Team Leader, Housekeeping

As a Housekeeping Team Leader, you will play a key role in delivering seamless service and exceptional guest experiences across the Housekeeping team whilst also supporting other areas across the hotel.

Working in the hotel, you’ll be surrounded by a team of passionate and dedicated hospitality Partners to give our guests the best experience, whether with us for the day or a longer stay. What is different about our guests, though, is that they are Partners, their friends and family. As co-owners in the business, you’ll see this difference in the way your teammates and you approach your job and carry out your responsibilities.

You will manage a team of housekeeping assistants, ensuring the smooth running of daily operations across the hotel and other properties. This is a challenging role requiring a hands-on approach and the ability to "roll up your sleeves" and work alongside the team. The leader will have autonomy to make decisions and should be adept at building positive working relationships quickly.

The role will offer you opportunities to display your talent, people manager skills, knowledge of running a successful housekeeping and suggest improvements to existing housekeeping processes with the aim of enhancing efficiency and guest experience.

In addition to your contractual pay, any time worked between 22:00 - 06:00 will attract Night Premium at a rate of £4.25 per hour. This will also apply to existing Partners who have enrolled onto Enhanced Hours Premium arrangements.

• Expected salary - Range starting from £28,500 (dependent on experience). 

• Contract type - This position is a Permanent contract.

• Location - This role is based at our Odney Hotel, in Cookham

• Working Pattern - Varied hours of full time work (37.5hrs) across seven days on a rota basis. Earliest start 6am, latest finish 8pm. To include weekends

Key responsibilities 

• Implement and supervise standards of housekeeping service across the hotel operation

• Create a high-performing and professional team. Plan and manage shifts, rotas, holiday planning, sickness cover, training and administration. Work closely with colleagues in Central Support, Reception, and Events.

• Supervise all bookings and allocation of resources. Oversee ordering, open and close down procedures and room standard checks.

• Ensuring that all applicable hygiene and safety policies and procedures are implemented and followed.

• Allocate daily tasks, supervise work completed and resolve obstacles in maintaining standards.

• Ensure standards of uniform, PPE usage and grooming are adhered to in self and team.

• Ensure Housekeeping Partners are correctly trained on cleanliness, room preparation, hygiene, safety, equipment, and the proper use of cleaning chemicals.

• Ensure training is up to date and correctly recorded

• Respond to business demand and ensure resources are available to meet expected/planned demand.

• Identify and report maintenance issues, monitor progress and liaise with reception and maintenance departments to ensure timely resolution.

• Support the implementation of changes to ensure continuous innovations and improvements are made within the department in keeping with 3*+ hospitality operation.

• Act as the first point of contact to resolve guest queries and requirements relating to the housekeeping operation

• Act as a duty manager as required

• Step in and deliver housekeeping services, where necessary

Essential skills/experience you’ll need

• Relevant and proven experience in the supervision of a hospitality or housekeeping service

• Self-motivated/ Industrious. 

• Competent in IT systems and able to use standard software. 

• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal and meticulous attention to detail.

Desirable skills/experience you may have 

• Certificate in Level 3 Diploma in Hospitality Supervision (RQF) (Housekeeping Supervisor

About Odney.

If you are looking for a country club hotel with something different and some history to work in, then The Odney Hotel, our Place by the River, could be for you. This is a beautiful and unique John Lewis Partnership-owned hotel, set on 130 acres by the River Thames in Cookham, Berkshire. It offers both character and charm to our guests. 

The guests can stay in one of 5 beautiful houses on the site, or one of Airbnb’s, each maintaining the period look of its time with access to the picturesque grounds, including a private stretch of river, water gardens, a pool, and sports facilities. The main house, Lullebrook Manor and its grounds are thought to have been the inspiration for the classic novel The Wind in The Willows, bringing history along with relaxation.

Relaxation can be further achieved with a visit to our Wellbeing suite, offering beauty treatments and massages or afternoon tea on the terrace, a drink in the bar or a meal overlooking the river. 

We’re the largest employee owned business in the UK and home of our cherished brands, John Lewis and Waitrose. We’re not just employees, we’re Partners, driven by our purpose to build a happier world. As we look to our future, there’s never been a more exciting time to join us.  

We’re ruthlessly focused on being brilliant at retail. We continue to innovate, adapt and diversify. Never Knowingly Undersold on price, quality and service in John Lewis and passionately serving food-lovers in Waitrose.   

As Partners we all share the responsibility of ownership and in its rewards. We use our voices to contribute to our success, working together through the good and challenging times, holding true to our behaviours and treating everyone with kindness and respect. 

We all own making the Partnership somewhere we belong. Embracing our differences and creating an environment where we’re free to be ourselves and can THRIVE. Growing ourselves individually, and as a collective. 

As Partners, we make all the difference. And, we all own it.  

Important points to note:  

It’s important to note that some of our roles are subject to pre-employment vetting (which may include DBS checks for successful candidates). If required, you’ll be informed and provided with information about vetting during the recruitment process and we encourage you to complete any vetting documents quickly to avoid delays. Any DBS checks required will be carried out by a third-party registered body and financial probity checks may also be required for some of our roles.  

We occasionally close vacancies early in the event we receive a high volume of applications, and therefore, we recommend you apply early. If you require a reasonable adjustment due to a disability which means you may need longer to complete your application please contact us as soon as possible.

We want all of our Partners to have a good work-life balance and we support flexible working. This might mean flexible or compressed hours, job sharing or shorter hour contracts, where possible. Please discuss this further with the hiring manager during your interview. 

Attachment: Download Job Attachment