As Head of Operations, you will be a key member of our Senior Leadership Team. You will own the strategy and execution across all operational functions, drive performance through data and systems, and lead a global team to deliver an exceptional guest and host experience across thousands of properties in multiple countries. This is a high-impact role for someone who thrives in ambiguity, builds for scale, and has a bias for action.
What you will do:
- Set Strategy & Drive Execution:
Define and lead Houst’s global operations strategy across Guest Experience, Property Maintenance, Supply Chain, and Channel Management. Build the infrastructure needed to support growth in both mature and emerging markets. - Deliver Operational Excellence:
Create scalable, data-driven processes that increase efficiency, reduce cost-to-serve, and elevate customer satisfaction. Build and implement global Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) that ensure consistency, speed, and quality. - Build & Lead a High-Performing Team:
Directly manage 3 senior functional leads and oversee a global team of 70+ across multiple time zones. Inspire, coach, and develop leaders capable of scaling Houst’s operational footprint and meeting ambitious KPIs. - Champion the Customer:
Partner with Guest Experience and Product teams to increase NPS and review scores across markets. Translate customer feedback into actionable improvements across the service lifecycle. - Own Marketplace Performance:
Optimize listings across Airbnb, Booking.com, and other platforms to maximize occupancy, pricing, and revenue. Lead the team responsible for real-time availability, dynamic pricing, and performance monitoring. - Drive Cost Efficiency & Financial Discipline:
Manage multi-currency budgets and operational P&Ls. Continuously improve unit economics by refining supplier contracts, enhancing service quality, and reducing inefficiencies. - Collaborate Cross-Functionally:
Work hand-in-hand with Commercial, Growth, Product, Finance, and People teams to shape Houst’s broader business strategy. Ensure ops strategy is tightly aligned with company OKRs.
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
