The Head of Operations will, on a fixed-term contract basis, provide the strategic and operational leadership to accelerate transformation and drive profitable growth globally across all hotels and trains. He/she will foster a growth-oriented culture focused on delivering a superior guest experience while meeting clear financial and operational metrics.
Key responsibilities:
Leadership & strategic vision:
- Act as the ultimate leader of the operations division, architecting and executing the brand’s global operational roadmap under the direct guidance of the CEO.
- Partner with the Executive Committee to design short- to long-term organizational planning to maximize portfolio synergies while safeguarding absolute compliance with all corporate policies, financial guidelines, and management contracts.
Pre-opening & assets launch:
- Spearhead end-to-end pre-opening phases for OE assets by coordinating cross-functional teams (Design, Finance, P&C…) to ensure operational readiness on OE assets (hotels and trains).
- Develop bespoke operational plans, budgets, and SOPs in alignment with General Managers and owners to secure on-time delivery and maximize investment outcomes
Guest experience excellence & brand integrity: Guard the guest experience by championing LQA standards across all assets and providing strategic direction for signature F&B, wellness, and on-board concepts.
Financial governance & asset value optimization: Hold full accountability for global operational profitability and long-term asset value , delivering on EBITDA targets, CAPEX plans, and manning guides in close collaboration with finance directors and investors, while ensuring a flawless balance between ultra-luxury service standards and proactive cost management.
Strategic growth & market acceleration: Foster high-impact collaboration with Commercial, Revenue, and Marketing divisions to design growth-focused strategies and accelerate booking velocity.
Elite leadership recruitment: Lead the recruitment of high-profile operational leaders (General Managers and Train Managers).
- 10+ years of progressive leadership in the ultra-luxury hospitality or railway sector
- Successful history of directing complex, high-profile pre-opening projects from construction/design phases through to launch and stabilization
- Solid experience collaborating directly with institutional investors, asset owners, and board members
- Deep understanding of LQA standards and important attention to detail
- Exceptional negotiation and influencing skills to manage complex relationships
- Strong leadership and management skills
- Strong sense of urgency
- Professional fluency in English is mandatory. Italian would be a plus.