Overview
Operations Manager Jobs in Waterford, County Waterford, Ireland at Dooley’s Hotel, Waterford
Title: Operations Manager
Company: Dooley’s Hotel, Waterford
Location: Waterford, County Waterford, Ireland
Company Description Dooley’s Hotel is a three-star, family-run hotel located on the quays in Waterford, Ireland’s oldest city. Now in its third generation of ownership and management, the hotel is known for its warm, personal, and inviting guest experience. The 113-bedroom property is catering to corporate, family, and coach tour guests. The New Ship Restaurant offers relaxed, quality dining focused on “Food Without Pretences,” using fresh products from the South East region. Complementing these facilities, The Dry Dock Bar provides an authentic Irish bar experience for locals and visitors, while the hotel maintains traditional values and comforts alongside contemporary service.
Operations Manager, Dooley's Hotel, Waterford
We are not just looking for a manager. We are looking for a leader who gets people.
At Dooley’s Hotel, great hospitality starts long before a guest checks in. It starts in the corridors, the kitchens, the back offices, and the quiet moments between the chaos. It starts with the people who hold it all together.
That's why this role matters.
The Role
We need an Operations Manager who can do more than keep things running. Someone who understands that leading a hotel team is as much about people as it is about process. Organised, decisive, and genuinely invested in the people around them.
You will oversee the day-to-day running of the hotel, working directly with department heads across rooms, food and beverage, and guest services. You will set the tone, solve the problems, and keep standards high when the pressure is on.
What You Will Be Doing
· Leading department heads to deliver consistent, high-quality guest experiences every shift
· Running food and beverage operations with a hands-on approach, front and back of house
· Managing daily operations across staffing, scheduling, guest satisfaction, and quality control
· Spotting operational gaps before they become guest complaints
· Acting as the senior point of contact for guests and staff during your shift
· Building a team culture where clear communication isn't optional, it's the standard
· Tracking KPIs and acting on what the numbers actually tell you
· Supporting HR and management with recruitment, training, and performance conversations
A Word on Leadership
There’s a phrase a friend shared once that demonstrates the value of communication in our hotel.
"All we really have of each other is our perception of each other."
Here’s what that looks like in practice.
You urgently need a colleague. You move through the hotel fast, checking the back office, the kitchens, the corridors. Nothing. Time passes. You finally find them in the staff room, sitting quietly with a coffee.
Your first thought? "I’ve been running around looking for them, and they are sitting in here?"
That frustration makes sense. But here’s what you didn’t know.
Five minutes before you walked in, that colleague was performing CPR on a guest. They didn’t stop to explain. They just acted. The paramedics had left. They were sitting there, exhausted and still shaking, grabbing sixty seconds to recover.
Same moment. Two completely different stories. Two completely different perceptions. Both real. Only one is based on the full picture.
This plays out in hotel teams every single day. When communication breaks down, people fill the gaps with assumptions. Those assumptions quietly shape how the whole team functions, who gets trusted, who gets blamed, and what gets missed.
The Operations Manager we’re looking for understands this without being told. They can read a room. They pick up on what’s not being said. They respond to what’s actually happening, not just what’s visible on the surface. They create an environment where people feel safe enough to communicate clearly, even when things are difficult.
Feelings are valid. But feelings aren’t always facts. A good leader knows the difference.
What You Will Bring
· Proven experience in hotel operations management, ideally in a 3 or 4-star property
· A strong food and beverage background, with real knowledge of both front and back of house
· Experience leading teams, not just managing them. Motivating, developing, and having the hard conversations when needed
· The ability to manage competing priorities without losing track of the details
· A calm, clear head when things go wrong, and things will go wrong
· Sharp interpersonal skills and the ability to read people and situations accurately
· Hands-on experience with rostering, budgeting, and operational reporting
· A genuine passion for hospitality that shows up in how you work, not just what you say
What We Offer
· A competitive salary based on your experience
· A central leadership role in a well-established, guest-focused hotel
· A management team that communicates openly and invests in its people
· Staff meals, employee discount room rates, and access to our Health and Wellbeing Support Programme
· A workplace where your contribution is visible and your voice carries weight
How to Apply
Send your CV and a short cover letter to [email protected]
Use the subject line: Operations Manager Application
- Dooley’s Hotel is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to building a team where everyone is treated with dignity and respect.
