Lodge Operations Manager

Role Overview

This position places you at the heart of a working wildlife conservancy in Laikipia, where you will run the daily operations of an exclusive safari lodge. Your focus will be on blending commercial discipline with authentic hospitality, ensuring every guest journey feels personal and seamless while keeping conservation goals central to how the lodge operates. You will work alongside conservancy teams and local stakeholders to balance tourism excellence with the long-term health of the landscape and its wildlife.

Key Responsibilities

• Oversee every department within the lodge, from guiding and housekeeping to food and beverage, maintenance, and security, so that service standards remain consistently high.
• Act as the primary host for guests throughout their stay, anticipating needs, resolving issues quickly, and delivering a warm, personalised wilderness experience.
• Lead, motivate, and develop the lodge team through clear rotas, daily briefings, performance check-ins, training, and a collaborative working culture.
• Maintain and protect the physical assets of the lodge, including vehicles, equipment, guest areas, and infrastructure, ensuring everything is safe, clean, and fully functional.
• Take ownership of the lodge’s financial health, including budgeting, procurement, stock control, petty cash management, and cost monitoring, while keeping accurate records.
• Enforce robust health, safety, security, and regulatory protocols, with particular care for the challenges of a remote, wildlife-rich environment.
• Build strong working relationships across the conservancy, neighbouring properties, suppliers, guides, and community members, and stay informed about local wildlife, conservation initiatives, and landscape issues.
• Champion responsible tourism and continuous improvement, aligning lodge operations with the conservancy’s sustainability objectives while identifying practical ways to elevate both guest satisfaction and conservation impact.

Requirements & Qualifications

• A bachelor’s degree in hospitality management, tourism, business administration, or a related discipline.
• Proven managerial experience in a lodge, camp, or premium hospitality setting, ideally within a safari or luxury travel context.
• Strong leadership and people-management skills, with a demonstrated ability to build, train, and retain a diverse team.
• Excellent guest-relations and communication abilities, comfortable hosting international visitors and handling sensitive situations with diplomacy.
• Solid financial management background, including experience with budgeting, inventory control, purchasing, and financial reporting.
• Working knowledge of health, safety, security, and risk-management practices in remote or wilderness environments.
• A practical, hands-on approach to daily operations, problem-solving, and service delivery, with the flexibility to step into any role when needed.
• Personal resilience and adaptability, with the ability to live and work in an isolated setting while maintaining composure under pressure.