Stanlake Park Wine Estate
Estate Operations Manager
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About the Role
Stanlake Park is a busy working wine estate combining vineyards and wine production with a Wine Bar, tours and tastings, more than 120 weddings and events each year, and growing guest accommodation.
We’re looking for an experienced, practical, and exceptionally observant Estate Operations Manager to take ownership of the day-to-day hospitality operational standards of the estate.
This is a senior, hands-on role with oversight across our wedding and event venues, Wine Bar, accommodation, cleaning, maintenance, stock, grounds, and contractors.
You’ll supervise our operational managers and teams and work closely with the Deputy General Manager. You won’t personally do every job across the estate, but you will be responsible for making sure things get done - to the right standard and at the right time.
A typical day might involve:
- Checking a wedding venue before guests arrive
- Inspecting accommodation after housekeeping
- Making sure the Wine Bar is ready to open
- Checking equipment and facilities
- Coordinating stock between departments
- Following up on maintenance or presentation issues
What matters most? What you notice.
Much of this job isn’t about reacting to problems that have already happened. It’s about spotting them before they become problems.
It could be a table beginning to wobble before a wedding, a fridge that isn’t holding temperature, or a bin that hasn’t been emptied.
We’re looking for someone who notices these things without waiting to be told - and takes ownership of the solution, knowing when to delegate, who to involve, when to escalate, and when it’s quicker and more sensible simply to deal with something yourself.
What You’ll Be Responsible For
- Maintaining excellent operational and presentation standards across the estate.
- Supervising operational managers and teams, setting clear standards, and addressing issues promptly.
- Overseeing the operational readiness of weddings and private events.
- Maintaining oversight of Wine Bar operations, including presentation, facilities, equipment, stock, and staffing.
- Overseeing guest accommodation and housekeeping standards.
- Coordinating stock and supplies across departments, anticipating requirements, and avoiding shortages or duplication.
- Identifying maintenance requirements across buildings, furniture, equipment, appliances, and grounds, and ensuring they are resolved.
- Overseeing cleaners, caretaker, gardener, and external contractors and following work through to completion.
- Acting as the first senior point of contact for operational issues that cannot be resolved by the manager or team on duty.
- Identifying recurring problems and working with the Deputy General Manager to improve processes, procedures, and ways of working.
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About You
You’ll have substantial operational management experience and be comfortable taking responsibility for a busy environment without requiring constant direction.
You don’t need to come from a wine estate. Your experience could be from hospitality, event venues, visitor attractions, country clubs, heritage properties, facilities, or estate management, or another complex operation involving people, buildings, equipment, suppliers, and customers.
What matters is your experience, judgment, practical understanding, and management presence.
We’re looking for someone with:
- At least 5 years’ relevant experience in operations management or a senior operational supervisory role (essential).
- Proven experience supervising people and coordinating multiple operational functions.
- Exceptional attention to detail and situational awareness.
- A highly proactive approach - you see what needs doing and act without waiting to be asked.
- Good practical understanding of buildings, equipment, and routine maintenance.
- Strong organization and the ability to prioritize competing demands.
- A confident, credible, and personable management style - approachable and able to build good relationships, while maintaining authority and high standards.
- The confidence to challenge poor standards calmly and constructively.
- Commercial awareness and sensible decision-making around costs.
- Good general IT skills.
- A full UK driving license.
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Working Pattern
This is a full-time role within a seven-day hospitality and events operation, so flexibility is essential.
- Regular weekend daytime presence will be required, particularly on wedding and busy trading days, together with some out-of-hours availability.
- You won’t normally need to remain onsite throughout weddings or evening events. Once the estate is operationally ready and the relevant managers are in place, you may leave while remaining available as the senior operational point of contact.
What We Offer
- £38,000-£42,000 per annum, depending on experience.
- Permanent, full-time position.
- Paid holidays and pension.
- 20% staff discount on wine and food.
- Free on-site parking.
- Uniform provided.
- A newly created senior role with genuine operational authority.
- Considerable independence, working closely with the Deputy General Manager and wider management team.
- A varied working environment across vineyards, historic buildings, hospitality spaces, event venues, and accommodation.
- The opportunity to shape and improve how the estate operates as the business continues to grow.
- Wine qualifications and training (if of interest)
Start: ASAP
How to Apply
Please email your CV and a short covering note to natalia@stanlakepark.com.
In your covering note, we’d particularly like to hear about an operational problem you noticed before somebody asked you to deal with it, what you did about it, and whether you made any changes to prevent it happening again.
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