Operations Coordinator (short term rentals)

About the Company

We are a growing UK-based short-term rental and property management business managing a portfolio of approximately 19 properties. Over the past five years we have built a strong reputation for delivering exceptional guest experiences and long-term relationships with corporate agents and relocation companies. As we continue to grow, the founder is stepping back from day-to-day operations to focus on business development, sales and expanding the portfolio. This role plays a critical part in helping the business scale.

The Opportunity

We are recruiting an Operations Coordinator to take ownership of the day-to-day operation and grow into a senior operational leadership role as the business scales. This is an ambitious, organised operations professional with short-term rental experience who wants to work closely with the Director and take on increasing responsibility as the business expands.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead, support and develop the remote team of five Virtual Assistants — set their tasks, hold them to standard, and make sure the work is done right.
• Own maintenance, housekeeping and cleaning coordination through the team — the VAs run it day-to-day; you make sure it happens and step in when it doesn't.
• Be the escalation point for complex guest issues, complaints and anything the team cannot resolve on its own.
• Onboard new properties from signed contract to live listing.
• Own landlord relationships once properties are onboarded — updates, queries and keeping them satisfied.
• Build, document and continuously improve SOPs so the team runs consistently without the founder in the middle.
• Report operational performance and KPIs to the Director.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

This role is measured on all of the following. Every one is a target to hit, not a menu to pick from:

• Escalation independence — 90%+ of guest, cleaner, maintenance and landlord issues resolved by the team without reaching the Director.
• Onboarding speed — new properties taken from signed contract to live listing within 5–7 days, once photos are scheduled and shot.
• Onboarding quality — listings live correct and complete first time, with no rework.
• Guest calls and escalations — answered or actioned by a person within 5 minutes. Routine guest messaging is handled by AI.
• Guest review scores — portfolio average maintained at or above target across all platforms.
• Landlord retention — zero avoidable loss of managed properties.
• Team performance — VA tasks completed on time and to standard, without chasing.

Required Experience

• Previous experience within the short-term rental, serviced accommodation or property management industry.
• Experience using Airbnb, Booking.com or similar OTA platforms.
• Experience managing remote teams.
• Strong understanding of guest communication and operational workflows.
• Experience creating and improving operational processes and SOPs.
• Confident managing multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Excellent written and verbal English communication skills.

Preferred Systems Experience (some or all would be highly advantageous)

Guesty · Airbnb · Booking.com · Notion · Zapier · Google Workspace · Slack · CircleLoop · TimeDoctor · Loom · NordPass

About You

• Takes ownership and treats the business like their own.
• Is proactive and solutions-focused rather than reactive.
• Enjoys building systems and improving processes.
• Has exceptional organisational skills and attention to detail.
• Can confidently lead and motivate remote teams.
• Builds strong relationships with clients, guests and stakeholders.
• Thrives in a growing entrepreneurial business.

Why Join?

This is a chance to become one of the first key hires in a rapidly growing business. You'll work directly with the founder, have real autonomy to shape operations, implement new ideas, and play a significant role in scaling the company. If you enjoy taking ownership, driving operational excellence and helping a business grow, we'd love to hear from you.

Pay: From R26 342,62 per month

Application Question(s):

• Have you worked in short-term rentals, serviced accommodation or property management?
• Have you directly managed a remote team?
• Can you work UK business hours (roughly 9:30am–6:00pm UK time) from South Africa, five days a week?
• Is your spoken and written English fluent enough to handle guest calls and landlord communication?
• Paste a link to a short (2-minute max) Loom or video introducing yourself and answering: what's the first thing you'd want to fix in a remote serviced-accommodation operation, and why?

Work Location: Remote