Guest Experience Manager

We’re a thriving team passionate about working together to deliver service excellence, all in a natural forest environment.

Welcome to Center Parcs – the number one choice for short break holidays, employing a team of over 9,500 employees across six separate villages located in the UK and Ireland.

GUEST EXPERIENCE MANAGER | Circa €74,800 per annum plus 18% bonus scheme

A strong guest welcome is an excellent start but what happens after is just as important. Whether guests stay for three, four or seven nights, whether it’s their first stay or their 20th year visiting us, we want to ensure a unique, high-quality and consistent guest experience. Here at Longford Forest, our service standards are in place, and our teams are on board, and the role of Guest Experience Manager will oversee a seamless experience from arrival to departure.

It’s a senior leadership role and you’ll be working with the Service Delivery team, comprising Security, Guest Services and Village Marketing, as well as Duty Village Managers, to increase guest satisfaction by equipping them with the skills and resources they need, whilst taking full accountability for their performance on the village.

Specifically, this will include:

• Helping your team to adapt to the changing demands and constraints and inspiring them to execute your vision for excellence
• Coaching and developing managers around team performance issues and ensuring regular training and development requirements are met
• Understanding what’s happening on village and how projects or unplanned events may have an impact on service standards, and then planning/implementing changes to minimise guest disruption
• Supporting the Deputy Village Director to take ownership of our Delivering Excellent Service strategy, whilst also protecting the integrity of the guest journey and collaborating with peers to deliver the village business plan
• Managing the service delivery budget, forecasting and presenting results on a period basis
• Maintaining positive working relationships with all relevant internal and external stakeholders
• Regular participation in the senior duty management rota, which will involve making decisions outside of your functional area and escalating serious operational issues

ABOUT YOU

As you can imagine, the scope of the role and size of the operation requires someone with direct experience of managing a large, diverse team in a guest/service focused hospitality, tourism or hotel environment, who has proven expertise in managing guest expectations and protecting a brand reputation.

In addition, you’ll be someone who is incredibly passionate about customer service and strives to always provide a flawless experience, and not just for our guests. You’ll maintain a positive working relationship with all relevant external stakeholders who interact with the Service Delivery Team Managers, to maximise the benefit to the business of those relationships, such as local police & community liaison

We’ll also need you to demonstrate:

• Excellent influencing and negation skills
• Experience in planning and organising
• Competence in managing contingencies
• The ability to juggle multiple priorities and see the bigger picture - using your skills across the wider business 

ABOUT THE BENEFITS

In return for your commitment and ability, we can offer you some unique benefits you won’t find anywhere else.

• Management Bonus Scheme
• Pension Scheme with Life Assurance
• Colleague Recognition and Reward Scheme – offering a choice of Center Parcs and High Street vouchers
• Free use of our leisure facilities
• Discounted Center Parcs breaks
• 20% discount in our restaurant and retail outlets
• Access to Perks at Work Portal - offering a wide range of retail and leisure discounts
• An Employee Assistance Program - providing support on financial, health and legal matters
• Excellent opportunities for career development and progression with the opportunity to gain externally recognised qualifications

If this sounds like your ideal job, then we’d love to see your application.

Closing date: 30th April 2024at 12 Noon

Interviews to be held: Week commencing 29th April 2024

Please note this vacancy may close at any time once sufficient applications have been received. Early submission of your application is therefore encouraged.

At Center Parcs, everyone’s welcome.

We recognise that we’re all at our best when we’re being ourselves. We are committed to building a culture that champions diversity, equity, and inclusion, where everyone is treated fairly and with respect. We welcome people from all backgrounds and want them to feel valued for their individuality, thrive in our business and share a sense of belonging. We place a lot of value on recruiting based on behaviours rather than prioritising qualifications or experience. Please let us know if you require any support or reasonable adjustments during the application or interview process.