Are you an experienced hospitality specialist open to an adventure living and working on a Cornish Estate for 9 months with an immediate start?
Are you an enthusiastic and organised leader with excellent people management skills, outstanding customer service skills and adept in all areas of hospitality management?
Are you conscientious and self motivated with a high level of integrity and attention to detail?
Do you have excellent interpersonal and communication skills, confident in interacting with a wide range of stakeholders?
Do you like the idea of making a meaningful contribution as part of a small, dynamic and flexible team?
About Boconnoc
Boconnoc Estate is situated just outside Lostwithiel, Cornwall. Since the days of the Domesday Book, people have inhabited this beautiful tract of Cornwall—and the estate itself is alive with centuries of history.
Sitting at the heart of the estate is Boconnoc House and cottages which, after 12 years of dedicated refurbishment by the late Anthony Fortescue and his wife Elizabeth, now represent the heights of Cornish luxury. With Georgian architecture, picture-perfect countryside, and buzzing fairs, festivals, and a full events calendar, Boconnoc captures all the enchantment and beauty of Cornwall.
Boconnoc is a busy, vibrant, forward-thinking rural estate. In addition to the estate’s accommodation, retreats, and weddings business, the estate has extensive farming and woodland operations, a large number of let properties (both residential and agricultural), renovation projects, forestry schemes and ambitious environmental targets.
About this role
Based in the office on the beautiful Boconnoc Estate, we are looking for a Head of Hospitality to drive the commercial side of the business forward, particularly focusing on a new wedding, retreat and stays venue launching in June. The role is a temporary full-time contract, with a competitive salary of £40k+ per annum (based on experience) plus accommodation in a 3 bedroom furnished cottage on the Estate. Please note the role involves weekend and evening working.
The applicant will need to be a passionate and ambitious self-starter, with a genuine shared interest for Boconnoc’s vision. An ability to see projects through from start to finish and drive plans forward is essential.
Our Core Objectives
This role will require you to:
-To be responsible for the hospitality, events and stays at Boconnoc, motivating, leading and directing a team of permanent and casual staff, and ensuring the commercial side of Boconnoc aligns closely with the Estate.
-To understand the importance of the whole estate, its nature, our community, our tenant farmers and ensuring we tell the whole story of the Estate through our engagement, events and retreats.
-Recruitment, induction and training of housekeeping, bar and waiting staff.
-To be responsible for setting and adhering to annual performance targets, budgets, management accounts and stock control, delivering an agreed budget surplus
-Be happy to ‘do’ as well as to lead. Boconnoc is a small team and work can often be very hands on;
-Ensure housekeeping standards are checked and kept at the highest level.
– Continually develop the retreats, weddings and stays business in the house and cottages;
-Take the lead on developing ‘The Stewardry’ into a strong wedding, retreat and stays offer.
-To work closely with contract caterers, and all other contractors and service providers, to ensure that their contribution meets the quality standards expected and conforms to Boconnoc expectations
-To support the Wedding and Events Manager in her work ensuring events are run effectively and align with the Boconnoc Brand.
-To work with the garden team to plan and implement future projects
-To develop open days;
-To support the Marketing Manager ensuring long term marketing plans including social media tell the story of Boconnoc and its many strands of the Estate.
-To ensure that all weddings, functions and events are planned and supervised to prevent any damage to the structure or decoration of Boconnoc, the gardens or parkland
-To manage all aspects of Food Safety, Health and Safety and implement robust systems to ensure accountability at all levels. Maintaining all necessary records both paper and digital
– We aim to provide food for clients, which is locally sourced, organic or regeneratively farmed.
-To assume the role of weekend ‘Duty Manager’ as required on a rota system
About You
A highly motivated problem solver with a proven track record in operations and hospitality management, to manage the day to day running of the commercial business. You will possess strong operational and customer service skills and be highly organised with the ability to plan, focus and prioritise effectively.
A strong people manager you will be responsible for a Wedding and Events Manager, Marketing Manager, Gardener, Head Housekeeper and housekeeping, bar and waiting team.
An entrepreneurial and innovative individual who is prepared to challenge the status quo. You will see and grasp opportunities to grow business revenue and increase profitability.
You will have experience of leading a small team and developing efficient and sustainable ways of doing things. A strong team player, you will support and inspire confidence in others, and be someone who respects and values others input. You will have a genuine interest in development of people.
An excellent communicator, both written and oral, you will be able to inspire others with your passion and enthusiasm.
You will have experience creating partnerships with like minded brands and organisations and will be able to seek out and deliver on new partnership opportunities. Determined to deliver excellence, you will be someone who aims high and can work collaboratively, building impactful working relationships with internal and external partners.
You thrive working at pace, are resilient dealing with ambiguity, turn challenge and obstacles into decisive and purposeful action, and are not easily overwhelmed.
You will have industry acumen and knowledge of external catering developments, legal requirements and innovations
You will have a strong financial understanding of setting and adhering to budgets
To apply
If you’re intrigued and excited by what you’ve read so far, we would love to hear from you.
To apply, please email heather@boconnoc.com with a cover letter addressing the questions below, and attach your CV.
Tell us about your experience and how it may be relevant to this role.
What are the three most important values you live by, and why?
What inspires you about this role and Boconnoc?
What do you think are the growing trends in the hospitality and wedding sector?
Please apply early if you are interested in this role as we may close applications if we find the right person.
