South Africa: Operations Manager. posted by Career Pathfinders

About the Role

We are seeking a young, ambitious, and physically fit Operations Manager to join our fast-growing hospitality and wellness portfolio as we scale across multiple countries. As an integral member of our leadership team, you will work closely with the Founder and CFO to drive operations and contribute to the company’s growth. This is a ground-floor opportunity to build something meaningful and grow into a senior leadership position (COO) over the next 3–5 years.

Key Responsibilities

• Oversee day-to-day operations across all portfolio companies, ensuring targets are met for revenue, profitability, and guest satisfaction.
• Coordinate with the CFO on budgeting, cost control, and financial reporting across ventures.
• Manage and optimise operations for Pravilo, Nudge, and Roomie — with an immediate priority to reach breakeven and then grow toward USD 30K/year profit per venture.
• Support the operational setup and launch of the Cape Town hotel and Bali villa rental property.
• Travel regularly to Dubai (primary hub), Bali, Cape Town, and Brazil to conduct site visits, manage teams, and ensure quality standards.
• Recruit, train, and manage on-the-ground teams across locations, working with local managers and the shared leadership team (CFO, CMO).
• Develop and implement SOPs, KPIs, and reporting frameworks for each venture.
• Identify operational efficiencies and cost-saving opportunities across the portfolio.
• Support real estate asset management, including coordination with property managers for rental units.
• Act as a key liaison between the Founder and all operational teams, ensuring alignment on vision and execution.

Requirements

• Recent graduate or early-career professional with a degree in Hospitality Management, Business Administration, Tourism, or a related field.
• Strong interest in and understanding of the hospitality and wellness industries — internships or exposure to hotels, lodges, spas, or short-term rental management is a plus.
• Demonstrated leadership potential through academic projects, internships, student organisations, or early work experience.
• Excellent organisational, problem-solving, and communication skills.
• Comfortable with frequent international travel (valid passport with ability to obtain visas for UAE, Indonesia, South Africa, and Brazil).
• Physically fit and energetic — this role involves significant travel, site visits, and hands-on operational work.
• Self-starter who thrives in a lean, fast-paced startup environment with minimal hand-holding.
• Proficient in Google Workspace, project management tools (Asana, Notion, or similar), and comfortable with financial spreadsheets and reporting.
• Fluency in English required; additional languages (Portuguese, Afrikaans, Bahasa Indonesian) are a strong plus.

Salary & Benefits

Base salary: USD 1,500/month. Performance bonuses tied to venture profitability milestones. Dubai visa sponsorship and travel expenses covered for business trips.