Assistant Manager

Assistant Manager

Job Description

The Assistant Manager will support the Services Director and wider management team in delivering an exceptional owner and resident experience and ensuring the smooth, safe and efficient operation of the village across designated manager shifts.

The role will have particular responsibility for owner and resident experience, hospitality operations, housekeeping, food & beverage, financial control, service standards, health and safety, and operational delivery.

The Assistant Manager will be a visible and approachable member of the management team, providing leadership and support to staff, responding to owner and resident requests and concerns, and ensuring effective communication between departments.

Key Responsibilities

Owner and resident experience

- Act as a visible and approachable management presence within the village.

- Build positive and professional relationships with owner and residents, families, visitors and colleagues.

- Ensure owner and residents receive a consistently welcoming, personalised and responsive service.

- Develop an understanding of individual owner and residents' preferences, expectations and needs.

- Respond promptly and professionally to owner and resident queries, concerns and complaints.

- Resolve issues wherever possible and escalate appropriately when required.

- Monitor owner and resident satisfaction and identify opportunities to improve the overall owner and resident experience.

- Maintain regular contact with owner and residents to understand their views and identify emerging concerns.

- Support owner and resident events, activities and social occasions, ensuring they are well organised and delivered to a high standard.

- Ensure new owner and residents receive a warm welcome and positive introduction to the village and its services.

- Communicate effectively with owner and residents regarding operational matters, planned works, changes and service interruptions.

- Work closely with all departments to ensure a joined-up owner and resident experience.

- Follow up on complaints and requests to ensure appropriate action has been taken and owner and residents are kept informed.

- Promote a culture where excellent owner and resident experience is everyone's responsibility.

Housekeeping & food & beverage operations

- Provide day-to-day management and oversight of housekeeping and food & beverage operations during allocated manager shifts.

- Ensure apartments, communal areas, reception, corridors, library, restaurants and other facilities are maintained to consistently high standards.

- Ensure dining and hospitality services are delivered efficiently, professionally and in accordance with agreed service standards.

- Assist the Food & Beverage Manager with the quality, presentation and consistency of food and beverage service.

- Ensure owner and resident dining requirements, preferences and requests are communicated effectively to the relevant teams.

- Carry out regular inspections and spot checks of cleanliness, presentation, dining areas and service delivery.

- Ensure cleaning schedules and planned housekeeping tasks are completed effectively.

- Ensure owner and resident housekeeping and hospitality requests are recorded, communicated and followed through to completion.

- Work with the relevant department managers to ensure appropriate staffing levels, rotas and resources are available.

- Support teams in prioritising workloads and responding to urgent owner and resident requirements.

- Monitor stock levels, consumables, linen, cleaning products and food & beverage supplies and report shortages or ordering requirements.

- Support effective stock control, storage, rotation and waste management.

- Ensure food safety, hygiene, allergen and relevant operational procedures are followed.

- Ensure cleaning equipment, chemicals and other operational equipment are used correctly and safely.

- Work closely with Maintenance to ensure defects, damage or repairs identified by Housekeeping or food & beverage are reported and followed up.

- Support the preparation of apartments and communal areas for new owner and residents, events and special occasions.

- Address service failures promptly and ensure appropriate recovery is provided to owner and residents.

- Coach and support team members to maintain high standards of service, cleanliness and presentation.

- Work with department managers to identify opportunities to improve efficiency, owner and resident satisfaction and operational performance.

Service Standards

- Champion and consistently demonstrate the village's service standards and values.

- Ensure every owner and resident interaction is professional, warm, respectful and personalised.

- Monitor service delivery across all owner and resident-facing areas and identify opportunities for improvement.

- Conduct regular service and presentation checks.

- Ensure staff understand expected standards of appearance, communication, behaviour and customer service.

- Lead by example in delivering exceptional hospitality and owner and resident care.

- Ensure agreed standards are consistently applied across different shifts and departments.

- Monitor response times to owner and resident requests and ensure commitments made to owner and residents are followed through.

- Ensure complaints and service issues are handled promptly, professionally and with appropriate ownership.

- Implement effective service recovery where expectations have not been met.

- Gather feedback from owner and residents and colleagues and use it to identify improvements.

- Support regular service reviews, audits and quality checks.

- Identify training and development requirements where service standards are not being consistently achieved.

- Recognise and encourage colleagues who demonstrate excellent service.

- Promote a culture of continuous improvement and accountability for service quality.

Financial Management & Commercial Awareness

- Support the Services Director in achieving agreed financial and operational targets.

- Demonstrate strong commercial awareness and understand the financial impact of operational decisions.

- Monitor departmental expenditure and ensure spending is appropriate, controlled and in line with agreed budgets.

- Support effective control of food & beverage, housekeeping and operational costs.

- Monitor stock usage, wastage and variances and take appropriate action where required.

- Support effective purchasing and ensure expenditure is authorised in accordance with company procedures.

- Monitor labour deployment and staffing levels to ensure they are appropriate for owner and resident demand and operational requirements.

- Identify opportunities to improve efficiency and reduce unnecessary expenditure without compromising owner and resident experience or service standards.

- Support the management of departmental budgets and provide relevant information to the Services Director.

- Monitor revenue opportunities within food & beverage, hospitality, events and other applicable services.

- Ensure cash handling, till procedures, payments and financial controls are followed correctly.

- Investigate and report significant financial variances, stock discrepancies or unusual expenditure.

- Support accurate completion of financial and operational reports.

- Ensure invoices, purchase orders and other financial documentation are processed in accordance with company procedures.

- Balance commercial considerations with the need to maintain high-quality owner and resident service.

- Contribute ideas and initiatives that improve operational efficiency, value for money and financial performance.

Health & Safety

- Support a strong health and safety culture throughout the village and lead by example.

- Ensure staff understand and follow company health and safety policies, procedures and safe working practices.

- Carry out regular checks of communal areas, operational areas and other relevant parts of the village to identify potential hazards.

- Monitor housekeeping and food & beverage practices to ensure activities are undertaken safely.

- Ensure cleaning chemicals and other hazardous substances are stored, handled and used in accordance with COSHH requirements.

- Ensure food safety, hygiene and allergen procedures are followed.

- Ensure appropriate personal protective equipment is available and used where required.

- Monitor fire safety arrangements, including clear escape routes and unobstructed emergency exits.

- Respond appropriately to fire alarms, emergencies and other incidents in accordance with established procedures.

- Ensure accidents, incidents and near misses are reported promptly and recorded accurately.

- Support investigations into accidents and incidents and ensure appropriate follow-up actions are completed.

- Escalate concerns relating to owner and resident safety, safeguarding or wellbeing appropriately.

- Support regular health and safety inspections, audits and risk assessments.

- Ensure contractors and visitors comply with relevant health and safety requirements while on site.

- Participate in emergency procedures and provide appropriate management support during an emergency.

Management & Leadership

- Take operational responsibility for the village during designated manager shifts.

- Provide clear leadership and direction to staff across relevant departments.

- Conduct effective shift handovers, ensuring important owner and resident, staffing, operational, financial, maintenance and safety matters are communicated.

- Monitor staffing levels and respond appropriately to sickness, absence or unexpected operational issues.

- Support recruitment, induction, training and development of team members.

- Lead by example and promote a positive, professional and owner and resident-focused culture.

- Address performance or conduct concerns appropriately and escalate to the Services Director where necessary.

- Ensure company policies, procedures and service standards are consistently followed.

- Work collaboratively with department heads and managers to maintain continuity of service.

- Ensure appropriate management cover and decision-making during designated shifts.

Communication & Administration

- Maintain accurate shift records, handover notes and management reports.

- Ensure important information is communicated effectively between shifts and departments.

- Record and follow up owner and resident requests, complaints, incidents and operational issues.

- Maintain appropriate records relating to service standards, financial controls, health and safety and operational performance.

- Liaise with contractors, suppliers and visitors where appropriate.

- Monitor outstanding actions and ensure they are followed through to completion.

- Provide regular feedback to the Services Director on owner and resident experience, service standards, housekeeping, Food & beverage, financial performance, health and safety, staffing and operational issues.

Experience & Skills

Essential

- Previous experience in a supervisory or management role within hospitality, hotels, retirement living or a similar customer-focused environment.

- Strong customer service and relationship-management skills.

- Experience managing or supervising teams.

- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.

- Strong commercial awareness and understanding of basic financial controls.

- Experience monitoring expenditure, stock, staffing costs or departmental budgets.

- Ability to remain calm and professional when dealing with complaints or difficult situations.

- Strong organisational skills and the ability to prioritise competing demands.

- Good attention to detail, particularly around service standards, cleanliness, presentation, safety and financial controls.

- Ability to work independently and make appropriate decisions during manager shifts.

- Good understanding of workplace health and safety responsibilities.

Desirable

- Previous experience within a retirement village, hotel or luxury hospitality environment.

- Experience managing or supervising housekeeping and/or food & beverage operations.

- Experience working with older owner and residents or customers with additional support needs.

- Hospitality, management, financial or health and safety qualifications.

Personal Attributes

The successful candidate will be:

- Warm, approachable and genuinely owner and resident-focused.

- Professional and confident when dealing with owner and residents, families and colleagues.

- Commercially aware while maintaining a strong focus on owner and resident experience.

- Highly organised and attentive to detail.

- A strong team leader who leads by example.

- Proactive and solutions-focused.

- Calm and composed under pressure.

- Comfortable taking responsibility and making appropriate decisions.

- Committed to maintaining high standards of service, cleanliness, presentation, safety and financial control.

- Able to balance operational and commercial requirements with a genuine understanding of the owner and resident experience.

Hours & Working Pattern

The Assistant Manager will be required to work a flexible shift pattern, including weekends and public holidays where required, to provide management cover across the operation.