About the job
Operations Manager – Shropshire Holiday Accommodation
Location: Shropshire, primarily Shrewsbury and surrounding areas
Salary & Benefits
- £32,000 - £35,000 per annum, depending on experience.
- Performance-related bonus.
- Mileage or vehicle allowance.
- Full-time permanent position.
- Significant autonomy and responsibility.
- Direct access to the business owners.
- Opportunity to shape and develop the operational function.
- Career progression as the business continues to grow.
- Work within a growing, entrepreneurial local business.
About Pass the Keys Shropshire
Pass the Keys Shropshire is a locally owned and operated holiday-let management business looking after a growing portfolio of approximately 70 short-stay and holiday properties across Shropshire.
We manage everything from individual cottages and apartments to larger luxury homes, working across Shrewsbury, Ludlow, Church Stretton and surrounding areas.
Our business is built around three things: excellent guest experiences, high property standards and strong commercial performance.
We are growing and are looking for an exceptional Operations Manager to take ownership of our day-to-day field operation.
We are not looking for an administrator. We are looking for an operator.
Someone who naturally takes control, solves problems, holds people accountable and gets things done.
This is not a traditional 9–5 office-based management role. It is a fast-moving, hands-on operational position where every day is different and where your decisions directly affect our guests, our property owners and our reputation.
Due to the demands of the role, the successful candidate will be required to work alternate 2-day weekends, but will receive a set day off each week as a result.
Hence one week will be a 4-day week, and the next a 6-day week. Equalling 20 days employment each month. Hours of work 9am - 5pm with out of hours requirements and call-outs, as the job demands.
The Role
As Operations Manager, you will be responsible for the successful day-to-day operation of our entire Shropshire property portfolio.
Your objective is simple:
Make sure every property is compliant and ready, every guest is looked after, every operational issue is dealt with and every supplier delivers what they have promised.
You will be the central point of control for our field operations.
If a cleaner fails to turn up, a boiler breaks, a guest is locked out, a property isn't ready, a contractor doesn't arrive or an urgent problem occurs at 4pm on a Friday, you will be expected to take ownership and find the solution.
Key Responsibilities1. Field Operations & Daily Logistics
Take overall responsibility for the smooth running of our property operations across Shropshire.
This includes:
- Coordinating daily cleaning and changeover schedules across approximately 70 properties.
- Ensuring properties are cleaned, inspected and guest-ready before check-in.
- Managing linen, consumables, keys and other operational requirements.
- Planning for high-volume changeover days, particularly Fridays, Sundays and Mondays.
- Monitoring property readiness throughout the day.
- Identifying potential problems before they become guest complaints.
- Carrying out regular visits and inspections across the portfolio.
2. Rapid Problem Solving & Incident Management
Things go wrong in holiday accommodation. What matters is how quickly and effectively they are resolved.
You will be expected to take immediate ownership of operational incidents including:
- Heating or hot-water failures.
- Plumbing issues.
- Electrical problems.
- Wi-Fi failures.
- Lockouts and access problems.
- Cleaning failures.
- Missing keys.
- Damage or unexpected property issues.
- Contractor no-shows.
- Guest complaints relating to operational problems.
- Last-minute booking and changeover issues.
3. Supplier & Contractor Management
You will manage a network of external suppliers, including:
- Cleaners.
- Laundry providers.
- Maintenance contractors.
- Plumbers and heating engineers.
- Electricians.
- Gardeners.
- Handymen.
- Other property-service suppliers.
Where standards aren't being met, you will be expected to have direct and sometimes difficult conversations.
4. Quality Control & Property Standards
Our reputation depends on the standard of our properties.
You will:
- Carry out regular and random property inspections.
- Quality-check cleaning and presentation.
- Monitor recurring property issues.
- Identify wear and tear and maintenance requirements.
- Ensure remedial works are completed.
- Check that properties meet our presentation standards.
- Ensure guest-facing equipment and facilities are working correctly.
- Maintain accurate property information and operational instructions.
We don't want to discover a problem because a guest has complained about it.
We want you to find it first.
5. Guest Experience
Although this is an operational role, everything you do ultimately affects the guest experience.
You will work closely with our guest support team to ensure:
- Guests arrive at a property that is ready and correctly presented.
- Problems are resolved quickly.
- Contractors and suppliers respond appropriately.
- Operational complaints are minimised.
- Escalated guest issues are handled professionally.
- Appropriate compensation or solutions are considered when operational failures occur.
You will understand that a single missed clean, broken boiler or poorly handled problem can lead to:
- A poor review.
- A refund request.
- Loss of revenue.
- Damage to the owner's relationship with us.
- Damage to the Pass the Keys brand.
6. Organisation, Systems & Process Improvement
We want an Operations Manager who doesn't simply manage today's problems.
You will continually ask:
"Why did this happen, and how do we stop it happening again?"
You will be expected to:
- Improve operational processes.
- Introduce effective checklists and systems.
- Improve communication between office and field teams.
- Reduce avoidable errors.
- Reduce repeat operational issues.
- Improve turnaround efficiency.
- Develop better ways of monitoring outstanding tasks.
- Create greater accountability across suppliers.
- Identify opportunities to automate or simplify repetitive processes.
7. Planning & Prioritisation
This role involves managing multiple competing priorities.
At any given time you could be dealing with:
- A cleaner who hasn't arrived.
- A guest reporting no hot water.
- A contractor waiting for access.
- A property inspection that needs completing.
- An owner requesting an update.
- A maintenance issue at another property.
- A last-minute booking.
You must be able to determine:
What needs doing now?
What can wait?
What can be delegated?
What needs escalation?
You must remain organised and calm when several problems occur simultaneously.
8. Team & People Management
Although many members of the operational team may be contractors or suppliers rather than direct employees, you will still be responsible for managing their performance.
You will need to:
- Give clear instructions.
- Set expectations.
- Monitor performance.
- Provide feedback.
- Address underperformance.
- Recognise good performance.
- Build strong working relationships.
- Ensure everyone understands the standards expected.
You should be confident managing people who do not directly report to you.
9. Property Asset Management
We don't simply manage bookings. We manage people's properties.
You will therefore take an active role in protecting the condition and long-term performance of each property.
10. Ownership & Decision-Making
We need someone who takes ownership.
You won't be successful here if your instinct is to wait for someone to tell you what to do.
We want someone who sees a problem and thinks:
"Right. How am I going to fix this?"
You will be expected to:
- Make sensible decisions independently.
- Take responsibility for outcomes.
- Follow tasks through to completion.
- Communicate clearly.
- Know when to escalate.
- Accept responsibility when something goes wrong.
- Learn from mistakes.
- Protect the interests of the business and our property owners.
You should be comfortable saying:
"I've got it."
- and then actually getting it done.
What Success Looks Like
Six months into the role, we want to feel that the operation is more organised, more reliable and less dependent on the owners.
A successful Operations Manager will:
- Know what is happening across the portfolio.
- Have excellent visibility of upcoming changeovers.
- Identify problems before guests do.
- Keep suppliers accountable.
- Maintain high property standards.
- Resolve issues quickly.
- Keep accurate records.
- Follow through on outstanding actions.
- Make sensible decisions independently.
- Reduce the number of problems reaching Andy and Vicky.
- Create systems that make the operation more efficient.
- Take genuine pride in the performance of the portfolio.
Key Performance Indicators
Your performance will be measured against clear operational KPIs, including:
- Property readiness at guest check-in.
- Cleaning and inspection standards.
- Guest complaints arising from operational failures.
- Speed of operational issue resolution.
- Supplier and contractor performance.
- Outstanding maintenance actions.
- Completion times for operational tasks.
- Accuracy of operational records.
- Reduction in repeat operational failures.
- Guest satisfaction and review performance.
- Overall reliability of the field operation.
The Person We're Looking For
We are looking for a high-drive, naturally organised and commercially aware operator.
You are likely to be someone who:
- Has natural urgency.
- Moves quickly but thinks clearly.
- Is calm under pressure.
- Is highly organised.
- Has exceptional follow-through.
- Notices details others miss.
- Enjoys solving problems.
- Is comfortable making decisions.
- Doesn't need constant supervision.
- Isn't afraid of difficult conversations.
- Holds people accountable.
- Takes pride in standards.
- Has a strong work ethic.
- Enjoys responsibility.
- Wants to make things happen.
Relevant Backgrounds
We don't necessarily expect candidates to come from traditional hospitality.
What matters most is operational ability, drive, judgement and ownership.
Essential Requirements
- Full UK driving licence.
- Own reliable vehicle or regular access to a reliable vehicle.
- Willingness to travel extensively across Shropshire.
- Excellent communication skills.
- Strong organisational ability.
- Confident using technology, smartphones and computer systems.
- Ability to work independently.
- Ability to manage competing priorities.
- Ability to remain calm under pressure.
- Comfortable working flexibly around operational requirements.
- Will undergo a Disclosure and Barring Service check for suitability.
This is a challenging and extremely rewarding role. We look forward to hearing from you.
Andy and Vicky.
Pay: £32,000.00-£35,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Company pension
- On-site parking
Application question(s):
- Please do not apply if you do not live in Shrewsbury - This is essential for logistics
Experience:
- Operations management: 2 years (preferred)
Licence/Certification:
- Full UK Driving License with no more than 3 penalty points (required)
Location:
- Shrewsbury, Shropshire (required)
Work Location: Hybrid remote in Shrewsbury
