Operations Director

Full Time · Based at Tewinbury, Hertfordshire

We’re looking for a natural leader with a calm head, a sharp eye and a deep love for hospitality to join us as Operations Director at Tewinbury – our independent, family-run hotel and event destination set in the Hertfordshire countryside.

This is a pivotal role at the heart of our business. You’ll be working closely with our owners and leadership teams to oversee the smooth, efficient and thoughtful running of all areas of operations – from our guest experience and food & beverage offering, to our accommodation, events, team culture and day-to-day service standards.

Tewinbury is a place where people come to slow down, celebrate, connect – and your role will be to help make sure that happens seamlessly, every single time.

This is a full-time, on-site role based at our riverside location in Tewin, Hertfordshire. It’s an opportunity to shape the next chapter of a growing business and be part of something with real soul.

  1. What you’ll be doing:

    • Leading our operations team with confidence, care and clarity

    • Overseeing all departments (front of house, F&B, housekeeping, events, kitchen and more)

    • Working alongside the directors to develop strategy and long-term goals

    • Maintaining and improving service standards, systems and operational flow

    • Being a key driver of team culture – hiring, developing and retaining brilliant people

    • Finding ways to evolve and elevate the guest experience across all touchpoints

    • Keeping a close eye on performance, budgets, supplier relationships and compliance

    • Rolling up your sleeves when needed – we’re a hands-on kind of place

  2. You’ll thrive in this role if:

    • You’ve got senior operational experience in high-end hospitality or lifestyle spaces

    • You lead with integrity, empathy and good instincts

    • You’re obsessed with the details, but never lose sight of the bigger picture

    • You’re calm under pressure, solutions-focused, and deeply organised

    • You know how to get the best out of people – and enjoy helping teams grow

    • You have a strong understanding of systems, service and operational efficiency

    • You believe in sustainability, seasonality and experiences that feel genuine and grounded

Meet the Team

Our day to day flow

  1. Farm Etiquette
    • Be naturally curious.
    • Open your arms & be generous.
    • Bring the energy.
    • Take pride in this place.
    • Have fun.
  2. Values

    Our values & vision

    ‘Tewinbury Forever’ is our mindset and motivation. We’re playing the long game here, with our four values working to sustain Tewinbury for generations to come.

    1. Take pride

    We’re responsible for our land, appearance, products, practices, and people. This means prioritising quality over convenience. As our Dad says, “we’re not selling this bag of potatoes, we’re selling the next.” Do a great job today so people come back tomorrow.

    1. Always welcoming

    And generous. From the moment you cross the river and arrive at Tewinbury, you feel like you’re in the right place, surrounded by the right people. However long you’re here, we want to get to know you, hear your story, and help you feel your best.

    1. Stay curious

    Listen, question, learn. We always remain open to - and are never offended by - growth, change, and constructive critiques. As guardians of this estate, it’s in our interests to always do better for it.

  3. Lessons and Learnings Guiding Our Land and People
    • Be generous with your time and attention
      Make people feel truly welcome. Take a genuine interest in who they are and where they’re headed. A little kindness goes a long way.
    • Look after what you have not just what you want
      Care for what’s already here – the land, the people and the community. A solid foundation is key to growing anything worthwhile.
    • You’re selling what you have not just what you want
      In the words of Vaughan, "You can't sell the farm you want, you can only sell the farm you’ve got." Focus on making what you have the very best it can be.
    • Play the long game
      Don’t expect everything to happen all at once. Growth and success take time, patience and a steady hand.
    • Breathe
      The long game only works if you balance it with moments of play and rest. Take breaks, recharge and come back stronger.
    • You’ll always worry about things
      It’s natural to worry but trust in your hard work. More often than not the effort you put in helps those worries sort themselves out.
    • Take opportunities and stretch yourself
      Step outside your comfort zone. Growth happens when you challenge yourself and embrace new chances.
    • Do the right thing
      If something feels like the right thing to do it usually is. Integrity always pays off in the long run.
    • Get out into nature every day
      Step away from the desk, breathe in the fresh air and see the real life around you – the cows, the sheep and even the worms. We’re all connected in one big chain.
    • Bring people on the journey
      Life’s a lot more fun when you share it. Involve others, collaborate and enjoy the ride together.
The Hotel Events
  1. Responsibilities
    • Leadership & Management: Lead, motivate, and develop a team of nearly 200 employees across various departments including Food and Beverage, Rooms, and Meetings & Events.
    • Operational Excellence: Ensure the seamless operation of all hotel functions across our large 500-acre site with 60 bedrooms. Focus on developing our proposition for staycations and drive our 5 F&B outlets including Farm Shop to new heights whilst still delivering hundreds of weddings a year and events catering up to 1000 people. 
    • Financial Performance: Drive operating profit through efficient management and innovative strategies. Monitor and report on key performance indicators such as operating profit, customer satisfaction scores, and employee Net Promoter Scores (NPS).
    • Guest Experience: Uphold our commitment to exceptional guest experiences, ensuring high levels of satisfaction and repeat business.
    • Event Management: Oversee the planning and execution of events that cater up to 500 people, ensuring each event runs smoothly and meets client expectations.
    • Innovation & Improvement: Stay curious and open to new ideas, continuously seek ways to iterate and test new products to keep our offering fresh, improve operations and enhance the guest experience. We have a deep culture of evolving the site and have big plans to add a coffee roastery, bakery, farmfit spa / wellness and looking for someone to be hungry to adapt and grow to these new offerings whilst constantly innovating with new products (food and drink) and programmes (wellness, art classes, cultural seminars etc).
    • Sustainability: Tewinbury is on a mission to be one of the most sustainable hotels in the UK - including becoming completely off-grid with our own solar farm. We need our Operations Director to ensure this ethos and value is practiced across our people, products and programming for guests and members - incl. everything from coffee cups to team culture.
  2. Qualifications
    • Experience: A minimum of 5 years’ experience in a senior operations role within the hospitality industry, preferably in a large event / F&B venue or boutique / luxury hotel environment.
    • Leadership: Proven track record of effective leadership, with the ability to inspire and manage a large, diverse team.
    • Diligence: You will be responsible for everything from Health and Safety to Standard
    • Operating procedures so we need a strong operational mindset to ensure we are always compliant to legislation.
    • Financial Acumen: Strong understanding of financial management, budgeting, and reporting.
    • Customer Focus: Deep commitment to delivering exceptional guest service.
    • Innovation: Ability to drive innovation and improvement within the operation.
    • Communication: Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
  3. Compensation
    • Highly competitive annual salary of circa £80,000
    • Bonus up to £15,000 per annum based on KPI’S (EBITDA and Guest Reviews)
    • Private Health care
    • Tech/cycle scheme
    • Discounts on food/stays
    • Meals on duty
    • Laundry discounts
    • Holiday allowance 33 days
    • Relocation support available, accommodation for 3-6 month period

Apply Today.

– please email Craig at mum with your CV craig@workwithmum.com

Closing date: Monday 28th April, 5pm

No recruitment agencies please. 

History of Tewinbury

From rustic farm to ever-evolving estate

Three generations of Williams’ have called Tewinbury home - the fourth are currently in nursery - growing it from a dairy farm into a place full of life for stays, dinners, celebrations, members, meetings and more. Come take a trip down memory lane…

 

  1. How it started

    Tewinbury has been the Williams family home, our home, since 1931. That’s when our Grandad arrived here on a train from London with 50 cows. Yep. 50 cows. On a train. Bananas. In the years that followed, our Uncle Ivor looked after the farm (and still does today). 

    Fast-forward to 1980 when the dairy herd was sold in order to buy some of the surrounding land and open a farm shop stocked with local produce. At the same time, our Dad Vaughan advertised four rooms in the family home as guest rooms for visitors. They were pretty popular, and so began Tewinbury’s next chapter as both a farm and a hotel.

     

  2. How it's going

    Tewinbury has continued to change with the times - with more spaces and places added for people to meet, play, and grow together. The estate is now in the hands of us three brothers (Jack, Tom and Sam Williams), the wider family of Lauren and Salem, and our 200+ local friends who work here every day. All under the occasional watchful eye of Dad!

    We still farm the land and are passionate about guests connecting with it in fun and informative ways. We want people to see where their food comes from and enjoy everything that nature can nurture. 

  3. How it’s evolving

    ‘Tewinbury Forever’ is our mindset and motivation. We’re playing the long game here, working to sustain Tewinbury for generations to come. We’ll continue to experiment and adapt, just as Dad Vaughan and Uncle Ivor did, with financial and environmental responsibility. That’s the benefit of building something with soul, not shareholders. 

    From a sustainability standpoint, our Green Policy is already in place and we’re always working to reduce our carbon footprint.