Operations Manager – Shropshire Holiday Let Portfolio

Job Description

Operations Manager – Shropshire Holiday Accommodation

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Location: Shropshire, primarily Shrewsbury and surrounding areas

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Salary & Benefits

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• £32,000 – £35,000 per annum, depending on experience.

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• Performance-related bonus.

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• Mileage or vehicle allowance.

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• Full-time permanent position.

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• Significant autonomy and responsibility.

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• Direct access to the business owners.

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• Opportunity to shape and develop the operational function.

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• Career progression as the business continues to grow.

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• Work within a growing, entrepreneurial local business.

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About Pass the Keys Shropshire

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Pass the Keys Shropshire is a locally owned and operated holiday-let management business with a growing portfolio of approximately 70 short-stay and holiday properties across Shropshire.

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We manage everything from individual cottages and apartments to larger luxury homes, working across Shrewsbury, Ludlow, Church Stretton and surrounding areas.

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Our business is built around three things: excellent guest experiences, high property standards and strong commercial performance.

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We are growing and are looking for an exceptional Operations Manager to take ownership of our day-to-day field operation.

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We are not looking for an administrator. We are looking for an operator.

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Someone who naturally takes control, solves problems, holds people accountable and gets things done.

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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.

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The Role

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As Operations Manager, you will be responsible for the successful day-to-day operation of our entire Shropshire property portfolio.

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Due to the demands of the role, you will be required to work alternate weekends.

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Saturday plus the Sunday. However, you will take a regular day off each week – ideally, Wednesday.

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Your objective is simple:

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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.

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You will be the central point of control for our field operations.

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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.

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Key Responsibilities1. Field Operations & Daily Logistics

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Take overall responsibility for the smooth running of our property operations across Shropshire.

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This includes:

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• Coordinating daily cleaning and changeover schedules across approximately 70 properties.

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• Ensuring properties are cleaned, inspected and guest-ready before check-in.

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• Managing linen, consumables, keys and other operational requirements.

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• Planning for high-volume changeover days, particularly Fridays, Sundays and Mondays.

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• Monitoring property readiness throughout the day.

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• Identifying potential problems before they become guest complaints.

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• Carrying out regular visits and inspections across the portfolio.

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2. Rapid Problem Solving & Incident Management

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Things go wrong in holiday accommodation. What matters is how quickly and effectively they are resolved.

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You will be expected to take immediate ownership of operational incidents including:

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• Heating or hot-water failures.

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• Plumbing issues.

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• Electrical problems.

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• Wi-Fi failures.

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• Lockouts and access problems.

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• Cleaning failures.

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• Missing keys.

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• Damage or unexpected property issues.

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• Contractor no-shows.

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• Guest complaints relating to operational problems.

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• Last-minute booking and changeover issues.

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3. Supplier & Contractor Management

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You will manage a network of external suppliers, including:

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• Cleaners.

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• Laundry providers.

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• Maintenance contractors.

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• Plumbers and heating engineers.

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• Electricians.

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• Gardeners.

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• Handymen.

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• Other property-service suppliers.

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Where standards aren't being met, you will be expected to have direct and sometimes difficult conversations.

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4. Quality Control & Property Standards

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Our reputation depends on the standard of our properties.

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You will:

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• Carry out regular and random property inspections.

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• Quality-check cleaning and presentation.

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• Monitor recurring property issues.

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• Identify wear and tear and maintenance requirements.

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• Ensure remedial works are completed.

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• Check that properties meet our presentation standards.

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• Ensure guest-facing equipment and facilities are working correctly.

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• Maintain accurate property information and operational instructions.

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We don't want to discover a problem because a guest has complained about it.

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We want you to find it first.

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5. Guest Experience

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Although this is an operational role, everything you do affects the guest experience.

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You will work closely with our guest support team to ensure:

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• Guests arrive at a property that is ready and correctly presented.

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• Problems are resolved quickly.

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• Contractors and suppliers respond appropriately.

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• Operational complaints are minimised.

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• Escalated guest issues are handled professionally.

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• Appropriate compensation or solutions are considered when operational failures occur.

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You will understand that a single missed clean, broken boiler or poorly handled problem can lead to:

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• A poor review.

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• A refund request.

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• Loss of revenue.

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• Damage to the owner's relationship with us.

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• Damage to the Pass the Keys brand.

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6. Organisation, Systems & Process Improvement

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An Operations Manager doesn't simply manage today's problems.

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They will continually ask:

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“Why did this happen, and how do we stop it happening again?”

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You will be expected to:

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• Improve operational processes.

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• Introduce effective checklists and systems.

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• Improve communication between office and field teams.

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• Reduce avoidable errors.

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• Reduce repeat operational issues.

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• Improve turnaround efficiency.

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• Develop better ways of monitoring outstanding tasks.

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• Create greater accountability across suppliers.

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• Identify opportunities to automate or simplify repetitive processes.

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7. Planning & Prioritisation

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This role involves managing multiple competing priorities.

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At any given time you could be dealing with:

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• A cleaner who hasn't arrived.

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• A guest reporting no hot water.

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• A contractor waiting for access.

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• A property inspection that needs completing.

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• An owner requesting an update.

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• A maintenance issue at another property.

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• A last-minute booking.

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You must be able to determine:

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What needs doing now?

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What can wait?

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What can be delegated?

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What needs escalation?

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You must remain organised and calm when several problems occur simultaneously.

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8. Team & People Management

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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.

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You will need to:

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• Give clear instructions.

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• Set expectations.

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• Monitor performance.

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• Provide feedback.

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• Address underperformance.

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• Recognise good performance.

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• Build strong working relationships.

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• Ensure everyone understands the standards expected.

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You should be confident managing people who do not directly report to you.

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9. Property Asset Management

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We don't simply manage bookings. We manage people's properties.

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You will therefore take an active role in protecting the condition and long-term performance of each property.

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10. Ownership & Decision-Making

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We need someone who takes ownership and thinks:

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“Right. How am I going to fix this?”

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You will be expected to:

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• Make sensible decisions independently.

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• Take responsibility for outcomes.

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• Follow tasks through to completion.

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• Communicate clearly.

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• Know when to escalate.

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• Accept responsibility when something goes wrong.

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• Learn from mistakes.

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• Protect the interests of the business and our property owners.

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You should be comfortable saying:

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“I've got it.”

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and then actually getting it done.

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What Success Looks Like

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Within 6 months, we would like the operation to be more organised, more reliable and less dependent on the owners.

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A successful Operations Manager will:

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• Know what is happening across the portfolio.

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• Have excellent visibility of upcoming changeovers.

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• Identify problems before guests do.

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• Keep suppliers accountable.

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• Maintain high property standards.

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• Resolve issues quickly.

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• Keep accurate records.

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• Follow through on outstanding actions.

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• Make sensible decisions independently.

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• Reduce the number of problems reaching Andy and Vicky.

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• Create systems that make the operation more efficient.

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• Take genuine pride in the performance of the portfolio.

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Key Performance Indicators

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Your performance will be measured against clear operational KPIs, including:

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• Property readiness at guest check-in.

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• Cleaning and inspection standards.

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• Guest complaints arising from operational failures.

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• Speed of operational issue resolution.

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• Supplier and contractor performance.

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• Outstanding maintenance actions.

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• Completion times for operational tasks.

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• Accuracy of operational records.

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• Reduction in repeat operational failures.

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• Guest satisfaction and review performance.

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• Overall reliability of the field operation.

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The Person We're Looking For

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We are looking for a high-drive, naturally organised and commercially aware operator.

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You are likely to be someone who:

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• Has natural urgency.

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• Moves quickly but thinks clearly.

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• Is calm under pressure.

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• Is highly organised.

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• Has exceptional follow-through.

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• Notices details others miss.

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• Enjoys solving problems.

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• Is comfortable making decisions.

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• Doesn't need constant supervision.

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• Isn't afraid of difficult conversations.

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• Holds people accountable.

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• Takes pride in standards.

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• Has a strong work ethic.

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• Enjoys responsibility.

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• Wants to make things happen.

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Relevant Backgrounds

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We don't necessarily expect candidates to come from traditional hospitality.

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What matters most is operational ability, drive, judgement and ownership.

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Essential Requirements

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• Full UK driving licence.

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• Own reliable vehicle or regular access to a reliable vehicle.

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• Willingness to travel extensively across Shropshire.

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• Excellent communication skills.

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• Strong organisational ability.

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• Confident using technology, smartphones and computer systems.

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• Ability to work independently.

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• Ability to manage competing priorities.

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• Ability to remain calm under pressure.

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• Comfortable working flexibly around operational requirements.

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This is a challenging and extremely rewarding role. We look forward to hearing from you.

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Andy and Vicky.

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