Head of Operator Job Description

Short Description

A complete, ready to use job description for the Head of Operator position, the supervisor who leads the hotel telephone operator team. Written in clear professional English and structured in the same format as the rest of the Front Office series, this document defines the role as the communication centre of the property: the person responsible for how fast calls are answered, how accurately messages and wake-up calls are handled, and how calmly emergency communication is managed. It can be used immediately or adapted to suit the size and brand standards of your own property.

Job Code: JD-FO-HOP-001 | Department: Front Office | Job Level: Supervisor | Reports To: Front Office Manager

Purpose of This Document

The telephone operator is often the first voice a guest hears, yet the role is frequently left without a clear leader and without written standards. This document closes that gap. It gives Human Resources a defensible basis for recruitment, interviewing and salary placement, gives the Front Office Manager a clear statement of what the Head of Operator is accountable for, and gives the appointed employee an unambiguous description of their duties, authority and performance measures. It also supports onboarding, probation review, annual appraisal and internal promotion decisions, and provides documented evidence of role clarity for brand audits and quality inspections.

What Is Inside the Document

Header and Identification Block
A professional header with a placeholder for your property logo, the job title, the job code and the job level, followed by an identification table covering Job Title, Job Code, Department, Job Level, Company, Reports To, Location (Telephone Operator Room or PBX) and Works With. The Works With field already lists the departments this role depends on daily: Front Desk, Reservations, Housekeeping, Engineering and Security.

Job Overview
A concise opening paragraph that positions the Head of Operator as the leader of the voice of the hotel, reporting to the Front Office Manager, and names the three outcomes the role exists to deliver: calls answered quickly and politely, messages and wake-up calls handled without error, and emergency communication running smoothly.

Key Responsibilities, grouped into nine clear areas

1. Telephone Service Standards. Answering all incoming calls within three rings with the standard greeting, transferring calls accurately while protecting guest privacy, personally handling difficult, VIP and complaint calls through to resolution, and keeping the operator room clean, organised and service ready.
2. Team Leadership and Supervision. Supervising and supporting operators on every shift, preparing the duty roster against occupancy and call volume, and monitoring call quality against Front Office SOPs.
3. Teamwork and Communication. Coordinating with Front Desk, Reservations, Housekeeping and Engineering so guest requests are passed on in time, sharing VIP arrivals and guest preferences with the team, attending the shift briefing, and escalating recurring guest issues and telephone system faults to the Front Office Manager.
4. Wake-up Calls, Messages and Paging. Ensuring every wake-up call is recorded, delivered on time and double checked, ensuring messages are taken accurately and delivered without delay, managing the paging system and the staff contact list, and keeping the hotel information directory, extension list and operator guide up to date.
5. Training and Performance. Training new and existing operators on telephone etiquette, systems and hotel knowledge, evaluating performance with regular feedback and coaching, and encouraging operators to promote outlets, spa and current offers when answering calls.
6. Systems and Records. Accurate use of the PMS and PABX for guest lookups, call charges and wake-up calls, handling guest data and call records in line with local regulations and privacy rules, and keeping the operator logbook, call reports and wake-up call records complete and organised.
7. Security and Safety. Acting as the communication centre during fire, medical and other emergencies in line with the emergency procedures, handling bomb threats and suspicious calls calmly with immediate reporting to Security and management, and keeping emergency contact lists current so every operator knows the procedure.
8. Shift Duties and Handover. Checking arrivals, VIPs, wake-up calls and pending messages at the start of each shift, recording pending requests, complaints and follow-ups in the logbook, and handing over open matters, guest notes and wake-up call lists to the next shift.
9. Other Duties. A standard clause covering reasonable additional tasks assigned by the Front Office Manager or Duty Manager.

Qualifications and Requirements
Seven selection criteria ready to be copied into a job advertisement: education level, a minimum of two years as Telephone Operator with at least one year in a senior or supervisory role, knowledge of front office operations, PABX systems and telephone etiquette, a clear and pleasant voice with the composure to stay calm under pressure, familiarity with PMS platforms such as Opera or VHP, an excellent command of spoken and written English with additional languages as an advantage, and willingness to work shifts including nights, weekends and public holidays.

Key Performance Indicators
Five measurable indicators that make the role reviewable rather than subjective: guest satisfaction score and positive guest comments by name, call answering speed and abandoned call rate, wake-up call and message accuracy with a zero missed wake-up call standard, operator team performance with training completion and staff turnover, and grooming, attendance, punctuality and SOP compliance.

Scope Note and Document Approval
A protective note clarifying that the document describes the main scope of the role and is not an exhaustive list, followed by a three column signature block for Prepared and Validated By (Corp. General Manager), Documented By (Human Resource Manager) and Acknowledged By (Head of Operator), each with name and date fields. The footer carries the update date, revision number and job code for document control.

What You Gain

A finished supervisory job description you can issue the same day, written in the voice of an experienced hotel operator rather than generic template language. The reporting line, department, job level and job code are already consistent with the wider Front Office series, so the role fits straight into your organisation chart and filing system. The KPI section gives you an immediate basis for probation and annual review, the responsibilities give a Front Office Manager a clear delegation boundary, and the approval block gives you a signed acknowledgement for the personnel file.

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Head of Operator Job Description