Operations Manager

Pullman Cairns International is seeking an accomplished hotel leader to take on the role of Operations Manager within this iconic five-star property. Situated in the heart of Tropical North Queensland, the hotel is one of Cairns’ most recognised hospitality destinations, featuring 324 guest rooms, premium dining experiences and extensive conference and event facilities. Welcoming leisure, corporate and international travellers, this is an exciting opportunity for a senior operator to influence guest experience, develop high-performing teams and contribute to commercial success within a leading Accor destination.

As part of the global Accor network and the prestigious Pullman brand, this role offers the opportunity to join the senior leadership team of a flagship hotel known for excellence, strong performance and a commitment to delivering exceptional experiences. You will work alongside an experienced leadership team, have access to world-class resources and learning platforms, and be supported by future career opportunities across one of the world’s leading hospitality groups.

Based in Cairns, this opportunity allows you to combine a rewarding senior hospitality career with an enviable tropical lifestyle. Relocation support is available for the successful candidate, along with performance-based incentives and the opportunity to build your career within Accor.

Reports to: General Manager

About the Role

The Operations Manager is the General Manager’s key operational partner, responsible for connecting hotel strategy with consistent day-to-day execution across the property.

This is a highly visible leadership role for an experienced hotel professional who thrives on creating exceptional guest experiences, developing strong teams and driving operational excellence. Working closely with department leaders, you will ensure the hotel delivers on the Pullman brand promise while achieving strong guest, team and commercial outcomes.

This opportunity will suit an experienced hotel leader who is ready to broaden their impact, influence multiple areas of the operation and take the next step towards future senior leadership opportunities within Accor.

Operational Leadership & Guest Experience

• Provide visible and hands-on leadership across the hotel, ensuring operational priorities are aligned and delivered effectively.
• Partner with department leaders to create seamless guest journeys from arrival through to departure.
• Champion the Pullman brand promise and ensure service standards are consistently delivered across all guest touchpoints.
• Use guest feedback, service insights and operational data to identify opportunities and continuously improve the guest experience.
• Lead effective guest recovery, ensuring concerns are managed with professionalism, ownership and care.
• Support alignment across departments to ensure VIPs, groups, events and operational priorities are successfully delivered.

Commercial Performance & Business Partnership

• Work closely with the General Manager and leadership team to drive commercial outcomes and operational performance.
• Translate hotel objectives into clear departmental actions and support leaders in achieving business targets.
• Identify opportunities to improve productivity, efficiency and profitability across the operation.
• Maintain a strong understanding of hotel performance, labour productivity, revenue opportunities and cost management.
• Contribute to business planning, forecasting and ongoing performance improvement initiatives.

ALL Accor Loyalty & Brand Excellence

• Champion ALL – Accor Live Limitless and embed loyalty as a key part of the guest experience.
• Support leaders to deliver meaningful recognition, personalised service and memorable experiences for loyalty members.
• Ensure consistent delivery of Pullman brand standards and luxury quality expectations.
• Use guest insights and brand measures to identify opportunities to enhance service delivery and engagement.

Leadership & Team Development

• Lead, coach and support experienced department leaders to achieve their operational and leadership goals.
• Build a culture of accountability, collaboration and continuous improvement across the hotel.
• Encourage strong communication, ownership and teamwork between departments.
• Support talent development, succession planning and career growth opportunities within the team.
• Create an environment where team members feel valued, empowered and motivated to deliver exceptional experiences.

Operational Excellence & Hotel Standards

• Ensure operational standards, policies and procedures are consistently maintained across the hotel.
• Support strong compliance across safety, risk management, audit requirements and operational controls.
• Drive effective communication, planning and execution across all areas of the hotel.
• Ensure hotel systems and reporting tools are used effectively to support informed decision-making.
• Represent the General Manager when required and make confident operational decisions aligned with business objectives.

Skills and Experience

• Proven leadership experience within a full-service, premium or luxury hotel environment.
• Experience leading complex hotel operations with the ability to influence across multiple departments.
• Strong understanding of guest experience, operational performance and commercial outcomes.
• Demonstrated ability to coach, develop and inspire leaders and high-performing teams.
• Strong business acumen with the ability to balance service excellence with operational discipline.
• Experience using hotel systems including Opera Cloud is highly regarded.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Full Australian working rights required.

Personal Attributes

• A confident and visible leader who enjoys being connected to the operation.
• Calm, practical and solutions-focused, with the ability to make sound decisions in a fast-paced environment.
• Commercially minded with a genuine passion for hospitality and guest experiences.
• A natural coach who enjoys developing people and creating high-performing teams.
• Adaptable, collaborative and committed to delivering excellence every day.

Why work for Accor?

Accor is one of the world’s leading hospitality groups, with more than 5,400 hotels across 110+ countries. With a diverse portfolio of brands and global career pathways, the opportunities to grow and develop your career are endless.

Benefits Your Way

• Access to global accommodation and Food & Beverage discounts.
• Career development opportunities through Accor’s learning and development platforms.
• Performance-based incentive opportunity.
• Relocation support available for the successful candidate.
• Recognition of service anniversaries and Accor tenure milestones.
• Opportunities to build your career within Australia and across the global Accor network.

Our Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion

We are an inclusive employer, and our ambition is to attract, recruit and develop diverse talent. We offer reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process to support candidates. If you require any adjustments, please let us know.