Position Description: Hospitality Manager
Reports To: Managing Director
Department: Hospitality
Location: Hope Haven Rwanda

GENERAL POSITION DESCRIPTION: The Hospitality Manager is responsible for ensuring that guests and visitors to Hope Haven’s campuses receive a welcoming, professional, and high-quality experience from arrival through departure.

The position provides overall leadership to the Hospitality Team and is responsible for the day-to-day coordination of guest accommodation, meals, schedules, special requests, and hospitality services. The Hospitality Manager works closely with the Managing Director, Hospitality Team, Chef, Agriculture Team, and US Hosting Staff to ensure that guest needs are anticipated and handled efficiently.

The role requires a mature and confident individual who can work well with people from different backgrounds and personalities, including senior leaders, international visitors, donors, and other important guests. The Hospitality Manager must be able to communicate clearly and professionally in English, remain calm under pressure, and address concerns or difficult situations with good judgment, respect, and professionalism.

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Hospitality Leadership and Team Management

• Lead, supervise, and support the Hospitality Team to ensure consistent and professional service.
• Organize staff schedules, working hours, days off, and coverage to ensure uninterrupted hospitality services.
• Set clear expectations for hospitality staff and follow up on performance, attendance, conduct, and service standards.
• Provide guidance and coaching to staff and address performance or service concerns promptly.
• Promote teamwork, accountability, respect, and a positive working environment.
• Handle different personalities and challenging situations professionally while maintaining appropriate boundaries and standards.
• Ensure staff understand and consistently follow Hope Haven’s hospitality procedures and expectations.

2. Guest Experience and Relationship Management

• Ensure guests receive a warm, respectful, professional, and well-organized experience throughout their stay.
• Welcome guests and ensure their needs are understood and appropriately addressed.
• Regularly review guest schedules and anticipate changes, special requirements, and upcoming activities.
• Maintain professional communication with guests, including international visitors, donors, partners, and senior leaders.
• Respond promptly to guest requests, concerns, and special needs and ensure appropriate follow-up.
• Handle complaints or difficult situations calmly, professionally, and discreetly.
• Maintain confidentiality and professionalism when dealing with guest information and requests.
• Coordinate with US Hosting Staff and other relevant teams to ensure guests receive consistent support.
• Manage and deliver high-quality guest experience by welcoming and touring guests around the campus, introducing them to key facilities, departments, and personnel, and ensuring they feel well received and supported throughout their visit.
• Develop cross-training and backup capacity within the hospitality team by ensuring that key functions have trained staff who can step in when the primary person is absent or unavailable, including critical roles such as the Chef.

3. Accommodation and Guest Facilities

• Ensure guest rooms and hospitality facilities are clean, organized, properly equipped, and ready before guests arrive.
• Conduct regular checks of guest rooms and facilities and address any issues promptly.
• Ensure hospitality equipment, furniture, keys, and other property are properly safeguarded and maintained.
• Report maintenance, renovation, replacement, or repair needs to the appropriate supervisor.
• Ensure the safety and security of guests’ belongings while they are using Hope Haven facilities.
• Maintain proper control and accountability of hospitality.

4. Meals, Catering, and Guest Dietary Needs

• Work closely with the Chef to plan and organize appropriate guest menus.
• Ensure meals are prepared and served on time according to the daily guest schedule.
• Communicate guest dietary restrictions, allergies, preferences, and special requirements to the Chef and relevant staff.
• Coordinate with the Agriculture Manager and team regarding food grown for use in the guest kitchen.
• Monitor the availability and quality of food supplies needed for guest services.
• Purchase groceries and other hospitality supplies while maintaining quality, cost awareness, and budget discipline.
• Monitor the use of hospitality supplies to minimize waste and unnecessary expenses.

5. Guest Scheduling and Event Support

• Regularly monitor guest schedules and communicate changes to the relevant teams.
• Coordinate hospitality arrangements for school events, meetings, conferences, and special guest activities.
• Ensure hospitality preparations are completed in advance of scheduled events.
• Work with other departments to coordinate guest transportation, meals, accommodation, and other hospitality needs when required.
• Ensure all assigned hospitality responsibilities are completed on time and to an appropriate professional standard.

6. Communication and Coordination

• Maintain clear, timely, and professional communication with management, staff, guests, and other stakeholders.
• Communicate confidently and professionally in English, both verbally and in writing.
• Ensure important guest information and schedule changes are communicated accurately and promptly.
• Provide regular updates to the Managing Director on hospitality operations, challenges, guest concerns, and outstanding needs.
• Respond to requests and assigned tasks with urgency and provide clear follow-up on progress or completion.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

Applicants must possess:

• Bachelor’s degree or relevant professional qualification in Hospitality Management, Hotel Management, Tourism, Business Administration, or a related field.
• Minimum 3–5 years of relevant experience in hospitality, hotel operations, guest services, accommodation management, catering, or a similar environment.
• Previous supervisory or management experience is strongly preferred.
• Experience working with international guests, senior leaders, donors, executives, or other high-profile visitors is an advantage.
• Demonstrated experience managing a team with different personalities, backgrounds, and levels of experience.
• Experience in coordinating guest accommodation, meals, events, schedules, and related services.
• Strong understanding of professional hospitality and customer-service standards.

REQUIRED SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES

Communication

• Excellent English communication skills, both spoken and written.
• Able to communicate clearly, confidently, respectfully, and professionally with guests, staff, and senior leaders.
• Able to listen carefully, understand guest expectations, and communicate information accurately.
• Able to handle sensitive or difficult conversations with maturity and professionalism.

Leadership and People Management

• Strong leadership and team-management skills.
• Confident in giving direction, setting expectations, and holding staff accountable.
• Able to manage strong personalities and resolve disagreements or challenging situations constructively.
• Patient, approachable, firm, and fair when dealing with staff.
• Able to motivate a team and maintain high service standards even under pressure.

Hospitality and Customer Service

• Strong guest-service orientation with a genuine desire to make guests feel welcomed and valued.
• High attention to detail and strong organizational skills.
• Able to anticipate guest needs rather than simply respond to requests.
• Professional appearance, attitude, and conduct.
• Strong problem-solving and decision-making skills.
• Able to remain calm, courteous, and solution-focused in stressful situations.

Organization and Accountability

• Able to manage several responsibilities and priorities at the same time.
• Strong planning and time-management skills.
• Reliable and able to work independently with limited supervision.
• Able to follow instructions while also taking appropriate initiative.
• Strong sense of responsibility for Hope Haven property, equipment, supplies, and guest welfare.
• Cost-conscious and able to work within an approved budget.

PERSONAL QUALITIES

The successful candidate should be:

• Mature and professional.
• Confident but respectful.
• Service-oriented and welcoming.
• Calm under pressure.
• Flexible and adaptable.
• Honest and trustworthy.
• Discreet when handling confidential or sensitive matters.
• A strong team player.
• Comfortable working with people from different cultures and backgrounds.
• Willing to take initiative and solve problems.
• Committed to maintaining high standards of hospitality and representing Hope Haven professionally.

PERFORMANCE EXPECTATIONS

The Hospitality Manager will be expected to ensure that:

• Guests receive a consistently professional and welcoming experience.
• Guest rooms, meals, schedules, and hospitality arrangements are prepared accurately and on time.
• Hospitality staff are well supervised, organized, and accountable.
• Guest concerns and requests are handled promptly and professionally.
• Communication with management, staff, and guests is clear and timely.
• Hospitality resources and budgets are managed responsibly.
• Hope Haven is represented professionally through the quality of its hospitality services.

Duration of the Assignment 

The employment contract is expected to be an open-ended contract subject to probation of three months. 

Application Procedure

Interested candidates should submit their CV, Copies of academic degree certificates and other relevant certificates by using the link provided here: https://hopehavenschool.ddns.net/careers  .

A one-page cover letter with a motivation statement in relation to the responsibilities and requirements for this position.

The deadline for submitting applications is October 21, 2026 

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for interviews