Operations / Hotel Manager – Commercial, Finance & F&B

Location: On property, Nairobi

Reports to: General Manager (day-to-day) / Owners (monthly P&L, controls, budget, pricing strategy)

Direct Reports: F&B Manager, Executive Chef (costing/purchasing), Reservations/Sales, Accounts and Cost Control

Key Responsibilities

1. Financial & Cost Control Leadership

• Own the property P&L (USALI format), monthly budgeting, forecasting, and line-by-line variance reporting.

• Enforce purchasing controls: approved suppliers, three-quote policy, GRN matching, par levels, and monthly stock-takes.

• Manage labor efficiency and productivity relative to occupancy and dining covers.

• Implement tight internal controls to eliminate leakage, stock loss, unauthorized voids, and comps.

• Maintain compliance with local taxes, levies, and statutory filings (VAT, Catering Levy, KRA, PAYE).

2. Food & Beverage and MICE Growth

• Treat F&B and event operations as high-margin profit centers through menu engineering, yield management, and recipe costing.

• Manage the wine and beverage program, including pricing, pouring costs, cellar controls, and supplier terms.

• Lead banqueting discipline: BEOs, event costing, minimum spend policies, deposits, and post-event reconciliations.

• Drive MICE sales suitable for a boutique luxury house (board retreats, private dining, diplomatic/corporate receptions, small weddings).

• Increase average spend and cover volume at the signature restaurant while protecting luxury positioning.

3. Revenue Management & OTA Distribution

• Oversee channel manager integration, PMS alignment, and extranet optimization (Booking.com, Expedia, Agoda, Google Hotel Ads, TripAdvisor).

• Apply revenue management principles: dynamic pricing, length-of-stay controls, ADR, RevPAR, and pace analysis.

• Audit and optimize listing content, photography, rate parity, and review scores.

• Shift market mix away from OTAs to lower commission costs and increase direct/trade booking share.

• Position the property on key luxury channels (Virtuoso, Signature, Serandipians, Amex FHR, Tablet, Mr & Mrs Smith).

4. Travel Trade & Corporate Sales

• Build and actively-manage relationships with inbound tour operators, safari DMCs, corporate travel desks, and local diplomatic/NGO accounts.

• Represent the property within key trade networks (KATO, Kenya Tourism Board, regional trade circuits).

• Negotiate contracted rates, corporate packages, and preferred supplier agreements.

Required Skills & Qualifications

• Experience: 8–12 years in hospitality, with at least 3 years in a senior leadership role (Hotel Manager, EAM, F&B Director, or Director of Sales) in a luxury or upper-upscale property.

• Background: Strong foundation in F&B operations paired with proven commercial and financial management expertise.

• Education: Degree or diploma in Hospitality Management (e.g., Utalii, Strathmore, Glion, EHL, Les Roches, or equivalent). Finance certifications (e.g., CPA) are an advantage.

• Systems: Advanced proficiency in PMS (Opera/Protel), POS (Micros/Simphony), Channel Managers (SiteMinder), inventory software, and advanced Excel.

• Market Knowledge: In-depth knowledge of the local Nairobi/East Africa corporate, diplomatic, and trade networks.

• Personal Attributes: Commercially driven, operationally hands-on, high integrity, strong analytical communicator, and an effective mentor to team members.

Key Performance Metrics (KPIs)

Performance Area

Target / Indicator

Gross Operating Profit

At or above approved budget monthly

Food Cost

28% – 32%

Beverage Cost

22% – 28%

Labor Cost

Maintained to budget per occupied room and cover

RevPAR & ADR

Year-on-year growth; ADR maintained in luxury tier

Channel Mix

Quarter-on-quarter increase in direct and trade

bookings

Distribution Cost

Reduction in total commission percentage

Stock Variance

Under 1%; zero unresolved audit findings

Reputation

9.0+ score on Booking.com with rising rank