects this role would cover.
- Represent and protect The Hideaway Experience brand across all customer interactions.
- Maintain a strong working knowledge of the website and booking system to support sales and operational requirements.
- Liaise with the website company and digital suppliers to report and monitor technical issues.
- Support social media activity and respond to customer enquiries received through social platforms.
- Contribute ideas for new packages, experiences and guest extras.
On Duty Cover
- Role is mainly 9am-5pm but for up to 30 days of the year, take the duty phone overnight and be “on duty” for any guest calls while the owner is away on business or holiday.
- For those days, be “on duty” for any emergency call outs, major maintenance issues or other unforeseen circumstances.
- Take full responsibility for the business, guests and team during agreed periods when the owners are off-site, including up to 12 duty weekends and overnight duty responsibilities as required.
Essential Aptitudes:
You will be expected to currently have the following 5 aptitudes inherent in your DNA
The ability to build positive relationships with others including external stakeholders and internal members of the team. A warm smile, extended handshake, ability to find common ground, pro-active yet fitting conversation. A people person. Not loud but not quiet. You can read a room and adapt to circumstances and people. You will engage in banter with work colleagues but will know when it’s not time for jokes. You will not only have a personality, but it will also reflect the Hideaway Experience brand.
Someone who doesn’t walk away from a problem. A “can do this” attitude. Someone who doesn’t turn a blind eye to issues needing resolved. Finds a solution to conclusion. Knows when to ask others for advice and help but takes responsibility to ensure issues fully resolved.
The detail makes all the difference and gives the WOW factor. You will pride yourself on delivering perfection time after time. You understand the need for process and consistent delivery of a tried and tested operation. And will be able to confess when you get it wrong but will learn and won’t repeat the same error.
Being organised is all about making decisions. You will naturally be someone who re-evaluates tasks and their priority for the day, week and month ahead. You will be able to balance a varied workload.
You turn up 10 minutes early. You think through the traffic might be bad and plan accordingly. Pro-actively plan your day/week ahead. You will be keen to support the team and won’t let others down.
Skills & Knowledge
- Qualifications (desirable)
Two years’ experience in tourism and hospitality
Business or Tourism at HND or above.
- Customer Service (essential)
Track record in providing excellent customer service, ideally in a similar 5-star establishment.
Proficiency using Microsoft 365 software and Xero accounting package.
Track record of managing staff (even if it is only one or two people).
- Drivers Licence and Car (essential)
Full clean drivers licence – we have an ATV on site for getting about the properties. Having your own car is essential.
Package
- Salary - £35K per Anum increasing to £37K within 12 months based on performance
- Holidays – 28 days increasing to 30 within 2 years of service
- Pension
- Small team
A small, friendly team. You will feel part of. Your input matters and your voice is heard. We like to have a laugh. Regular social events together provided by the business such as seasonal dinners. We also work hard and support each other.
- Well established business
We are a small but well-established business who have been operating in the market for over 20years. We have a track record of excellent reviews from our guests and have been recognised in the tourism sector for our high service. We have won awards for tourism and hospitality.
A good place to have an office. On a farm with beautiful views. Walking routes for taking a break or a longer walk before or after work, looking after mental and physical health.
We are committed to investing in our team and set aside budget to allow for external training courses.
- 5 Star Accommodation Benefits
Periodic complimentary Hideaway night stays for yourself and 20% discount for friends and family.
Optional one hour per week team workout with hired in personal trainer.
- Sociable Hospitality Working Hours
Out with the 30 duty days per year, and 1 weekend a month this job is typically 9am-5pm, Monday-Friday. For a hospitality/tourism role this is very sociable working hours.
If required, we can discuss the provision of staff accommodation
No parking costs
20 minutes drive outside of Dundee City Centre
- Top place to learn about agritourism
Balkello Farm is home to an award winning agritourism business, The Hideaway Experience, as well as the HQ for Scottish Agritourism. No better place to learn about the sector. You will also gain access to further training through the opportunity to attend Agritourism meetings and networking events from time to time. This will widen your knowledge and skills.
Pay: £35,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Casual dress
- Company pension
- Employee discount
- Health & wellbeing programme
- On-site parking
Work Location: In person
