General Manager And Pre-Opening Operations Lead

As the General Manager & Pre-Opening Operations Lead, you will lead the successful pre-opening, launch, and operation of Earth Jumeirah Beach while supporting the operational development, future pre-openings, and ongoing evolution of the Earth Hotels portfolio.

This role combines hands-on hotel leadership with brand operations, helping shape the operating standards, guest experience, service philosophy, and opening frameworks that will support future Earth Hotels properties.

You will work closely with the Co-Founders to build not only an exceptional hotel, but a scalable operating model that can be replicated across future openings.

What on Earth Will You Do?

• Assume full responsibility for the day-to-day leadership, management, and performance of Earth Jumeirah Beach.
• Lead the successful pre-opening, launch, and stabilization of the property, ensuring operational readiness across all departments.
• Oversee all operational functions including Rooms, Food & Beverage, Engineering, Security, Finance, and Citizen & Culture.
• Recruit, develop, and inspire a high-performing leadership team aligned with Earth Hotels' values and service philosophy.
• Deliver agreed financial objectives through effective budgeting, forecasting, cost control, and commercial decision-making.
• Drive guest satisfaction and brand advocacy by ensuring consistently exceptional guest experiences.
• Maintain a strong presence within the hotel and serve as the face of the property to guests, partners, owners, and the local community.
• Ensure full compliance with all statutory, licensing, health, safety, and regulatory requirements.
• Lead Executive Committee meetings and foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Partner closely with Revenue, Sales & Marketing, and Finance teams to maximize performance and achieve business targets.
• Develop a high-performing leadership team capable of sustaining operational excellence as the business and portfolio continue to grow.
• Review, define, and continuously improve brand standards, SOPs, and service philosophy in collaboration with Brand, Design, and Commercial teams.
• Develop operational playbooks and KPIs across Rooms, F&B, Engineering, Front Office, Housekeeping, Sales & Events.
• Ensure brand standards are embedded into daily operations and consistently upheld.
• Leverage operational data and analytics to drive commercial and strategic decisions.
• Participate in ongoing strategic reviews with the Managing Partner and executive leadership.
• Own the end-to-end operational opening program including timelines, RACI structures, milestone tracking, and readiness checklists.
• Oversee core operational deliverables: OS&E, kitchen commissioning, systems integrations (PMS/POS), inventory planning, and compliance documentation.
• Support recruitment and onboarding of opening teams; validate readiness before launch.
• Plan and execute mock services, soft openings, and final readiness assessments; provide go/no-go recommendations.
• Coordinate with project teams, authorities, and consultants to secure operational approvals and licenses.
• Support recruitment and onboarding of property leadership teams with focus on operational capability and culture alignment.
• Develop structured training programs including leadership bootcamps and SOP certifications.
• Establish operational rituals and accountability systems that drive performance and retention.
• Partner with Citizen & Culture team on compliance, workforce planning, and performance management frameworks.
• Act as primary operations liaison with Development, Design, Procurement, F&B Concept, Revenue, Marketing, and Finance.
• Lead cross-functional workshops translating design and concept into executable operating procedures.
• Represent Operations in executive steering committees, owner discussions, and investor engagements, providing clear updates on performance, operational priorities, risks, and strategic initiatives.
• Communicate operational risks, mitigation strategies, and performance updates clearly and proactively.
• Lead system implementation and validation across PMS, POS, CRS, HRIS, EMS, and inventory platforms.
• Ensure system integrations are operationally ready before opening.
• Manage brand-level vendor relationships and SLAs for outsourced services.
• Validate vendor performance and contract compliance across properties.
• Establish structured guest recovery frameworks and CRM feedback loops.
• Monitor online reputation and guest sentiment during opening and stabilization phases.
• Implement rapid corrective plans to protect brand positioning and service standards.
• Support the planning, operational readiness, and successful delivery of future Earth Hotels pre-openings, working alongside project and property teams from concept through opening.
• Travel to future Earth Hotels projects as required to support pre-opening activities, operational readiness, hotel openings, and post-opening stabilization.
• Support the Co-Founders in shaping the operational foundations of the Earth Hotels brand.
• Contribute to the development and refinement of brand standards, SOPs, service rituals, and operational playbooks for future properties.
• Share learnings and best practices from the opening and operation of Earth Jumeirah Beach to support future openings.
• Lead or support feasibility reviews, operational planning, and pre-opening strategies for future Earth Hotels projects.
• Provide operational leadership, coaching, and opening support to future General Managers and hotel leadership teams.
• Collaborate with Development, Design, Procurement, and Brand teams to ensure concepts are translated into executable operating models.
• Identify opportunities to improve efficiency, consistency, and scalability across the growing portfolio.
• Support the establishment of operational KPIs, reporting frameworks, and quality assurance processes for future expansion.
• Represent Operations in strategic discussions relating to the growth and evolution of the Earth Hotels portfolio.
• Undertake additional operational projects and responsibilities as assigned by the Co-Founders in line with the business's stage of development.
• Ensure all property safety, health, and service regulations are followed consistently.
• Maintain a clean, safe, and welcoming environment in operational and site visits.
• Remain flexible and adaptable, stepping in wherever needed to support portfolio success.
• Perform additional duties as assigned by management.
  
  

• Successful opening and operational stabilization of Earth Jumeirah Beach.
• Achievement of agreed financial, guest satisfaction, and operational performance targets.
• Development of a high-performing and engaged leadership team.
• Strong online reputation and effective guest recovery processes.
• Full operational readiness, compliance, and execution across all hotel functions.
• Operational playbooks, SOP libraries, and training frameworks supporting future growth.
• Opening readiness documentation and post-opening improvement plans.
• Scalable operational standards and frameworks to support future Earth Hotels openings.
• Successful support of future Earth Hotels pre-openings, operational readiness, and opening programmes.