Hotel Duty Manager: Heritage Wine Farm (Stellenbosch Region)

Tuesday, 22 September, 2026

Zelda Oelofse-Cornthwaite +27 82 399 6381

Stellenbosch

HOTEL DUTY MANAGER – Heritage Wine Farm (Stellenbosch)

Our client, is one of South Africa’s oldest working farms, strategically located in the heart of Stellenbosch Winelands. We have an opportunity for an experienced Hotel Duty Manager to join our client’s team.

POSITION OVERVIEW:

A newly established operational leadership role created to strengthen day-to-day execution, cross departmental coordination, and visible management presence on the floor.

This role reports to the Hotel Manager and Supports both the Rooms Division Manager & the Executive Chef by acting as the operational link between these departments and helping to ensure the smooth running of the hotel during live service periods.

The Duty Manager serves as a key operational anchor during live service periods enabling seamless collaboration between the Rooms Division, Food and Beverage and all other departments.

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES

Operational Coordination & On Duty Oversight:

Act as the primary operational link between Rooms Division and Food & Beverage during assigned shifts to delivery Everyday Excellence to our Guests and Team
Provide on-duty operational support to the Rooms Division Manager and Executive Chef
Coordinate operational activities across departments to maintain service continuity and guest satisfaction
Maintain real-time oversight of arrivals, departures, VIP guests, restaurant reservations, events, and outlet capacity
Communicate operational updates and priorities to relevant teams to support alignment during shifts
Coordinate handover between shifts to maintain continuity of operations
Conduct regular walkthroughs of all guest-facing and operational areas to identify early action points and support proactive maintenance of the guest experience

Guest Experience & Service Recovery:

Act as the senior point of contact for guest engagement during shifts
Coordinate the guest experience across all services to ensure seamless delivery throughout the guest journey
Engage with guests during their stay to identify needs and enhance the overall experience
Resolve guest complaints, feedback and escalations with professionalism, empathy, and urgency to achieve positive outcomes and protect the hotel’s reputation
Implement and follow through on service recovery actions in collaboration with relevant departments

Leadership Support & Collaboration:

Act as the visible management presence on duty in support of departmental leaders
Provide guidance to operational staff during shifts to maintain service standards
Support resolution of team-related issues to maintain productivity and morale
Promote a collaborative working environment to support effective service delivery
Reinforce service standards, SOPs and operational priorities
Support Heads of Department through coordination, communication and real-time problem solving

Decision-Making Authority & Escalation:

Make operational decisions during assigned shifts to maintain service continuity, guest satisfaction, and safety, within approved hotel policies, procedures, and service standards
Resolve routine on-shift issues in real time and coordinate appropriate service recovery with the relevant departments
Escalate matters involving significant financial impact, serious guest dissatisfaction, employee relations concerns, safety incidents, reputational risk, or exceptions to policy to the Hotel Manager or relevant Head of Department
Document key decisions, incidents, guest recovery actions, and escalations in the shift handover to ensure accountability and operational continuity

Role Development:

Contribute actively to the development and refinement of the Duty Manager role
Monitor service delivery to identify improvement opportunities and support continuous enhancement
Identify operational and administrative gaps, risks, or inefficiencies, and propose practical improvements
Support cost-control initiatives during shifts by monitoring operational usage, avoiding unnecessary wastage and escalating cost-related concerns where appropriate
Support the Hotel Manager in embedding this role into the hotel’s leadership structure

Health, Safety & Compliance:

Act as the main point of contact during shifts for compliance, risk and operational incidents, escalating matters to the appropriate manager where required
Support compliance with all health, safety, hygiene, company policy, and operational procedure requirements
Apply safety, security, and emergency procedures to protect guests, staff, and assets
Respond appropriately to incidents and emergencies, report incidents and risks to management, and support corrective action

Knowledge, Skills and Qualities

Minimum 4 years’ experience in a Duty Manager or supervisory role within a luxury 5-star hotel or similar hospitality environment, with proven exposure to Front Office, Housekeeping, Food and Beverage, Guest Relations, Service Recovery, and operational coordination
Strong operational understanding of Rooms Division and Food and Beverage operations
Proven leadership, organisational and problem-solving skills, with the ability to train, mentor and motivate a team
Guest-focused approach, with the ability to anticipate guest needs and create personalised, high-quality guest experiences
Warm, engaging, and professional communication style, with exceptional interpersonal and relationship-building skills
Calm, solutions-driven approach with sound judgement and resilience when working under pressure
Strong sense of professionalism, discretion, and accountability
Proactive and resourceful, with the ability to anticipate challenges, resolve issues and make sound operational decisions
Experience with Opera, HubSpot and Dineplan
Commitment to sustainability, authenticity, and the values
Own reliable transport
Flexibility to work shifts, weekends, and public holidays.