Chief Operating Officer, Pass the Keys

Scaling #1 UK Short-Let Management Franchise

Salary not provided

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Senior and Expert level

London

3 days a week in office

Short-term property rental management platform

Be an early applicant

Short-term property rental management platform

101-200 employees

PropertyB2BRentingSales

Be an early applicant

Salary not provided

+ Share options

Senior and Expert level

London

3 days a week in office

101-200 employees

PropertyB2BRentingSales

Company mission

To create a global community of successful property managers who dominate their markets by delivering exceptional services for hosts and guests.

Job

Company

Role

Who you are

This is a role for someone who is equally comfortable building systems, driving accountability, and leading through influence
It requires exceptional people leadership and rigorous execution with strong strategic skills and commercial acumen
You need to have a very high EQ and be passionate about helping your team succeed and shine
Franchising, property management, and short-letting experience are a bonus
A successful candidate will demonstrate substantial experience and track record of success in managing the above responsibilities and achieving the above outcomes
Managing expansion into new countries
Short letting/holiday letting/ hospitality/ property management
Franchising
Most importantly, high-EQ empathetic leadership (understanding people, listening, reading between the lines, motivating and inspiring, creating psychological safety, conflict resolution)
Talent development, mentoring the next generation of leaders
Comfortable operating in a fast-moving entrepreneurial environment
Effective communication with clarity, confidence and emotional intelligence
Problem-solving and strategy
Implementing change fast while maintaining good relationships
External stakeholder relationship building
Able to adapt/change leadership style when needed, making difficult decisions whilst maintaining trust and respect
Commercial acumen
Good judgment and independent decision-making
Operational excellence and efficiency where energised by building rather than maintaining
Process optimisation
KPI development and monitoring
Highly self-directed and take ownership naturally
Enjoy creating order from complexity
Motivated by the successes of your team rather than your own personal projects
Passionate about seeking the best ideas to implement rather than promoting your own ideas
Well-rounded person who can flex between different DISC colours
Ambitious and driven
Open-minded to feedback and change
Eager to get things done
Analytical and data-driven

What the job involves

Pass the Keys is hiring a COO to lead operations across our franchise network and support the CEO/Founder in scaling a purpose-driven organisation through its next stage of UK and international growth
We aim to grow net booking value from £35m to £100m+ over the next couple of years
The position is London-based, requiring three days (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday) of in-office presence each week at our location near Bank station
Reporting to the CEO, the COO will be responsible for leading our senior management team (sales, marketing, technology, franchise success, our own operations)
You will take over the majority of day-to-day running of the business, allowing the CEO to focus more on new products, new markets, new business models, M&A, and other opportunities
We are looking for a Chief Operating Officer (COO)/ Managing Director to help us accelerate our business in the UK and internationally
The successful candidate will report to the CEO/Founder and become his trusted strategic partner
You will be in charge of our Senior Management Team, responsible for leading all our teams
The role is similar to that of an 'Integrator' (as described in Gino Wickman’s Traction), meaning you will turn the company’s vision into execution, manage day-to-day operations with decisiveness and empathy, and hold the senior leadership team to high standards of accountability while building strong relationships
The opportunity for the COO in Pass the Keys is to help shape our journey, realise our vision, and transform the industry
This is a role for someone who is equally comfortable with building systems that scale, improving accountability, and who prefers leading through influence more than hierarchy
Success in the role will include accelerating profitable growth and continuously improving the team
Working with the CEO and the senior management team on setting the company-wide strategy and objectives
Growing the company’s topline growth and profitability by managing each team’s P&L, working with the CEO on resource allocation
Prioritising and project managing changes and improvements to our processes
Wearing multiple hats and rolling up sleeves when necessary
Collaborating and communicating with external stakeholders (OTAs, technology providers, key suppliers, industry bodies)
Navigating a changing regulatory and compliance environment
Optimising operational performance using data and KPIs
Leadership and team management, including
Ensuring the management team and each department is performing, hitting their goals (OKRs), and following the company's core processes
Recruiting staff across the globe to execute our strategy
Hiring, managing and retaining A-players that are stronger than you in their respective fields
Being a multiplier (getting the most out of our talent, playing to their strengths)
Coaching, developing and inspiring our people to grow professionally
Aligning the different functions of the business (Sales, Ops, Marketing, Tech)
Reinforcing our company-wide culture and work practices
Implementing KPIs, operational processes and accountability structures
Managing team remuneration and bonus structures
Managing HR processes and policies
Scaling up our operations and ensuring the success of our three stakeholders (guests, hosts and partners) through our partners (franchisees):
Executing strategies for the success of our three stakeholders: guests (success measured through reviews), hosts (measured through retention) and franchise partners (measured through partner growth, profitability and retention)
Building effective training programmes for our partners
Building and managing relationships with our partners
Designing and implementing service and quality standards for all stakeholders, controlling the service quality offered to each stakeholder
Taking commercial and operational decisions
Scaling our support functions for the stakeholders efficiently

Application process

Several interviews with the CEO
Personality test
Opportunity to get to know the senior management team
Presentation to the team
Interview with the board of directors
Reference calls with previous line managers and employees

Salary benchmarks

Our take

Hosting a property for short-term rental presents an excellent way for property owners to capitalise on vacant properties, but managing multiple listings can be difficult. Hosts must take care of property cleaning, customer service, check-ins, and listing management, generally depending on hiring workers local to each property in order to manage operations remotely.

Pass The Keys provides a short-term property rental management platform, allowing property owners to list and manage properties across 20 different marketplaces including Airbnb and Booking.com. The company also connects hosts with the workers and resources needed to ensure properties are cleaned and maintained to meet quality standards, whilst also managing all guest communications.

The stresses of hiring staff, managing properties, and communicating with customers can often stop short-term property rentals from being worthwhile despite its lucrative nature, and Pass The Keys has recognised that an all-in-one management platform would solve this problem. By isolating the complications of property management from owners, the company claims it can increase accessibility to the short-term rental market whilst helping businesses to scale portfolios with ease.