Conference & Banqueting Manager, The Bedford Swan Hotel
Up to £33,000 per annum + TRONC up to £50 per week
Job Summary
The Bedford Swan Hotel, located right on the Great Ouse River, is one of Bedford's landmark hotels. A busy 137-bedroom hotel with a thermal spa, high-end brasserie, afternoon tea room, and a thriving Conference & Banqueting department, we pride ourselves on delivering exceptional guest experiences.
We are part of Distinct Group Ltd, operating hotels and hospitality venues focused on service excellence, teamwork, and guest experience. We are proud members of the Hoteliers' Charter, committed to fairness, inclusion, and employee wellbeing.
We are looking for an experienced Conference & Banqueting Manager who is passionate about hospitality, thrives in a fast-paced operational environment, and enjoys leading high-performing teams. This is a hands-on management role responsible for the overall leadership, organisation, and delivery of our conferences, meetings, weddings, private events, and banqueting operation, ensuring every event exceeds our guests' expectations.
This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced Conference & Banqueting Manager, Events Operations Manager, or an ambitious Assistant Conference & Banqueting Manager ready to take the next step within a prestigious hotel.
What you will be doing
You will lead the day-to-day operation of the hotel's Conference & Banqueting department, ensuring exceptional guest service and flawless operational delivery across conferences, meetings, weddings, private dining, and special events.
You will take responsibility for planning staffing levels, managing rotas and labour costs, overseeing event set-up and service delivery, and ensuring every function room is presented to the highest possible standard. You will lead the Conference & Banqueting team by example, creating a positive, engaged, and high-performing culture.
Working closely with the Food & Beverage Operations Manager, Head Chef, Sales & Events Team, and wider hotel management team, you will ensure every event runs seamlessly from handover through to completion. You will proactively resolve guest issues, drive service standards, monitor financial performance, manage stock and equipment, and ensure all food safety, licensing, and health & safety requirements are fully complied with.
You will also recruit, coach, train and develop your team, conduct regular performance reviews, identify future talent, and continually look for opportunities to improve service standards, guest satisfaction, and departmental profitability.
What you will bring to the team
You will have previous management experience within Conference & Banqueting, Events Operations, or Food & Beverage in a busy hotel environment.
You will be a confident leader with proven experience managing weddings, conferences, and large-scale events whilst motivating teams to deliver exceptional guest experiences.
You will possess excellent organisational and communication skills, be commercially aware, and understand how to manage labour costs, maximise productivity, and maintain consistently high service standards.
You will be calm under pressure, highly organised, and passionate about developing people while creating memorable guest experiences. Experience managing budgets, rotas, stock control, and departmental KPIs would be highly advantageous.
What's on Offer?
- Up to £33,000 per annum + TRONC.
- 42.5-hour contract.
- Genuine career development within a growing hotel group.
- Staff discounts on accommodation, food, and beverage.
- Access to retail, leisure, and lifestyle discount platform.
- Wellbeing support, including 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme and Virtual GP.
- Cycle to Work and pension schemes.
- Employee of the Month and Employee of the Year rewards.
- Length of Service rewards.
If Bedford Swan Hotel sounds like the perfect place for your next career move, we would love to hear from you.
Send us your CV and tell us why you would be the perfect fit for our team.
Job Type: Full-time
Pay: Up to £33,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Discounted or free food
- Employee discount
- Free parking
Work Location: In person
