We’re hiring a hands-on and strategic Global Operations Director to lead our end-to-end operations across multiple functions, markets, and time zones. Sitting on the Senior Leadership Team, you’ll shape and deliver our operational strategy while getting hands-on with execution.
In this high-impact role, you will drive efficiencies through data and systems, and ensure our hosts and guests receive a consistently outstanding experience. This is a high-impact role for someone who can zoom out to scale and structure, but isn’t afraid to dive in when things get messy.
Be Hands-On & Practical
- Dive into the day-to-day when necessary, supporting escalations, refining workflows, or reviewing service delivery at a granular level.
- Jump in alongside your team to test ideas, solve problems, and accelerate execution where needed.
- Lead by example: you’re not just managing performance, you’re actively contributing to it.
Set Strategy & Drive Execution
- Define and lead Houst’s global operations strategy across Guest Experience, Property Maintenance, Supply Chain, and Channel Management.
- Build operational infrastructure to support both mature markets and new launches.
- Develop a long-term roadmap for delivering scalable, tech-enabled service at a low cost-to-serve.
Deliver Operational Excellence
- Create efficient, data-driven processes that improve speed, reduce cost, and elevate service quality.
- Design and implement global SOPs that ensure consistency while allowing for local adaptation.
- Monitor and act on operational metrics in real time, adjusting tactics when needed to hit targets.
Lead a High-Performing Global Team
- Directly manage three senior function leads and oversee a geographically distributed team of 70+ across several time zones.
- Inspire and grow leaders, set clear KPIs, and foster a culture of accountability, ownership, and continuous improvement.
- Lead workforce planning, org design, and hiring for Ops as we scale.
Champion the Customer
- Partner with Product and Guest Experience teams to increase NPS, reduce escalations, and ensure consistent 5-star service.
- Use guest and host feedback to identify weak points and guide meaningful improvements across the customer journey.
Own Marketplace Performance
- Oversee optimisation of listings across Airbnb, Booking.com and other key platforms.
- Lead dynamic pricing, availability management, and platform health to maximise occupancy and revenue.
- Monitor performance dashboards and drive action on real-time data insights.
Control Costs & Improve Financial Performance
- Manage operational P&Ls and multi-currency budgets.
- Identify ways to improve unit economics by streamlining processes, renegotiating supplier contracts, and cutting waste.
- Build financial discipline into everyday operations without sacrificing service quality.
Collaborate Cross-Functionally
- Work closely with our Growth, Commercial, Product, Finance, and People teams to align operational plans with company-wide OKRs.
- Partner with the SLT, contributing to broader business strategy and scaling decisions.
Requirements
- 10+ years of experience in operations, preferably in high-growth, tech-enabled environments (e.g. marketplaces, hospitality, logistics, or property tech).
- Proven leadership track record, including building and scaling high-performing, globally distributed teams.
- Obsessed with performance, you love using KPIs, dashboards, and metrics to measure success and continuously improve.
- Advanced analytical ability, you can make sense of large data sets, build models in Excel/Sheets, and ideally know your way around SQL.
- Operational success, you’ve built SOPs, optimised workflows, and implemented systems that stand the test of scale.
- Deep customer empathy, you understand what makes a great customer experience and how to operationalise it.
- Commercial & financial acumen, strong grasp of cost control, margin optimisation, and supply-side economics.
- Global mindset, experience operating across markets, with an appreciation for cultural nuances and local ops.
Benefits
- 25 days holiday
- Hybrid working (3 days in our London office, 2 days WFH)
- An extra day off for your birthday - because who wants to work on their birthday?
- Employee discounts – at heaps of restaurants, shops, gym memberships, cinema tickets and more
- Pawternity - We encourage proud parents of new pets to work from home to help their new member settle in
- Pension - We provide a pension scheme for all permanent employees
- MacBook - for business use
