STAA - the Short Term Accommodation Association
Operations Manager
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About UKSTAA
UKSTAA is the national trade body representing the tourism industry’s short-term rental (STR) sector. Our members include global platforms such as Expedia and Airbnb, as well as local property managers, tourism businesses and individual holiday accommodation owners. As organisers of the globally recognised Short Stay Summit we work to connect, inspire and educate short term rental owners across the UK.
Role Purpose
We are seeking a proactive and highly organised Operations Manager to support the Chief Executive Officer in running and scaling UKSTAA, the national trade body representing the UK's short-term rental (STR) sector. UKSTAA is a lean, high-impact organisation, and this is a hands-on role with genuine ownership across governance, membership operations, finance administration and event support.
The postholder will act as the CEO's operational right hand, ensuring the smooth day-to-day running of the organisation so the CEO can focus on strategic growth, policy engagement and representing the sector with politicians, officials and regulators. This role is central to strengthening operational excellence and governance, supporting delivery of the Short Stay Summit, Europe's leading STR industry conference and enabling continued growth in membership, revenue and sector recognition.
Key Responsibilities
Operational Support to the CEO
- Act as the CEO's primary operational point of contact, managing priorities, correspondence and follow-up actions.
- Prepare briefing papers, reports and presentations for Board meetings, funders and external stakeholders.
- Coordinate Board and committee meetings, including agendas, papers, minutes and action tracking.
- Support the CEO in policy and political stakeholder engagement by managing logistics, scheduling and briefing materials for meetings with politicians, officials and regulators.
Organisational Operations & Governance
- Oversee day-to-day organisational operations, ensuring UKSTAA runs efficiently as a lean team.
- Maintain robust governance processes, policies and compliance documentation.
- Manage contracts, suppliers and service providers that support the running of the organisation.
- Ensure compliance with relevant regulatory, data protection and health and safety requirements.
- Identify opportunities to strengthen operational systems and processes as the organisation grows.
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Membership & Revenue Support
- Support delivery of membership growth and retention initiatives set by the CEO.
- Manage and maintain the CRM to track member engagement, renewals and communications.
- Support onboarding of new members, including global platform members and individual accommodation owners.
- Assist with invoicing, subscription tracking and revenue reporting.
Event & Programme Support
- Support the Senior Event Manager and CEO in the planning and delivery of the Short Stay Summit and shoulder events.
- Coordinate logistics, supplier liaison and onsite support as required during the Summit week.
- Help ensure exhibitor, sponsor and delegate experience remains market-leading.
Budget & Financial Administration
- Work with the CEO and the Accounts team
- Support the CEO in developing and monitoring organisational budgets and forecasts.
- Liaise with the Accounts team on invoicing, expenses and maintaining accurate financial records.
- Track expenditure against budget and flag variances to the CEO or in the case of the Short Stay Summit, the Senior Events Manager.
- Support preparation of financial reports for the Board and funders.
Stakeholder & Communications Support
- Build strong working relationships with members, sponsors, partners and suppliers.
- Support external communications, including newsletters, member updates, social media channels and website content, liaising with the wider team.
- Represent UKSTAA operationally at industry meetings and events as required. Both virtual and in person.
Person Specification
Essential Experience
- Experience in an operations, or strategic executive support role, ideally within a trade association, membership organisation or small charity/not-for-profit.
- Experience managing budgets, contracts and supplier relationships.
- Experience supporting governance processes, including Board reporting.
- Experience using a CRM system to manage relationships and data.
- Experience with AI tools and someone who embraces AI and its potential to relieve administrative burden
- Experience working at C-Suite level.
- Previous experience working within the travel and tourism industry
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Essential Skills
- Outstanding organisational and project management skills.
- High attention to detail and strong administrative and financial accuracy.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Ability to manage competing priorities and work independently.
- Discretion and sound judgement when handling confidential or sensitive information.
- A proactive, problem-solving approach with a hands-on attitude.
Desirable Experience
- Experience of working with local/regional government and national trade bodies.
- Experience supporting the delivery of conferences or large-scale events.
- Familiarity with membership organisation operating models.
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
- Smooth and effective day-to-day operational running of UKSTAA.
- Accuracy and timeliness of governance, Board and financial reporting.
- Membership CRM data quality and member engagement tracking.
- Effective operational support to the Short Stay Summit and shoulder events.
- Budget monitoring accuracy and cost control.
- Positive feedback from the CEO, Board and members on operational delivery.
What Success Looks Like
The successful candidate will be a trusted operational partner to the CEO, enabling UKSTAA to run efficiently, meet its governance and financial obligations, and deliver a growing membership and successful event programme. They will be recognised as the driving force behind the organisation's day-to-day operational excellence, freeing the CEO to focus on strategic growth and sector representation.
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