Operations Manager

Company Overview

Dooley’s Hotel is a long-standing, family-owned three-star hotel situated on the quays in Waterford, Ireland’s oldest city. The property is now run by the third generation of the family and is recognised for creating a welcoming, personal stay for guests. With 113 bedrooms, it serves corporate travellers, families, and coach tour groups. Dining is led by the New Ship Restaurant, which focuses on straightforward, quality meals made with fresh produce from the South East. The Dry Dock Bar offers an authentic Irish bar setting for both locals and visitors, while the hotel continues to balance traditional comfort with modern service standards.

Role Summary

Dooley’s Hotel is seeking an Operations Manager who can lead with purpose, not just supervise tasks. This is a people-focused leadership role for someone who understands that strong hotel operations depend on clear communication, calm judgement, and the ability to bring teams together. You will oversee the hotel’s daily operation, work closely with department heads, and make sure guest experience, team coordination, and service standards remain consistently high.

Key Duties

• Guide department heads so that every shift delivers a reliable, high-quality guest experience.
• Take a practical, hands-on role in food and beverage operations across both front-of-house and back-of-house areas.
• Oversee daily staffing, schedules, guest satisfaction, and quality control across the hotel.
• Identify operational issues early and prevent them from escalating into guest complaints.
• Serve as the senior contact for guests and staff during your shift.
• Promote a team environment where open communication is expected and consistently maintained.
• Monitor key performance indicators and respond to the trends the data reveals.
• Assist HR and senior management with hiring, onboarding, training, and performance discussions.

Leadership Expectations

The hotel values a leader who can look beyond surface-level behaviour and understand the full context behind situations. In practice, that means staying calm under pressure, reading people and rooms accurately, recognising what is not being said, and creating a workplace where team members feel able to communicate honestly even when the conversation is difficult. Sound judgement and empathy matter just as much as operational control.

Candidate Profile

• Solid background in hotel operations management, ideally gained in a 3-star or 4-star property.
• Strong experience in food and beverage operations, with practical understanding of both guest-facing and service areas behind the scenes.
• Proven ability to lead and develop teams, including giving feedback and handling difficult conversations when necessary.
• Capacity to juggle multiple priorities while maintaining attention to detail.
• Composed decision-making and steady judgement when problems arise.
• Excellent interpersonal awareness and the ability to understand people and situations quickly and accurately.
• Practical experience with rostering, budgeting, and operational reporting.
• Genuine enthusiasm for hospitality that is reflected in day-to-day work.

What Is Offered

• Salary will be competitive and aligned with experience.
• A key leadership position in a reputable, guest-centred hotel.
• An open management culture that values communication and invests in staff development.
• Staff meals, discounted room rates for employees, and access to a Health and Wellbeing Support Programme.
• An environment where your contribution is noticed and your input is valued.

How to Apply

Applicants should send a CV along with a brief cover letter, using the subject line Operations Manager Application.

Equal Opportunity Statement

Dooley’s Hotel is an equal opportunities employer and is committed to fostering a workplace where every person is treated with dignity and respect.